ELEMENT SPACE Review for Xbox One

The developers at Sixth Vowel certainly did their best to create a unique game that blended components of tabletop games and your typical sci-fi RPG game. The problem, however, is that despite their efforts, this game is almost unplayable. That being said, there are certainly positive aspects of Element Space, but it certainly fails to live up to its own potential.

One thing that I really enjoyed about Element Space was the ability for the player to choose their own responses, creating a more customizable experience for any lover of RPG games. I thought that the ability to create a personality for your character and be able to make decisions that have long-term consequences was a nice addition that improved the gameplay. That being said, there were very few opportunities for said decision-making, resulting in a formulaic and level-based gameplay that was far more restrictive than I think the developers intended. It was as if the player was given the notion of freedom within the game when the reality is that the game is almost as restricted as any other level-based game.

The combat in this game was where I think Element Space had the most potential. The fighting was almost like a tabletop game where each of the three characters accumulates action points and can use those points to make different moves. The player takes their turn moving around the room and attempts to strategically outmaneuver their enemies by flanking and holding advantageous angles. Once the player is finished with their turn, the AI makes their own moves. I think that this is actually a really fresh and interesting take on combat in a game that supported strategizing as opposed to just running and gunning like most games.

That being said, this method of combat was interesting for about 15 minutes before it just became painfully tedious. There are limits to how far a character can move from their current position as well as a limit of two moves (one move if it is significant like shooting at an enemy or healing a downed teammate), resulting in painfully long battles that see little or no action and usually involve spending a significant amount of time positioning oneself for a shot only to have the enemy move to the other side of the room.

Certain elements in the environment were destructive, meaning that if the player or the enemies shoot at these items they will eventually disintegrate and no longer be a viable source of cover. The destructibility of the environment was honestly the saving grace of this game’s combat system because destroying cover was really the only way to get a shot on an enemy without completely exposing yourself.  I have no issue with games being challenging and actually welcomed a more tactical approach to combat, but these mechanics would need to be implemented in a significantly better way if the developer wants anyone to play this game for more than 30 minutes.

Beyond Element Space’s failures in the (albeit unique and fresh) combat system, it also fails to run smoothly and deliver an engrossing narrative. The characters’ lines are cheesy to a painful level and the design of the game itself resembles an iPhone app from 2013, not a revolutionary RPG for the current generation of consoles. In addition to the lackluster appearance and delivery of the game, it was incredibly glitchy and I had a real issue with some potentially game-breaking bugs (such as one of my allies being wounded and going inside of the cover she was on, preventing her from being healed). The plot itself was also so mediocre that it failed to draw me deeper into the game despite the technical issues Element Space suffers from, leaving me to just sit there and be frustrated with the tedious and unrewarding gameplay.

While this review has predominantly been negative, I would like to add that I would be happy to play Element Space again if major changes were made to its mechanics. I see a lot of potential in this game that went unrecognized because of poor design implementation, but the core of the game is actually really promising. That being said, I would never pay money for this game and I highly recommend that potential buyers be wary of Element Space because in its current state, I wouldn’t even download this game for free.

Check Out the Element Space Trailer:

Element Space is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $24.99 / €22.49 / £19.99 / A$29.99 with English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and Simplified Chinese language support. 

For more information, please visit the official website and join the community on Twitter and Facebook.

Hayden Vassey

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I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.

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