The Long Journey Home review

Go Boldly into the night…. The long Journey Home is a space exploration game from the very talented developer Daedalic Entertainment. The German based developer founded in 2007 are known for their point and click style, and have a history through PC gaming, but are relatively new to the console scene.

It’s refreshing to have new ideas being brought to console gaming, whether it originates from a different format, as The Long Journey Home originally did (back in March 2017 on Steam), it doesn’t matter to us fellow gamers and long may it continue.

Game’s like The Long Journey Home are few and far between on Xbox, and bring a nice change of pace, that complements a AAA title.

The Long Journey Home draws you in with a fantastic classic outline story of Lost in Space. You play a crew of misfits, would-be astronauts, testing mankind’s first foray into an experimental jump drive. Your job, a short trial run of the jump drive to Alpha Centauri and back, what could go wrong? Well, just about everything…

The jump drive malfunctions and as a crew you find yourselves trapped on the other side of the universe. You are alone, injured and presented with a ship damaged, incapable of any more jumps through space, with one collective thought: to get home.

From this point, you have nothing left other than to explore the universe, which as you will find out is a vibrant place full of solar systems, planets, and life. Yes, the answer to the question of is there life out there is answered, as you come across different races and species. Some friendly, some requiring help, and others very hostile.

Space is your junk yard when it comes to your spacecraft, full of minerals, elements, and artifacts that can help you survive, patch up your ship, to the point of jumping from solar system to solar system, as you search for a path back to Earth.

It is also very important to check on your crew from time to time, as space is a deadly place, and things often go wrong, as they do in day to day life, bumps, bruises occur, as does sickness and a very real threat of suffocation – as your life support in your ship often fails, and requires fixing quickly.

As you prepare to embark on your journey, you get to choose 4 misfits, that will form your crew from a selection of candidates, each with different skills, that will all come in handy throughout your adventure through the stars.

Next up is selecting your spacecraft and then your lander. As before with crew, each craft has different mechanics, from its ability to navigate, speed, storage space and hull strength.

“This game has replayability and that no two games will be effectively the same.”

There is also the option of generating a galaxy with the seed generator. This enabling you to share experiences with your friends. With all these customisations, you get a real sense that this game has replayability and that no two games will be effectively the same. I personally find that a real positive in terms of a space exploration, giving you the real sense of adventure.

Now the real adventure begins, as you take off and leave Earth’s atmosphere, and navigate your way to Mars for your first part of the mission. Here you learn the basics of space physics, and how to control your space craft, land and gather useful materials. The first few parts of the original mission teach you about your craft, lander, how to look after them, and very importantly your crew.

Fast forward through the catastrophic event that leaves you stranded in space, thrown in the deep end, your skills will be put to the test, as you explore, figuring out the pieces of a plan to get home to Earth.

As you encounter different solar systems, you’ll learn how to charge your jump drive, land on planets, mine and drill for materials, gases, as you come across elements, that will become essential for everyday life aboard your new living quarters.

You encounter alien life, who are essential to surviving this adventure. Make friends, trade and form allies. Embark on missions for your new friends, and they will quickly reward you, insult them and it will be shields up and red alert, as you battle for your life in a star fight.

The Long Journey home is graphically beautiful, the colours are rich, vibrant, which help bring the game to life, as does the game’s score which adds to the atmosphere of your surroundings. Personally, I really enjoyed the game, a real sense of adventure, in a never-ending galaxy, with classic sci-fi influences. The hidden stories throughout are a joy, full of treasure and suspense that really keep you on your toes in this wonderful journey.