One of the great things about video games is the fact that you can be just about anyone and do almost anything. Want to be a chef – there is a game for that, play guitar – there are games for that, rule a kingdom with an iron fist – of course. If you are more into space exploration, Cosmic Panic has a new game for you – Adios Amigos.
Adios Amigos puts you in charge of a small space craft tasked with exploring the galaxy. You will have to fly your craft through asteroid belts, land on planets, discover new life forms, and of course find fuel for your craft. You can either explore from the confines of your spaceship or risk the gravity and atmosphere and venture out on foot.
The game starts out simple enough, you pick your avatar, ship, and you are off in space. You are given brief tutorials as to how to use your sparse equipment, but most of your learning is done on the fly. You are tasked to land on planets, explore them and gather resources for your spaceship. When you do this, you will have to make sure to take care not to damage your ship or sustain to much personal damage. While you are able to heal yourself or repair your ship, but it will cost you energy – the same energy needed to power your ship through the galaxy.
One of the coolest parts of the game is the physics. Each planet has a different amount of gravity, so you will have to factor that into your explorations. Will you be able to jump over that large rock with the help of a jet pack, or will you just float off into the atmosphere? Is there an asteroid belt near the planet that will cause meteors to rain down on you? You can even use the planets orbit to conserve your fuel. Instead of flying directly there, you can just use your thrusters a bit to create an intersecting course. If you want to explore an orbiting space station you will have to tether to it, or else you can be stuck without a ride.
Graphics in the game are a mix of fanciful and cartoonish. The martians you encounter are varied, cute and nothing to be too scared about. Planets have different textures and colors to help you remember where you have explored in each system. There are also really cool effects on the different suns you may encounter. The sound effects in the game are good. You will hear a few many times – thrusters, grappling hook, encountering new items to scan, and of course crashing into things.
Adios Amigos is out now and a fun way to pass your time. It will take a little getting used to the controls to make sure that you are not floating off into space or hurdling into a planet full tilt. There is enough variety in the systems that you travel to warrant multiple playthroughs. There are also several different missions for you to try and complete as well.
