Horizon: First Impressions – Space is Complicated!

My first impressions of Horizon, recently released for the PC on Steam, were complicated and confusing. I’ll admit it – I’m no good at strategy games! My brain is only suited for low level intelligence dragon slaying it would seem. So imagine my surprise when Horizon was put before me. I now had to contend with a space age strategy game of galactic conquest and exploration, and what I would soon discover to be a completely dragonless experience.

Needless to say, I was at a loss! The game, not unlike a sci-fi Sid Meier’s Civilization, throws you into the thick of things right from the start. You are tasked to venture into an unexplored galaxy, one where potential lies on every planet. Of course, you are not the only one in this universe, and certainly not the only one interested in expansion, which is where things get interesting.

With so much happening and so much to learn, the game at first seemed overwhelming and extremely complicated. But, then I realized I hadn’t  even clicked on the Tutorial button yet, and my imagination was already running wild in preparation for what Horizon held in store for me.

The step by step tutorial of how to play Horizon proved very helpful. The training covered all of the basics, from how to maneuver to the kinds skills you’d need to survive. As I wrestled my way through the introduction to all of the intricate game play mechanics, my confusion began to fade, and the game began to open up to me.

The main portion of Horizon involves a series of matches that you personally set up, deciding the size of the universe you must explore, how many planets reside there, and the difficulty level of the match. The game offers you a lot of options in customizing what kind of universe you’ll want to conquer, including the basic element of choosing your own race.

Horizon offers a range of races that all possess their own abilities and skills in preserving a planet and helping it prosper in their own way. For example, the Kuntari race are specialized in Warfare, and are best suited for conquest, whereas the Barbeck race are extremely successful farmers, and prosper from their bountiful harvesting abilities.

For my first game, I thought I’d stick to the basics, and chose the Human race, an all rounder in most aspects. The game then set me into this unexplored region, with your home planet under your control. It was up to me what I wanted to do next,  whether that be exploring the galaxy and colonizing nearby planets, or sticking close to home and increasing my wealth and prosperity.

I chose exploration, and ventured out with my ships that the game allows you to design and personalize to your individual need. However, as you explore, you find that you are not alone, and gradually encounter more races around the universe. Some like you, offering trade and friendship. On the flip side, some see you as a potential invader, and attack with avid aggression from moment one.

I lost my first ship pretty fast, crashing it as a result from an encounter with the Tantiks, a race of violent parasites. My first experience of exploration ended up with my specially named “Dragon Class” ship being destroyed as a result of the encounter, so lesson learned. I returned home, and sought to prosper there instead, leaving the Tantik to bother someone else.

Horizon, though initially confusing in its learning curve and intricate game play system, is great fun once you pass the first wave of befuddlement, and you will find yourself quickly attached to this little universe of yours. My planets, Earth, Westeros and Middle Earth, are doing perfectly well, all though I am concerned at how close the Tantik are drawing to my Hogwarts planet.