Video Game Review: Close Order - Space Shooter or Space Blooper?

Developer Raconteur games
Publisher Black Shell Media
Distributor Black Shell Media
Where we got our copy Black Shell Media
Genre Indie
Game modes Single Player
Reviewed on PC

Havok_ZA

Published February 22, 2016

Close Order doesn’t.

The game feels like a wave enemy space shooter, like Space invaders but with moving enemies and with you being able to create “Invaders” of your own. This was quite well done I thought as you can buy new ships to fly in formation beside you. You can also set the formations and this worked very well. At first, I was quite intrigued as to what strategies can be accomplished here. Alas, the formations didn’t really improve or weaken my attacks.

It felt like this is a game VERY much still in development. Some graphics felt like placeholder art. The characters feel very uninspired and just didn’t fit.

The music is really not great and gets annoying fast. And there is at some point a Siren sound you can do nothing about it takes ages to get to a place where it stops. At one stage my wife came in and closed the room’s door as it was so annoying.

The best thing about this game is the survival mode where you just carry on surviving as the fleet builds up, but even that left me empty wishing for more gameplay variation.

It seems that the developer is listening to the community on fixes and everything so that bodes well, I really think this game should have been Alpha or Early Access status and not a full game experience.

Close order is a game where you fight in space, but you are constrained to a plane. That in itself is strange as space has 360 degree in all directions movement. This could have been forgiven if the game had some nice catch or hook. Close Order doesn't. The game feels like a wave enemy space shooter, like Space invaders but with moving enemies and with you being able to create "Invaders" of your own. This was quite well done I thought as you can buy new ships to fly in formation beside you. You can also set the formations and this worked very well. At first, I was quite intrigued as to what strategies can be accomplished here. Alas, the formations didn't really improve or weaken my attacks. It felt like this is a game VERY much still in development. Some graphics felt like placeholder art. The characters feel very uninspired and just didn't fit. The music is really not great and gets annoying fast. And there is at some point a Siren sound you can do nothing about it takes ages to get to a place where it stops. At one stage my wife came in and closed the room's door as it was so annoying. The best thing about this game is the survival mode where you just carry on surviving as the fleet builds up, but even that left me empty wishing for more gameplay variation. It seems that the developer is listening to the community on fixes and everything so that bodes well, I really think this game should have been Alpha or Early Access status and not a full game experience. [taq_review]