Summary
- Space operas offer awe-inspiring adventures and exploration of new worlds in video games.
- Popular Sci-Fi RPGs like Mass Effect and FTL provide rich worlds and immersive mechanics.
- Games like Outer Wilds and The Outer Worlds offer meaningful exploration in unique atmospheres.
Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of science fiction and, more specifically, space operas, is the sense of discovery and spirit of adventure that comes with the territory. Venturing across the stars and discovering new worlds, new locations and lifeforms; spacefaring can be a particularly awe-inspiring activity, especially in video games.
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Fans of exploration, space combat, heightened drama, and high concepts will more than likely enjoy these titles. Be it the deep world-building of Mass Effect or the thematic space battles of Cobalt Core, there's something here for everyone.
8 Mass Effect
An RPG Adventure With Rich World-Building
Mass Effect
- Released
- November 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
Mass Effect is a spacefaring RPG that puts players at the helm of their own spaceship, traveling across the stars and gaining a deeper understanding of its myriad cultures as they go. Fans of military sci-fi in particular are perhaps more likely to enjoy it, but there are plenty of unique ideas presented via the game's dense world-building.
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The characters, writing, and overall narrative are the key draws here, and gameplay takes an appropriate back seat. As a result, players that enjoy RPGs with a closer focus on dialogue and world-building are potentially more likely to enjoy this space adventure.
7 FTL: Faster Than Light
A Sci-Fi Roguelike With Immersive Mechanics
FTL: Faster Than Light
- Released
- September 14, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Subset Games
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- PC
FTL: Faster Than Light is a unique roguelike that tasks players with the management of a spaceship and its crew on a daring escape across the galaxy. The visceral space combat is the clear draw here, though the node-based exploration provides an intuitive palette cleanser between battles.
Managing the ship's crew in real-time can be stressful, especially while prioritizing power systems and assessing the enemy, but FTL allows players to pause the game at any time. As a result, it's able to provide an experience that's both accessible and deep, making for a decidedly replayable experience.
6 Star Traders: Frontiers
A Lightweight Sci-Fi Sandbox
Star Traders: Frontiers
- Released
- November 14, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Star Traders: Frontiers is a sandbox RPG that allows players to take command of their own ship and its crew, venturing across an open universe in node-based exploration. The game's presentation may be simple, but Star Traders offers deep customization and myriad systems that keep it engaging.
Star Traders is able to offer consistent spacefaring adventures by championing player agency, providing emergent gameplay with its systems for exploration, trading, questing, and combat. These myriad systems also offer a great deal of diversity, and frequent dangers help to keep players on their toes throughout.
5 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
A Heartfelt Adventure Across Space
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Released
- June 11, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Third-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
In keeping with the rest of the series, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart provides players with a colorful, accessible, and decidedly lighthearted experience that's full of heart. The diverse arsenal of quirky weaponry helps to keep combat an engaging experience, but Rift Apart excels with its exuberant personality and adventurous spirit.
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Barreling through a colorful universe and making stops at a myriad of exotic locales, Rift Apart takes players on a tour through some truly creative environments. These locations allow for a tremendous number of impressive set-pieces, making the adventure all the more memorable.
4 Freelancer
A Classic Space Sim
Freelancer
- Released
- March 4, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
Freelancer is a classic space sim that affords its players a great deal of freedom. Players can perform the familiar space sim activities of hunting bounties, engaging in piracy, and trading, though Freelancer stands out with its intuitive controls and core narrative thread.
The third-person flight controls allow Freelancer to be a pain-free experience that's more about expression than it is mastery. As a result, Freelancer allows players to venture across space with relative ease. Unfortunately, Freelancer isn't readily available anymore, but it remains a pioneer in the genre and a worthwhile space adventure even today.
3 Cobalt Core
A Cozy Sci-Fi Deck-Builder
Cobalt Core
- Released
- November 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Rocket Rat Games
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Digital Card Game
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Cobalt Core is a cozy sci-fi deck-builder that offers bite-sized adventures across space, giving players command of a small but expressive spaceship on a dangerous journey. The colorful, crunchy pixel-art graphics, soothing soundtrack, and charming characters are arguably what make this journey so memorable, but Cobalt Core also excels with its gameplay.
Although Cobalt Core is a deck-builder, it's able to stand out from the crowd via its tactical and thematic twists. In the game, players are able to control their ship along a single axis, using their cards to manage resources, avoid incoming attacks, and line up their cannons for devastating volleys. All this is made better via the game's system for ship crew, which each member being represented by their own cards.
2 Outer Wilds
An Immersive Space Exploration Game
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Offering meaningful exploration in a truly unique, bite-sized solar system, Outer Wilds provides a contemplative adventure steeped in an immersive atmosphere. The melancholic soundtrack, charming characters, and, perhaps most importantly, the creative and exotic locations to explore make for a particularly mesmerizing adventure.
Best of all, Outer Wilds allows players to pilot their own spacecraft with complete freedom, jetting off across the stars in search of answers, or simply exercising the curiosity of a distant planet. There's little here in the way of mechanical depth, but players looking to immerse themselves in a strange and awe-inspiring world are unlikely to be disappointed.
1 The Outer Worlds
A Firefly-Esque Sci-Fi Western
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
For fans of sci-fi westerns such as Firefly and first-person RPGs such as Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds is perhaps the perfect blend. Giving players a great deal of freedom both via dialogue and in how they approach obstacles, The Outer Worlds is an expressive RPG elevated by its abundance of unique and memorable characters.
One of The Outer Worlds' greatest strengths is its variety of player companions, who take up residence on the player's ship and provide not simply warm company but their own narratives to progress. This gives a familial feel to the game, especially as it progresses, providing players with much-needed warmth amid stretches of dangerous exploration.
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