Last Encounter Takes place across completely different galaxies. Players will encounter entirely new and unexpected enemies.
Space is a wonderful setup for any video game. It’s a vast, mysterious frontier that is unfathomable, complex, and constantly bringing any smart man into question. It’s common in video games to conjure up that moment where human encounter life beyond Earth for the very first time. In most of the games, the humans, inevitably win. For Exordium Games, it is the contrary.
Humans have been completely wiped out. The Earth is no more. To have even a small hope of survival, one of the last humans establishes a small squad of pilots, with their own ships and abilities. This is Last Encounter, a twin-stick combat game where players will cross entire galaxies, and encounter enemies never seen before.
Last Encounter was playable at PAX EAST 2018 in Boston, Massachusets. Hearing good things about it, I checked it out for myself, introducing myself to members of the development team and public relations staff. Shortly after the pleasantries, we were thrust into the experience.
Andre, the game director, and Juraj, the project manager, instructed me on the core principles of the game. Players can select from an array of pilots, as well as combat vessels. Each alien pilot has their own lore, look, and capabilities. For example, one pilot may be able to have longer shield bar, at the cost of its durability in battle. From there, players can choose different ships, with different primary weapons. From there, players can check their ships to ensure it is suitable to their playstyles. Players are then allowed to leave the hangar, and head to the warp gate. Before embarking, players can purchase special weapon modifications with credits that will add attributes to their primary weapon. With that, we were off onto our very first galaxy.
With the first few moments, our squad was completely wiped out. Our ships entered and were completely pummeled by the enemy. I was stunned, but also slightly taken aback by how sharp the difficulty would be. Andre then proceeds to explain Last Encounter’s environmental and level design.
Last Encounter has an assortment of galaxies. Each galaxy can be conquered by visiting various sectors. The galaxies, as well as the sectors themselves, ar procedurally generated Our first galaxy was described as a notoriously difficult galaxy, which explains why we died so quickly. With that, we reloaded again in search of another galaxy.
Our next galaxy was a biological one, plump with poison alien plants and creatures that took the form of spacecraft. Fighting in this galaxy was difficult,m as the poison gas filled the level, and enemies kept coming at the team from all directions. We managed to conquer one sector of that galaxy, but we were eliminated during our mission. Upon our next warp, we finally found a galaxy that was much easier to handle.
The next galaxy contained enemies made of light, using energy and forcefields to protect themselves. This is where I was able to fully take on the gameplay of Last Encounter. Despite its difficulty, the gameplay was incredible, with tight controls and constant action. Working together with Andre and Juraj was a fulfilling arcade experience. Lasers whizzed by and enemies crossed us in a frantic battle for survival. The sound, visuals, and controls were solid as well, although I did lose my position in the chaos. We managed to clear several sectors, eliminating enemies and even upgrading our ship mid-way through the game. However, the enemy got us again, and the demo concluded.
Andre mentioned how he was greatly inspired by other twin-stick shooters, as well as spaceship shooter. AS they re both genres that have remained relatively unchanged, he mentioned how important it was that these genres continue. Combining his enthusiasm for science fiction and inspirations in gaming, it pushed him and his team to create Last Encounter. Last Encounter is an ambitious title, with the hope to expand to consoles and, should the requirements be in place, allow for online multiplayer.
Last Encounter is looking to be a sharp and fresh take on the genre of procedural generation and space-themed shooting games. Its combat experience is distinct and its gameplay is very tight. As the game is hoping to make its way to PC and consoles soon, Last Encounter is appearing to be an experience that is quite interstellar.
Last Encounter is looking to launch in the second quarter of 2018 on Steam, with consoles to come sometime later, following the submission process. Last Encounter is going through Beta testing, and the development team greatly encourages all to apply.