Gametraders Live September Magazine

The story in Horus Station is
purposefully — and sometimes
bewilderingly — vague. An astronaut
wakes up on the Horus space station
after a catastrophic event. Sections
of the installation have broken apart,
entire areas are on lockdown, and
hostile security robots run amok.
As the nameless, faceless hero pulls
the station back together, destroys
rampaging robots, and re-engages
a host of deactivated systems,
more information about Horus and
its extraterrestrial purpose comes
into view. Even so, that “more”
information is, by the end of the
adventure, insufficient.
Developer 3rd Eye Studios deserves
much respect for opting for
environmental storytelling in its zerogravity
thriller, and in the process
skipping cinematic cut-scenes, but
the game’s vagueness come at a
price: an often incomprehensible
storyline that leaves the player with
a nagging question by the time
the end credits roll — did I miss
something?
As you decipher the game’s abstruse
story, you’ll explore the multichambered
station in zero-g, fight
off murderous robots, and solve
a few simple puzzles. Navigation
without gravity is the principal joy
of Horus Station, thanks to a clever
control scheme where players can
extend a hand by pressing up on
the left control stick, grasp a nearby
bulkhead or console, and launch
forward simply by releasing the stick.
At first, it’s a bit daunting, but after a
few minutes it becomes a responsive,
liberating experience — even better,
ostensibly, in the optional VR mode.
Shooting is worthwhile also, mainly
because of a surprisingly diverse
arsenal of firearms. Among them: an
introductory pea-shooter, a semiauto
pistol, a scattershot gun, a
sniper weapon, and several more.
Players can equip weapons in either
the right or left hand (the same goes
for a hookshot device and a portable
motor, which make mid-air navigation
easier). While Horus Station’s armory
and shooting mechanics are solid,
its enemy encounters are decidedly
less impressive. The same rival robots
appear again and again, and attack
in similar patterns. Basically, if you
unholster your weapon early, you’re
likely to win. If the floating foes fire
first, it’s probably game over — which
means a quick reset at a nearby
checkpoint, with all your progress
intact. Overall, firefights aren’t nearly
tactical enough and fall on the
repetitive side.