Co-op shenanigans in house.
Figuring out that I’d be spending a part of PAX West with some shut pals, I used to be in the hunt for a multi-player targeted demo for the 4 of us to take a look at. When Devolver Digital reached out a few particular protection alternative that checked that very field, I could not rightly refuse to take a look at an upcoming recreation from one among my favourite publishers. The title in query was STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions, and despite the fact that I’m not overly aware of its predecessor with whom it shares a universe, my friends and I fortunately bopped across the co-op targeted world earlier than finishing our job and being whisked away off planet.
The demo located us proper in the course of the motion, with an goal marker to move in the direction of as we step by step discovered the controls and our capabilities as house station crew members. Full of vibrant and pastel-shaded colours, we labored to attain our first job of reaching the relay station. A lot of the enjoyable got here not from attending to the station however from bouncing all over the world and enjoying with the completely different tools we began the demo with. My software may very well be used to deform the bottom to create pits or tunnels or in its alternate mode might shoot a blast of air or vitality to propel enemies (or perhaps pals) ahead; one other buddy might shoot water from his package to scrub off goop disrupting our progress or coating vital objects. I used to be left with no selection after we had completed the entire demo’s foremost duties however to make use of my gear to launch my teammates off the mountain we had scaled. It’s this sort of freeform, emergent gameplay that Starseeker seems to enjoy.
After exploring the relay station, our subsequent aim grew to become the retrieval of a lacking sensor array, which thankfully wasn’t too far-off. After all, the mission wasn’t going to be over that simply, and so our true check got here from scaling a close-by mountain whereas one among us introduced the array all the best way to the highest. Our squad needed to work collectively to chase away enemies, create a tunnel that needed to spiral step by step upwards towards the summit, and carry the array alongside this path. The temptation for mischief was ever current, however we managed to withstand lengthy sufficient to get the tools up the mountain and activated, which signaled the conclusion of our work. All that was left was to traverse one other brief distance to our close by shuttles. Geared up with gliders paying homage to Buzz Lightyear, we took a leap of religion and slowly made our method right down to the ultimate goal marker. Making an attempt to grab away our victory on the eleventh hour was a rocky creature, however our mixed efforts have been sufficient to push it away in order that we might make our escape.
The simplicity and freedom of the PAX West demo was one among my main takeaways, and it felt like I had solely scratched the floor of what may very well be a extremely enjoyable however perhaps much less tense co-op expertise. I dare use the time period “cozy” right here, however loosely I believe it matches: the cartoonish visuals, the abundance of coloration, the relative ease with which we might escape hazard. I can see the potential in Starseeker for a web-based multiplayer expertise that I return to in giant or small bursts for the aim of chilling with pals and shedding ourselves for some time on unusual planets in a related universe. I’m excited by the prospect of a extra lowkey, much less pressure-filled journey with pals, and in 2026 we’ll have the ability to see and study extra as Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions prepares for launch on Change 2.
