Every time a new space sim is announced, there's a lot of stir in the gaming community. Even though it was immensely popular up until ten years ago, the genre still retains a loyal and dedicated fanbase, not so much because of the few quality titles released thus far, but because of the satisfaction you get from flying your own ship through the vastness of space, with precious cargo onboard or hunting down enemy ships for a little payback. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, the space sim genre is stagnant and even seems to have regressed when compared to the standards set by legendary titles such as Elite or Wing Commander more than a decade ago.

    The newest addition to the genre, Darkstar One, falls into this latter category but it’s also a game which made a lot of promises but ultimately delivered very little. First of all, the main story, which although was written by Claudia Kern, a known Sci-Fi writer in Germany, isn't something to write home about, even though it’s not mediocre. For those who’ve already had their share of space sims the story will be mundane, predictable, with the classic elements, like the 180 degree situation turn before the finale and the end which screams “sequel” being also present. The story's main problem however is its linearity, which doesn't give secondary characters a chance to truly develop and when they finally do, they're just left behind. Personally, my main motivation for getting to the end was to see the pre-rendered cutscenes, which are above average, both from and artistic and cinematic point of view. The main thing that makes them stand out however is how well they relay different details, which may or may not be relevant to the main storyline. On the other hand, the main character, Kayron Jarvis, looks like a moron and the looks of his companion, Eona, are somewhat uninspired too. Unlike other space sims, in Darkstar One you will only have one ship (from which the game draws its name from) which you will upgrade continually as you progress through the main storyline. The fact that Kayron, an inexperienced pilot, gets to handle the most advanced ship in the galaxy right off the bat takes away from the feeling you had in other space sims, where you had to start from ground level and work your way up to become someone important in the universe you were trying to save.