I picked this little title up during a year or so ago sale having heard mention of it on a podcast or something - I can’t quite remember exactly who recommended it, but it must have been someone trustworthy, as I picked it up without doing any research, other than checking if it was Steam Deck approved, which it is. After buying the game and a very quick download, I settled myself down on the sofa and began, not knowing exactly what it was I was about to play. All I knew was that it was a space combat game, it was apparently good, and had nothing to do with The Animals song of a similar title.
It turns out that it is good - very good. Although it’s very short, despite some built in replayability. But given that the game was, as far as I can tell, created entirely (save the music) by a solo developer - that being Mike Tipul, the game becomes elevated. I’m always in awe of developers who manage to create fully realised games by themselves, and in light of this, the shortcomings of House of the Dying Sun (the main being that it’s quite short) are easily cast aside, and actually, it’s quite nice to play through something a little lighter. The game was originally in development for some years prior to it surfacing under the name House of the Dying Sun, originally meant to be known as Enemy Starfighter - it seems as though HotDS is quite a bit paired down to what Tipul originally intended, and it shows in the brevity of the experience, but what the game does contain is well considered, and tightly implemented.
If you’ve played the likes of Everspace, you’ll be familiar with the premise. After a brief tutorial, which has you manoeuvring your interceptor, cycling targets, and testing your weapons, the game begins proper. The main screen shows a series of missions along a sector map, and available missions can be played in any order, and once complete will unlock the next mission in a sort of progress tree leading to the final encounter. Missions have some decent variety, and sometimes offer the player different kinds of rewards, be it weapons and upgrades, or, more vitally, an expansion to your fleet.
Initially, you’ll begin the first missions with just the one interceptor, but eventually you’ll unlock more, filling out your little fleet with of interceptors, destroyers, and frigates, and with an increased fleet size comes some of the game’s depth. Each time you load into a mission, you’ll default to the strategic view, which allows you to issue more complex orders to your fleet, allowing for splitting of your forces and focusing on certain enemies and objectives. You can only directly control the interceptors however, and you must be cautious with these vessels, for if they are all destroyed (even if your others ships are intact), you will lose the mission. If your currently controlled interceptor gets destroyed, you will be able to assume command of the next available one, and your pool of interceptors can be replenished with reinforcements if you can get enough kills (three per respawn).
The strategic view is very easy to use, both on PC and Steam Deck, and the interceptor control is equally enjoyable on either platform. The game suits either, but it’s probably ever so slightly easier with a keyboard and mouse. The game was also developed with VR in mind, but I don’t have the equipment to test how it plays on a headset, but I can only imagine the experience is just as good (if not better). The combat is very satisfying too, given the relative simplicity of the game. You can choose from a small variety of weapon loadouts, (on your interceptors and the rest of your fleet), as well as various upgrades, which can be purchased using the points accrued from completing missions - be it better shields, faster engines, repair drones, or a plethora of other bonuses and alterations. The points are greatly increased if you choose a higher difficulty setting, and with each mission there are four tiers of challenge (with the fourth being unlockable). Most missions also have bonus objectives that allow for the collection of additional points.
I won’t spoil the story of the game - although I will say that it is pretty bare. What is conveyed however is a sense of atmosphere, and what little bits of the story you do gleam indicate a very dark universe. The game opens with a string of text telling of the death of the Emperor - his lords have betrayed him, and it is up to you, and the remnants of his loyal guards to carry out his final edicts - to hunt the traitors and bring ruin to their people. Like I say, pretty grim, and evokes the lore of Dune or the 40k universe.
Visually, the game is pretty similar to most space sims, but I don’t mean that to take anything away from the game - the various solar systems you explore while playing through the campaign are varied and beautiful. If you like space, you’ll find this title a visual treat. The ship design, while rather utilitarian, is decent too, and somewhat evocative of the Homeworld games. The sound design is fantastic too, really immersing you in the universe, as is the music, which was created by Olivier Zuccaro, who you might be familiar with from his work on E.YE: Divine Cybermancy, Space Hulk: Deathwing, and Necromunda: Hired Gun. The beating drums, deep long held notes, heavy ominous throaty vocal cues, harmonised choir sections, and quick paced strings fit perfectly with the tone of the game, giving it the gravitas it's vague and grim story and gameplay deserves.
All in all, House of the Dying Sun is a little gem, and scratches the space combat simulation itch perfectly, and given Tipul’s previous postings (at Pandemic and Bungie, working on series’ such as Halo at the latter), it’s hardly surprising. Some titles in this genre have incredibly steep learning curves, and can require a huge commitment to get into (Egosoft’s X series of games, for example), but with this, you can just jump in for a few battles and jump out again. The controls are tight and intuitive, and overall the game is fun to pick up and play - and if you’ve read any of my other Quest Log posts, you’ll know that a fun gameplay experience is always the priority for me.
There we go, shot and sweet space action. Have you played this one? If so, what did you think? And do dabble in other space sims? If you have any recommendations, let me know!
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Jamie B