The thrill of the unpredictable was the driving force behind this charming and spirited rogue-like heister.

Void Bastards is a pure, crystalline distillation of the immersive sim genre - all the feeling with none of the fluff. Full of variables, it invites the player to experiment and be experimented upon.

Void Bastards is a fun and fresh mix between classic first-person shooter and modern roguelikes. Focusing on giving the player more problems than punishments, Blue Manchu has crafted a game that is fun from the beginning to the end. Furthermore, its aesthetics and graphics are simply gorgeous. One of the greatest surprises of 2019 so far.

Despite its faults, Void Bastards is still deeply enjoyable. The humor and the art style alone are enough to make this a must-have, but the combat and vast array of weapons and upgrades makes Void Bastards an experience you should not skip.

Although it would benefit from being either a bit shorter and/or having a bit more variety, Void Bastards is easy to recommend. It looks unique and has enough fun baked in that failure rarely feels frustrating or punishing. Fans of action games as diverse as Bioshock or FTL will enjoy it and anyone who chuckles at games like The Stanley Parable will feel at home with Void Bastards’ sense of absurd humor.

This game is an idiosyncratic joy – a brash, clever, juvenile head-trip, messy at the edges but all the more likable for it. It is loaded with brilliant pop-culture references, channeling not just Adams, 2000AD and Tank Girl, but also anime and 90s industrial dance music. Void Bastards is Cowboy Bebop meets Trainspotting, on a night out, in a galaxy of death.

Void Bastards draws easily the attention thanks to its charming comic aesthetic and to the cel shaded visuals. Moreover, its frenetic pace means that you could spend less than an hour at a time and yet feel like you have a fulfilling experience. Alas, the different enemy types and spaceship designs start to get repetitive a little too soon, changing the sense of excitement to tedium far before the rescue of our ragtag group.