FTL: Faster Than Light (Video Game Review)

FTL: Faster Than Light originally released from indie developer Subset Games back in September 2012, and quickly became one of the most popular releases available on the Steam platform. The game combines addictive spaceship and crew management with randomly generated worlds and tough encounters that challenge players to constantly get better at the game. The result was what many gamers considered the best indie game released in 2012, and now the game has been released for iPad with all new content in the Advanced Edition version of the game. The additional content adds new events, weapons, races and other items to an already fun game, and the flexibility to play the game on iPad just adds even more reasons to check out one of the best games of 2012 for gamers that have yet to experience the release.

In FTL: Faster Than Light, players find themselves in control of an advanced spaceship known as an FTL vessel owned by the Galactic Federation. The group is on the brink of destruction from the constant attack of rebel forces, but the player's ship has intercepted important data that could mean the difference in overthrowing the rebels and restoring power to the Galactic Federation. The only problem is that headquarters is many space sectors away, and there are plenty of dangers waiting between the two locations that players must overcome to reach their goal. FTL: Faster Than Light's storyline is simple to understand and not forced on players, but it does a good job of making players want to play the game and eventually see the true ending of the game.

The release of FTL: Faster Than Light on iPad also marks the launch of the Advanced Edition content for the game as well. The new download is available for free on both iPad and PC, and players will find a good amount of content available in the new release that makes the game worth playing again for longtime fans of the title. Some of the new content for the release includes a special enemy race known as the Lanius that are capable of reducing oxygen levels in any room they enter, so they are a nuisance players will want to remove from their ship immediately. The Clone Bay is another new item in the game; this new tool allows players to revive deceased crew members with some penalties and is definitely a helpful tool for players just now playing the difficult game for the first time. One other cool feature players will want to check out is the new Hard Mode setting. The difficulty of the game is already hard enough, but players that thought they had already mastered the game will want to test out the all new challenges available in FTL: Faster Than Light Advanced Edition Hard Mode to truly test their skills.

FTL: Faster Than Light is still a game focused heavily on managing every aspect of a spaceship from an overhead view. Players will often find encounters in the game that require both firing weapons and raising shields to fight off enemy space ships all while looking through the different rooms of the ship to find enemy invaders that must be expelled from the ship and finding destroyed rooms that need repair. The game features a tutorial to help players learn how to play the game, but it hardly matters once a real mission begins and the enemies start destroying player's ships piece by piece. Through trial and error, players will learn how to play the game though, but it's definitely an annoying grind to get very far in the game for the first time.

Not a whole lot has changed for the iPad release of FTL: Faster Than Light beyond the Advanced Edition content. Of course, the game supports touchscreen controls, and it might actually be easier to control the game on iPad for some gamers, though we still prefer using keyboard and mouse over the new version. The controls for the new release do work well though, and players will enjoy the flexibility of being able to play FTL: Faster Than Light for the first time. Players looking for a new game that have yet to play FTL: Faster Than Light should check out the new release on iPad right now.

FTL: Faster Than Light is now available for PC and iPad and can be purchased for $9.99. FTL: Faster Than Light has been rated appropriate for ages 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. For more information on the game, check out the official FTL: Faster Than Light website.

Game Features:

• Single Player
• Advanced Edition Content
• Now Available on iPad
• Steam Trading Card Support
• Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Subset Games
Platforms: PC & iPad (reviewed)
Release Date: September 14, 2012 (PC) & April 3, 2014 (iPad)

Score: 8 out of 10