So this is a return to a previous game that I reviewed a while back in its demo form. A lot of the same remarks will still apply here, but there are some new features to expand on. But I guess I should talk about what the game is, Curved Space is a third person arena twin-stick shooter with maps that are literally curved space, space that geometrically wraps in on itself and making almost a race track that you can traverse. For some players, there may be a bit of motion sickness with some layouts with how much you can move and the camera can tilt on itself. Personally, I’d feel it a little bit at times, but mainly it was fun just letting my brain be boggled by what was going on. Story itself is told from the perspective of a female… engineer character (and her split personalities across dimensions) which give you some options in terms of your campaign missions. The story itself doesn’t change drastically across your choices, but it’s interesting seeing different versions of the character interact with herself or reference other moments.
The campaign mode that was previewed in the demo has been fleshed out more with some branching paths and more objective variety. It was nice seeing some more mission layouts compared to the demo, and I was happy to see more boss designs that really stepped things up. Admitted, there are times where the game feels like it’s shuffling in the same events in a random order, so some players may feel the repetitiveness sooner, although the difficulty ramp and varied map design helps. There are a little over 20 weapons to explore with, and a variety of upgrades to help trick out your ship. The enemy variety itself is slightly above average, although I did enjoy that each of them served a different purpose, and made fighting mixed mobs that much more interesting seeing their synergies together. I had a lot of fun using the energy lasso to wrangle enemies, have a little crowd control, and lash dash into enemies. It can take a little getting used to mobility-wise because you have a limited range of movement unless you latch onto more and more targets.
Outside of the story, there are some more purely arcade modes, including a survival mode, a top scoring daily run, a timed mission format, and time attack for campaign levels. These features weren’t fully mapped out prior, and really distill the essence of the gameplay in a nice little package. These levels can be more challenging depending on how you tweak with the settings, and help add to the longevity of the game.
Curved Space for me has been a very snackable, low barrier to entry game that I can play at any time to quickly get my fix for some action. I think depending on your experience in the demo, if you aren’t into it, there’s nothing in the full release that will salvage your enjoyment of the game. There’s not much else to say for this one; I’m pretty happy with where the game has gone, although I still find that the pricing may be a tad high for what’s on offer. I think it’s much closer after the updates but perhaps a sale can sweeten the deal. It’s a nice little turn your brain off arcade experience that has enough meat to it to keep you on your toes. Nothing mind-blowing, but good controls and pretty solid combat sells that alien insect extermination dream.
Curved Space is developed by Only by Midnight.
Available on Steam, PS4/5, Xbox, Switch for $19.99.
A review copy was provided by the developer.
Hellfirebam has awarded Curved Space the Indie Gamer Seal of Approval.
Indie Gamer Team 