The Last Federation – by Selthor
Genre: Indie Strategy Sim
Developer: Arcen Games, LLC
Publisher: Arcen Games, LLC
Release Date: Apr 18, 2014
Arcen Games, LLC released The Last Federation on Steam on April 18th, 2014. While this studio has released several games in the past, including A Valley Without Wind and AI War, I feel that this is one of their most ambitious games. The Last Federation is a space simulation game with a unique aspect. Instead of controlling a space faring race and encountering other races which you ally with or fight, you control a single alien, the last of his species, who is attempting to foster a united federation and bring peace to an entire galaxy.
You start off with yourself and a single ship which you use throughout the game to travel from planet to planet, giving technology, learning new technology, and improving relations not just between yourself and the different planets/species but also between the separate species with other species. Each species has it’s own agenda and government, and react in different ways. It is up to you to determine who you want to be friends with and who will be your enemies, and how you will go about creating the federation. Beyond your actions with the factions you will occasionally undertake missions that have you controlling your own ship in combat which is well done and responsive.
The base currency for all of your actions is credit, which you can gain or lose based on your choices. The game has a simple goal with complex systems, it starts of with a limited amount of options, but as you move forward with the game more options open up and the game grows in complexity.
The sounds and art in the game are fairly minimalist. Nothing really stood out to me, either positively or negatively. It all fits rather well, but isn’t really anything special.
I am purposefully not including a lot of detail on the game’s systems in this review, because I truly feel that a lot of the fun in this game is exploring the game’s options and choices as you play the game, and I do not want to ruin that experience for others who come along. Overall the game is a lot of fun and I would give it a 7 out of 10. It sells for $19.99 on Steam and if you are a fan of 4x games or strategy games in general this is nearly a must buy. Overall the game and it’s systems are not typical to 4x games, or any real game genre out there. I specifically point this towards fans 4x games because of how those games typically play and the strategic mindset involved. If you haven’t played, or are not a fan of 4x games, or strategy games in general, I would probably stay away. If you are a fan of just strategy in general, it may be a unique experience you may enjoy.
Selthor gives The Last Federation a Drastik Measure 7 out of 10 (70).
Pros
- Unique style for the genre
- Many ways to play
- Player chooses how to play
Cons
- Can feel a little overwhelming as you first start playing with a lot of information sent your way
