Infinite Space III: Sea of Stars (PC) Review

Infinite Space III is the story of one Lloyd Irving as he journeys with his friends, including a young girl named Colette whom has been designated to be the next saviour of the w- Wait. Sorry. Wrong game. Infinite Space III is the newest expansion of the acclaimed Age of Mythol- Wait. Sorry. Wrong game again. It seems to be a recurring problem with this game. Here, one more shot. Infinite Space III follows the story of one young and brave star pilot in a vast and unique galaxy full of diverse and interesting characters. Flung from Earth during a fluke accident, he winds up stranded on the opposite side of the galaxy with a bunch of unique aliens made, surprisingly, by the Muppet peop- Gah! Sorry! That's Farscape, a TV show that hasn't even been on for several years. One last shot.

Infinite Space III is a game. It takes place in space. It involves warping around to many planets and exploring things. Said exploration comes not in the form of actually exploring but simply looking at a small item box and noting if there is anything inside. The goal is to explore all of the few planets in a set time. Sometimes there are ships that shoot back. Sometimes there are aliens who are willing to trade the dryer lint found on planet No One Cares for top-of-the-line weaponry or to swear oaths of eternal fealty in return for said drier lint. Sometimes there are nebulas that slow movement. Sometimes the enemies attack with such massively overpowered ships that there is little time to even consider if fighting back is viable before being spaced and having to start a new game.

It is completely unremarkable in any form. In fact, it's so unremarkable that how unremarkable it is turns out to be actually quite remarkable. Quick, imagine the most basic 'space exploration' game possible. What came up? A series of playable ships that all look and play almost the exact same, to the point where they've basically blurred into each other beyond maybe some weapon slots? A multitude of planets that didn't have the time for much detail or thought to be put into them and, thusly, turn out to be little more than different-colored balls? Maybe an alien race or two that never had the time to get a face? That's Infinite Space III. Short, unremarkable, and forgettable.

To be fair, it doesn't do anything wrong. It's functional as a game, its combat does work and can be…there…at times, and there isn't anything to make the player want to put down the game and stop. There's just nothing to stop them from putting it down and forgetting that it even existed in their Steam library until, by sheer accident, they spot it again and decide to play it. It's almost like the potted plant of gaming. Present, not bad, but just sitting there and not doing much at all, as everything about it can be learned in the first five seconds of seeing it.