14 DAY TRIAL // Victoria Crowzinger has been training hard to become the best pilot she can be. I’ve clicked on the big red button that improves her skills even as I increased her stress level. After all, I have the money to reduce that via spell and I need to make sure my crew will perform when launch day comes.
She also manifested a Nature Critic trait, getting a boost to procedure and a reduction in charm. She also has a few hidden traits, which I can also try to reveal via the right training or more use of magic. My other two astronauts have been getting increases for their charm, beauty, and fitness. The trio will have to conquer the unknowable space for Flaustria.
Meanwhile, I have to deal with the five godly representatives who bother me all day, and their tendency to quickly lose faith in the space program. The press and the public are also hounding my astronauts. They also do stupid things on their own, leaving me to try and solve their problems when the phone activated by the spirit of our great nation rings. The only positive so far has been the flight simulator gaining sentience.
Astronaut: The Best is both developed and published by Universal Happymaker. I played an alpha preview version of it on the PC using Steam. The title combines adventure and management game ideas with a unique fictional universe.
Players will become the leader of the space program of a nation called Flaustria, during the middle of the XX century. The twist is that the country is led by five powerful priests, supernatural phenomena are commonplace, and plenty of decisions have major unintended consequences.
During each day, players can train their astronauts, preparing them for coming tests. This is as simple as pushing a button while taking into account their level of stress and personality traits. One of the five priests will visit, offering a challenge or an opportunity.
Players also have access to a cauldron for spells, very useful when something needs to be tweaked in a hurry, and a marketplace. Finally, the spirit of the nation of Flaustria will activate a special phone to deliver dilemmas centered on the characters.
It’s not a lot to keep track of but Astronaut: The Best asks players to engage with a constant stream of choices. The general weirdness of the world means there’s no clear right choice and some tests come out entirely out of left field.
Characters and their personality traits might be the most interesting aspect of the game. I hope that they have a big influence on how the stories progress and that the rest of the game’s world delivers the same level of silliness.
Astronaut: The Best has a stylized presentation that works well with the weird world and wacky events. I like the design of the high priests and the look of the various astronauts and the user interface offers quick access to all needed information. The soundtrack also fits the themes, with exaggerated sound effects that punctuated the most important moments.
Conclusion
It remains to be seen if the twists and turns of the missions can sustain this level of energy and zaniness. The game is currently set to arrive during the first half of the year. I really want to play more of Astronaut: The Best and see how much I can fail before Flaustria conquers the sky.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
