Sci-Fi is currently one of the largest genres in books, films, and games. Space is a place where anything is possible and there are infinite things to discover. Horizon, a new indie game created by L3O Interactive, is a Sci-Fi adventure waiting for the player to create a new space empire. The game has a certain appeal that can pull you in, but once you begin, prepare to be in for the Long Haul.
What is Horizon?
Horizon is a turn based strategy game set in space where you explore and fight to build an empire, but how you build that empire is up to you. The game offers diplomatic solutions in the different scenarios you may face, and many options throughout the gameplay.
The Look
Horizon has an interesting aesthetic to it. When I first started the game I felt like I was playing one of my games from the early 2000’s. The game definitely has an original look that not many other indie games are going for, but in the Sci-Fi genre and the genre of the game. It works really well, and it has a nostalgic charm that will pull in gamers who enjoyed older Sci-Fi strategy games.
Gameplay
I started Horizon expecting to get a game like Sins of a Solar Empire, a space age Real time strategy game, and although they do share the same setting (space), the two games are more cousins than they are siblings. Horizon is more relatable to the Civilization series, in the way you develop your colonies on planets, research new technologies, and move your ships across space. The biggest thing that sets Horizon apart is its turn based combat system. The combat system in Horizon takes place by selecting which solar system you wish to engage in battle. Once you select which system you are going to engage in, the battle ensues. The battles take place in up to 20 turns or until you defeat the enemy forces. What’s interesting is the engage system is also used for your exploration. So if you want to start a colony on a new habitable planet you engage in that solar system and send ships that can start colonies.
In my time playing the game I found the menu to be a little confusing at first. The tutorial of the game helps to an extent, but I personally got lost when I got deeper into it. Luckily I figured out the parts I was uncertain about and the game is enjoyable once you figure it out, but be warned: the game is not a fast paced game. Horizon, like many other games before it, is a game made for dedicated players. I just started the game and before I realized it and I was 90 minutes into the game, and it felt like 20 minutes. Horizon wants its player to be pulled into its universe, and have fully control in space age battles and quest in its own unique way.
All in all Horizon is a game made for the Sci-Fi Strategy fan, and although it may feel alien like weird at first, the game brings features that player will love once they understand them. Horizon is available on Steam for $29.99