https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80_wlz4TuL4
I think the developer of this game deserves much praise for trying something new and risky by undertaking something novel in VR at this point in time. It's very clear to see the inspiration that derived from Homeworld, and that's cool, but the real killer for me is the lack of strategy in the real time strategy part of this game. You have the ability to order troops, but there are no buildings to be built, no workers or mining resources, nor is there any form of battlefield maneuvering, so essentially all battles begin with each side stockpiling as many troops as resources allow, then swarming each other in a really cool looking, but ultimately shallow space battle. You just kinda set it all up and then watch it happen. In fact, this set up and let loose gameplay makes me think that Saga has more in common with Gratuitous Space Battles than it does with other space rts games. One element that's very unique however, is there's a really cool ability to sit in your ship in first person mode which is very cool, but again, the inability to shoot and actively participate in the combat means besides looking cool it is essentially a function without meaning, and just feels like a missed opportunity.
The campaign mode offers scenarios with increasing difficulty, but a lack of story means there's no real sense of stakes or investment for these missions, so for example the mission text is telling me we must destroy these space pirates, but why do I care? There are also skirmish modes, allowing for bots, teams and match customization, which is an excellent addition for those who don't want to play multiplayer.
The graphics in the game are very good, but not in a realistic sense. It's very peculiar, but when looking down on the ships I get the distinct feeling like I'm watching toy models flying around. It's odd, but actually quite cool! Audio in the game is okay; nothing particularly outstanding or novel, and all the usual space sound effects are there.
The control scheme took some getting used to; You can zoom in super close or far out, but it took me quite a while to understand that when I zoomed in I was being zoomed into the motion controller's location. Once I realized that, this system actually makes good sense. Locomotion is achieved by dragging yourself, as well as being able to click teleport to ships. As a result, VR sickness was non existent for me, which is great. The only hassle with this movement style is that when you are zoomed out you can quickly and essentially traverse vast amounts of space by dragging yourself and arms length, but when you zoom in so that you are closer to life size scale, that same drag motion now moves you the equivalent of about 3 feet, which is pretty much useless. I'm not sure what would be best for combating this, but as it stands it means you pretty much have to stay zoomed out if you wanna do stuff besides just watching. An option exists to lock a camera onto a ship, but it's not very practical and the view is pretty limited. As for controlling troops, a tutorial is offered but I found the control configuration was not super intuitive, at least on the Touch.
Overall, Saga of the Void feels like it was built on a really great idea, but that it wrapped up a little too early. If this game were in Early Access, I think I would have been more likely to recommend based on it's potential because it certainly looks like it's shaping into something incredible, but by calling this the final product, I can only say it feels a little lackluster. The developer has a great community presence, and I really wouldn't be surprised if his next game builds on this experience to achieve something incredible, but for now I think Saga of the Void is not it. I will note the pricing is excellent at under $8, so you might still wanna pick this one up just to check out how cool it looks, but do temper your expectations that this wont be a deep real time strategy you might be expecting.
