Previews// Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time

Space is a big. Very big. Conversely, the vessels we use to travel within it are incredibly small. This makes travelling within them a somewhat cosy experience to say the least. Astronauts are required to work very closely together in order to keep safe and afloat within the (possibly) infinite void.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime takes this concept of teamwork and places two players into a sphere-shaped vessel that is travelling the universe while being waylaid by myriad space creatures. In development at PC and Mac, it's a game I stumbled upon in the 6th level of PAX Prime within the PAX 10 indie game line-up. It was one of the few games that had yet to be released in that prestigious line-up and this was the first time I had encountered it.

The game currently requires two players to control a spaceship, working together to prevent it from being annihilated by alien forces intent on its destruction. This is done by both players taking to the controls in various sections of the ship, which vary from the helm (to steer the ship) to shield controls (that rotate an energy barrier to deflect enemy attacks). Other stations include laser gun controls to fend off the attackers as well as a giant death ray that can only be fired after a cool down period.

With there being more stations than players, there is a lot of cooperation required between them to ensure success. With my short time with it, I found myself drifting between the helm and the death ray, while my co-pilot flitted between laser cannon mounts and the shield. This went on for some time, to the point where we were close to being destroyed and our roles briefly switched. I yelled at him to take the helm and he yelled back 'I CAN'T STEER!' and smashed us unto a nearby asteroid.

The game generates the same kind of intensity as Space Team and Faster Than Light in that you're having to juggle tasks to ensure the spaceship you're attempting to pilot is not going to explode. There's a lot of interaction between players as they try to delay their inevitable destruction as the relentless wave of enemies destroys the ship.

The look of the game is a very simplistic yet vibrantly coloured representation of deep space, with the ship being presented as a bright pink circle. Space is also very colourful, with the enemies taking on a mostly green tint.

I'd love to comment on the sound, but the show floor prevented from me making out much. That said, the score was very evocative of deep space travel i.e.: light techno tunes. It did nothing to calm myself and my co-pilot, though, as we raced around the ship desperately trying not to die!

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime attracted a significant amount of attention at PAX Prime 2013 and deservedly so. It was an excellent representative of the PAX 10 line-up and the developers should be congratulated for their efforts. Certainly one to watch when it eventually arrives in 2014.