Landing on the moon before you burn up all your fuel has never looked better than it does in Lunar Flight, the super-sexy update to one of the oldest and most revered videogames of all time.
Lunar Lander is very old, with roots going back to the early 70s, and very simple: bring a lunar module down to the surface of the moon in one piece before you run out of fuel. Various iterations of the game have kicked around over the years, including text-only versions written in basic and even one for programmable calculators, but never has there been one as hot-looking and complex as Lunar Flight, the upcoming sim from Shovsoft.
Instead of the old-time side view usually associated with Lunar Lander games, Lunar Flight supports up to four screens at once, offering numerous external points of view, the launch and landing pads, cockpit and more. Gameplay is essentially the same, requiring players to bring their modules in for a soft landing before burning up all their fuel, but the introduction of money and experience points, not to mention a far more complex flight model, adds a whole new layer of depth to the proceedings.
And instead of just horsing around on the moon for the hell of it, players will undertake missions, like hauling cargo or surveying the surface, for which they will earn money and experience. Experience points earn players higher ranks and, presumably, more complex and demanding missions; money is used to buy the fuel necessary to keep the ship in the sky. There are even cheevos!
Shovsoft is taking donations to cover the $1500 licensing cost of the Unity Pro engine being used in the game and anyone who kicks in more than $5 will be given a copy when it comes out. Founder and head guy Sean Edwards says he’s hopeful that Lunar Flight will launch on various digital distribution networks before the end of the year.
Published: May 16, 2011 08:04 pm