Over the last decade, we've been stuck in a bit of a drought when it comes to sci-fi real-time strategy games. Finally, though, there's an oasis in sight: ZeroSpace, which debuted its latest trailer at the Future Games Show at Gamescom Presented by Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII.
In the works for PC, ZeroSpace aims to crack the RTS world open for newcomers whilst scratching a long-neglected strategic itch for genre veterans. That being said, don't expect ZeroSpace to just play the hits, as a few particularly intriguing features have already been revealed.
The first is Galactic War, which is a persistent universe where everyone's battles – whether in single-player or multiplayer – contribute to a much bigger picture. Although there are the usual versus and 2v2 game modes in play, anyone who misses the seemingly-bygone days of massive RTS campaigns should also pay close attention to ZeroSpace's single-player. Yet in an unusual twist, developer Starlance Studios has revealed that it's taken some inspiration from Mass Effect: we'll be able to shape narratives and make big decisions that impact the game's ending, which is a level of fluidity we rarely see within the strategy genre. You can even see some of the Mass Effect's influence in the design of ZeroSpace's factions and units, which range from sword-wielding robots to savage alien beasts – what's not to love?
It's enough to make strategists like ourselves salivate – and the good news is that there isn't too long to wait until we can dive in. Although ZeroSpace is aiming to release in 2025, a beta for backers of the game will be held in Fall 2024. If you're as keen as us to dive in, Starlance Studios has confirmed that fans will be able to secure access through wishlisting ZeroSpace on Steam and supporting the game's development on Backerkit.
If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
