SHORTEST TRIP TO EARTH Review for Steam

Shortest Trip to Earth is every space nerds dream. Developed by Interactive Fate and published by Iceberg Interactive, Shortest Trip to Earth is a spaceship simulator that makes you feel just like Picard or Kirk. Travel the universe, scavenge wrecked ships, fight enemy fleets, and repair and upgrade your ship… all with a cat on board!

            I want to preface by saying games like this intimidate me. I have a hard time remembering where things are in toolbars and when there are lots of tasks to be done at once I get overwhelmed. I always enjoy playing games like this because they are really good at setting the atmosphere but I can’t usually play for long periods of time or get very far, especially if the difficulty ramps up as you progress. With that being said, I know lots of people who have a much better mindset for these kinds of games and play them all the time.

            Jumping off of that, the gameplay in this game is much like a lot of other simulator games, especially, survival simulator games. There are several tools and taskbars that you have to keep track of. When playing the tutorial you need to really pay attention to the instructions because there are specific steps, clicks, and methods to do certain tasks. To do certain things you need to right-click instead of left, this kept getting me because I naturally wanted to left-click but nothing would happen. Using the task and toolbars you can assign crew members to tasks, repair the ship, craft, scavenge, and even attack enemy ships. You can also navigate the universe, find wrecked ships, abandoned warehouses, and find remote planets. You can even warp to far off locations. While the gameplay and taskbars can be a bit hard to grasp, once you get into the swing of things, it is really fun and intense. I personally would like simplified controls but that would limit what you could do in the game.

            The art in this game is really fun and interesting. I especially enjoy the home screen and promotional art. All the art makes you feel like your living in the world of science fiction. My favorite part of the Shortest Trip to Earth is honestly the fact that they give you a little cat to travel with. It reminds me of Data’s cat from Star Trek. I do wish there was more atmospheric music. I think SciFi is a great genre when it comes to epic and intense music. I do like all the sounds and noises, they really make you feel like you are on a space ship.

            Overall, I think the Shortest Trip to Earth is a pretty cool game. It’s awesome how you can control your own ship and crew, as you travel through space, fighting enemy ships, scavenging, and crafting. All the controls and taskbars do overwhelm me a bit but I know a lot of people enjoy these kinds of games. The art and sounds are really fun but I wish there was more music.

7/10

Check Out The Shortest Trip to Earth Trailer:

Shortest Trip to Earth is available for PC for $24.99 via Steam and GOG.