14 DAY TRIAL // Faster Than Light, or FTL, a space exploration and strategy game that makes the player feel like the captain of a real starship, will receive a new huge update that will also be available for the Linux platform.
Faster Than Light is a “spaceship simulation rogue-like,” which means that you don't get to experience the same gameplay twice. You are put in charge of a spaceship of your choosing (a limited number at first) and you try to deliver an important message to the other side of the galaxy.
To do that, you will have to jump through a series of systems and each system is usually inhabited by some alien or robot life that is trying to kill you. The beauty of this procedurally generated universe is that everything in the game is being constructed with the same idea in mind. Not only will the levels be different, the weapons you find will be different and so will be the crew.
One thing ties all the Faster Than Light players, and that is the fact that everyone dies pretty quickly and only the lucky ones will be able to finish the game. Now, the developers of Faster Than Light have decided that it was time for a huge upgrade, which can be considered more like a DLC. And it's free.
The new game will change its name after the update to FTL: Advanced Edition and it will include an insane number of features. For example, players will now have access to a mind control system that will allow them to temporarily turn enemies into allies, a hacking system has been implemented, a new system has been added along with numerous quests and events, new weapons and effects have been added, and much more.
“In addition to new content, we’ve continued to polish FTL and add some of the most requested small features. As a few examples: you’ll be able to save your crew positions and send them back to battle-stations, save and quit during combat, and find more items for purchase in stores. For the purists out there, FTL vanilla will still be available. All of the new content can be disabled from within the hangar before starting a new game,” reads the official website.
The Linux requirements ensure that everyone is able to play the game, even people with low-end hardware: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (fully updated), a 2 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 1280x720 minimum resolution, OpenGL 2.0 Support, and 175 MB of HDD space.
If you are interested in Faster Than Light, check out the official Steam website. FTL: Advanced Edition is expected to arrive on April 3.