Event Horizon Space Defense is the sequel to Event Horizon and more or less follows along the same path as its predecessor. Where the first game had some RPG elements, Event Horizon Space Defense keeps it closer to being all about the action.
Destroy all aliens
In Event Horizon Space Defense you command a starbase and your main objective is to defend it from incoming alien factions out to destroy you. In the beginning, your base is mostly unprotected and your fleet consists of only one ship. All this feels limited and quite unfair to stand up to hordes of alien invaders. Luckily after each wave of enemies is successfully defeated, you get to salvage the wreckages. With the material scavenged from your enemies, you can start to upgrade your base. Some of these are meant to fortify your base but others also add automatic weapons on your base. Each addition is optional but the choices you make will obviously affect the way the next battle will be played. For instance, having an automatic cannon shoot at enemies form your base makes a more aggressive and offensive approach possible.
Build a fleet
Scrap not used to upgrade your base can be turned into money which can be used to unlock new spaceships. With over 100 spaceships to unlock, you’ll have plenty off options to choose from. Having a lot of spaceships alone won’t cut it, someone has to fly them. From time to time you’ll encounter mercenaries who can be hired to help you out with fending off enemies. Some currency management is needed to build up a fine working battle fleet. Making some harsh decisions as to whom to work with and whom to fire will make a huge impact on you efficiently surviving the next wave.
Modular ships and base
Where managing your personnel and money is one part of this game, the main concern of the game is in the way you manage the upgrades on your ships/base. Both of these are set up with limited space in which you need to cram your upgrades. Each upgrade has a certain shape and size which needs to fit in the ship/base. Managing the internal layout of your ships/base to the best extent makes a huge difference. Swapping that massive canon out for a few smaller lasers might be much more effective than before. Different ships have different layouts which could also make an impact on the possibilities you have. With so many possibilities it ultimately comes down to your own playstyle.
Asteroids
After managing the many things Event Horizon Space Defense throws at you, you still need to battle aliens. The combat is presented in the classic Multi-directional shooter style made famous by the classic arcade game Asteroids. Event Horizon Space Defense makes use of the twin-stick approach to offer a smooth battle experience. The space physics make it feel true to the genre. I personally liked the battles but found it a bit slow at first. The difficulty did ramp up after a while. With more aliens ships approaching my base, it started to feel like more of a challenge.
Conclusion
I felt the classic Asteroids inspired action played just fine. The addition of a lot of things to manage between each wave made it a hassle after a few waves. They went with an original take on a classic but in the end, the additions took away from the action which made it worse for me personally. I do applaud the intent but it was a bit much for my liking. If you’re into modifying and customizing you’ll surely love this game. I, on the other hand, found it rather cumbersome to be honest.
