Transcendence (16Mb)
Transcendence is a free and excellent space combat adventure with strategy elements. It was first posted as an alternative to the giveaway 2 years ago HERE, with today's posting following the latest full version 1.01 release this month. In the two years from WR’s previous post it has had a major spruce-up, and is now fully complete for playing the game after 7 years development so far. There is further progress afoot though and it is rumoured that about ¾ of the game ideas have been implemented, so although out of the Alpha and Beta stages, we can expect some further very good future developments. Things have moved on a lot from the days of ‘Elite’!
If you want to do some real-time space exploration with randomly-generated star systems and items, then Transcendence is right up to the mettle. But you might need nerves of steel to do battle with space pirates, enemy alien ships/space stations and enemy solar or galactic systems. However, when you get killed, all is not lost as there a single save slot which can reload from where you left off. As with ‘Naev’ (still in Beta) and the pay for ‘Escape Velocity Nova’, Transcendence features a top-down isometric perspective, fast-paced combat, many ships, a large variety of equipment and a large galaxy to explore. The game is also highly open-ended, letting you proceed at your own pace. Because minor environments and item locations are random for each game, it has a huge replayability, as each new game will be different in many respects to the previous one.
You commence with one of three space ships, an empty cargo hold, just a few credits and some very basic equipment. Your goal is to reach the centre of the galaxy where it is fabled two mysterious beings ‘Oracus’ and Domina’ with colossal powers, reside. But Oracus is threatening the stability of the galaxy, if not the whole universe, and only Domina can stop Oracus’s plan for domination. There are a series of star-gates left by some unknown race that enable faster than light travel.
There are pre-planned major systems and major encounters amongst the randomly generated elements of the game. There are also friendly forces out there, so trade plays an important facet and there are a wide and imaginative range of missions; some military, some civilian, giving plenty of scope for choice and variety. You might for instance choose between taking part in a medical experiment, to escort another space ship, carry a highly sensitive and risky cargo, do some smuggling, or some bounty hunting or take on a mercenary mission, or choose a combat mission. Whatever you decide, you can be sure of meeting enemies as well as friends en mission!
As well as trade and battle you will need to loot destroyed space fighters and space stations to add to your funds/equipment. The player has some mysterious link with Domina, and can gain some limited use of Domina’s powers by making donations at various Domina monastery space stations! During the game confederation races, split factions, outlaws and alien races will be encountered. Some missions give the player access to upgraded technology, eg developed by the military. When you have sufficient funds you can buy ship, weapon and equipment upgrades from friendly outposts and trading stations.
If you should find the linear nature of the star-gate travel system a bit restrictive, you might then want to consider larger commercial games, but there’s still a huge scope for exploration in Transcendence, and many differences between games, if starting from scratch again for the fun of it!
As the game uses an open source XML format and custom Lisp scripting, experienced users can write their own scenarios, modify the story or even generate their own game elements. You can find some 'mods' out there made by other players.
You set out to survive and constantly upgrade the ship's armor, weapons and internals, in your quest to find ‘Domina’and defeat the evil ‘Oracus’. There are a huge number of enemy ship types and weapon systems, and devices you can only learn the purpose of by using them. Some of these devices, ‘upgrade’ chips and canisters might turn out to be very dangerous especially in inexpert hands! Some turn out to be just downright dangerous! But some might be of great value and use!
The ‘future’ sci-fi technological advances are as you might expect, very well developed, and words like antimatter, ion flame and dark acid to name just a few, will soon be part of your speech and engine and craft upgrade/space-thrust/weapon inventory! The main focus is on combat, and the resultant rewards! Battles happen real-time, shmup style, using the arrow keys to move, and different keys for weapons, firing etc.
The game is keyboard driven, with the mouse just used in-menu, so it is as well to print a copy of the keyboard allocation and have this to hand for reference while playing!
You approach a new system in your star-ship. Do you chance battle with your recently weakened hull, take your chances with some slave traders, or retreat to a safe port for repair?
Descriptions such as awesome, superb, splendid and so on while sometimes seeming trite, do apply in good measure here. It really is a remarkably great free game and will give you many many hours of very pleasurable, sometimes tense play and exploration and with truly great gameplay including mega battles, if it’s your type of game!
One such recommendation - “This game is by far and away one of the very best free games I have played in a long, long time”.
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5FU16URpGY
Download HERE
Manual HERE
