A GameTap subscription enables one to try a multitude of different games. One such game offering is Space Colony, a Sim and Tycoon style game that has you sent into the furthest reaches of space to build a space station and mine resources for a mega-corporation. Of course you are not alone on the station as you have ya crew made up of stereotyped personalities who break the political correctness barrier. Hilarity ensues when you listen to Candy, a ditzy blonde whose main talent is sweeping or Billy Bob the chicken farmer who speaks like a country bumpkin.
One of the strongest points in the game is the voice acting and hearing the characters interact with one another. Of course if two of your crew mates hate each other and you cannot get them to therapy fast enough a brawl will break out between them. Managing this diverse crew of up to 20 different crew members, though you will not see all on any given stage, is just like the Sims. They have entertainment needs, a limited amount of time to work, different skills and it's your job to get them doing what needs to be done so that you can meet your goal whether it be exporting a certain number of chickens or mining a rare metal while repelling aliens.
The space station starts small and as you progress new sections can be added on and items bought like bunks for sleeping, dance mats for fun or even a learning pod to help a crew member learn a new skill. In the main storyline mode, one mission leads to the next and the characters relations and your ending balance are converted to the next stage meaning a highly successful mission will make your next job easier, a dismal success much harder. One other thing, the space station carries over until you are sent to a new planet so modifications on one level will also carry over requiring some strategic thought in laying out new structures.
Combining the Sims with part Tycoon style game creates a solid game but not much replay value. There is an expanded galaxy where one can do a bunch of individual missions or a sandbox mode where you compete however you want with no fixed goal, but once the story is done that is it. Still if you get a chance it is worth checking out if only to hear the characters.
More information including tips and cheats can be found at Space Colony PC.
Other articles by N. Ramius include School Tycoon Review.
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