Before he left us like they all do, like they always do, our dear Lighthouse Customer took a look at Interstellar Marines [official site], a tactical sci-fi FPS making its way through Early Access. Even back in October it was in pretty decent shape, with some horrible robots out for your organic blood, so how’s it looking after another four months of updates? Well, you can see for yourself, as it’s now in a free week-long trial on Steam.

… [visit site to read more]

Each Monday, Chris Livingston visits an early access game and reports back with stories about whatever he finds inside. This week, screaming in space can definitely be heard in Interstellar Marines.>

As an interstellar marine, it goes without saying that I’m the best of the best. I’m tough as nails. I’ve seen it all and I’m ready for anything. I scream like a preschooler and fire entire clips in a messy panic. Okay, maybe the last one doesn’t fit with the image, but I can’t help it: when malfunctioning robots run at me from the darkness I scream. Then I fire a flood of panicky bullets into them far longer than strictly necessary. Then I run away and try to hide. I’m an interstellar marine. And I’m terrified.

… [visit site to read more]

In the early days of alphafunding, long before we settled on the term “early access”, Zero Point Software came up with the loathsome “AAA Indie”. In 2009 they started crowdfunding Interstellar Marines, a type of game impossible in AAA Dependent: an FPS about space marines. Oh, but I’m too cruel. After years of prototypes and milestones ranging from a shooting gallery to competitive multiplayer, Zero Point updated it on Friday with the first iteration of what they’ve teased since 2006: single-player and co-op story missions.

… [visit site to read more]

Indie Gala’s latest bundle looks a rather nice one. The IndieGala Intersellar packs in Cubicity, Interstellar Marines and Rush Bros. all for a buck, and then Beast Boxing Turbo, Sang-Froid: Tales Of Werewolves, Interstellar Marines’ Spearhead Edition, and PixelJunk Shooter for $6. Or more, of course. And they’ve just added in another game (although the website doesn’t acknowledge it yet), Finding Teddy.

… [visit site to read more]

Zero Point’s Interstellar Marines has a perception problem. I had a look at a bunch of comments people have made about it in the various news stories we’ve posted: some people are intrigued by the promised RPG shooter that’s been inspired by Deus Ex and System Shock; others decry it as ‘generic’, and failing to live up to its promise. I can see both sides. For all their promises, all that’s really been delivered is a multiplayer shooter and bits of admittedly impressive tech. For a game announced in 2005, that’s not a huge amount of progress. It’s something that the developers address a little bit in the trailer below, with a breathless narrator mocking the lead dev’s ambitions as he pitches the game to Steam Early Access customers. (more…)