Review: From Space Proves That Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

When I had initially heard about Curve Digital and Triangle Studios’ survival title, From Space, I was sold the moment I saw those bubblegum pink aliens throwing themselves at the player. Having learned that this would also feature online co-op shortly after that, I was ready to live in this game’s world.

Having played the game for quite a bit now, I can say that this is definitely going to be worth your time if the online survival co-op sub-genre is your bag. But if you’re going at it alone, you may want to reconsider bringing in some backup.

From Space Review Biggest Takeaways

• From Space is a truly difficult game, though could throw gamers a bone every once in a while.
• Checkpoints can be fickle, causing gamer rage at nearly every corner.
• Teaming up with other players is really the only way that you can be sure to succeed against hordes.
• It’s a nice open-world title that expands on what other titles in this sub-genre have already done.

Final Score: 8/10

Live, Die, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat…

From the get-go, From Space pulls absolutely not a punch. It shows you how to use its many, many weapons and throws you to the wolves, um, I mean aliens. Combat is as smooth as I could’ve possibly wanted from a twin-stick shooter such as this, and there really are a lot of great weapons that you’ll come into contact with over your time with this humongous game.

Not only do you have standard guns or explosives and other gear useful for any kind of player, but then you have the added layer of playing as a Specialist who has their own set of abilities, a special piece of gear, and their own weapon of choice that’s also unique to them. From Space really has a strategy that has to be put in place by players in order for them to succeed.

But no matter which gun you choose, you really are going to need to hold on for dear life, as these alien invaders are actually quite formidable, even if they look cute. A single attack from most of them can easily bring your health down to a dangerously low amount. To make matters worse for solo players, these aliens will create a horde that will follow you to the ends of the earth.

A True Exercise in Teamwork

All of what I just said leads me into the fact that this game truly was created for team-based cooperative play. This is most evident in the fact that there are three camps that Specialists fall into, and you really are left vulnerable no matter which you choose if you don’t have other players to actually play along with.

This isn’t like Left 4 Dead, where there are AI companions to aid you. If you don’t have a buddy to tag along with, you’re really on your own. And though you will escort NPC folks around that carry a gun, they won’t be much help anyway.

There are going to be moments when playing with friends that can feel truly epic. Holding down hallways together, setting traps down and setting up a blockade in the middle of the road, or even just helping each other keep the horde back as you try to run away can be extremely fun.

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Better than the Rest?

This game will definitely be compared to titles such as Back 4 Blood, Sniper Elite Zombies, and others like them, but I think this game pushes things a bit further by offering a fully open world to explore with missions set throughout them.

From Space definitely falls more in line with The Ascent; another bird’s eye view shooting game with an open world filled with merciless enemies. I really do feel that fans of any of the games I mentioned would enjoy this game because it marries both concepts really well, offering something that really isn’t on the market right now.

Gotta Give Credit Where it’s Due

If there’s one thing that I absolutely love about From Space, it’s the gorgeously created world. This title really exudes a lot of charm with its Saturday morning cartoons art style. This is one of the most eye-catching games of the year and it’s the bubblegum pink aliens that get the credit for it.

This is a feast for the eyes the entire time. I was so excited to see a new alien after another be introduced into the game with unique visuals that made me wish I had one of them sitting on my desk as a figurine. There’s a lot to love about it, and it really balances well with the difficulty of the game. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

At the end of the day, From Space is going to be a fantastic game to play if you have some friends to hope online with. If not, it could be a true test of patience, because you’ll be doing the same thing over and over again, unless you manage to get to a safe zone and remember to save your game. Either way you play, it’s a fun experience to be sure. Good luck!

From Space is available now on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Be sure to check out some of our great guides for From Space so you have an upper hand against the merciless space invaders.