Inspired by classic 80s titles, Space Pirates presents 6,000 unique star systems for gamers to explore, an infinite number of missions to undertake, and endless trading oppertunites. The man responsible makes some bold claims for his new title."We want to present something unique on the Indie Games channel for XBox LIVE! in every release, and for Space Pirates it's simple - endless replay value and endless gameplay variation entirely driven by the gamer's decisions without restriction. In terms of gameplay time, it would take more than 100 hours just to visit every star system in the game. Add in trading, missions, races and general free-for-all combat and the possibilities are endless. The basic mechanisms for this type of gameplay was achieved in the mid 1980s, and with the power and flexibility of the Xbox 360 gamers expect more. More action, more challenge, more playability. We think Space Pirates delivers on all these demands and more," says DrMistry. "As Indie developers we have the freedom to take real risks, to put our faith in the intelligence of our customers and to try and match - and beat - any expectation they have in terms of gameplay. At 240 MS points, it offers more gameplay per buck than any AAA title you can think of."
The basic premise of the game - make cash, kill aliens and keep alive - harks back to the origins of 3D gaming in the mid 1980s. The classic Bell/Braben title Elite, as well as Paul Woake's Mercenary series and CLR's Tau Ceti have all been influences on the game. The game begins with 1,000 credits, a brand new ship equipped with basic weapons, shields and hyperdrive, and a sector of 6,000 star systems to explore. Trading commodities, stealing cargo and dodging law-enforcement in a rich 3D environment were the very minimum requirements for the game. Missions add a new dynamic to the game, challenging the player to run the gauntlet of rampant space pirates and trigger-happy cops as they race around the sector against the clock. Wrapped in an easy-to-use interface, the player can control their destiny and choose their own path through the game.
"We're not retro-addicts who believe things were somehow better in the 8-bit days. But we believe Space Pirates makes a good case for revisiting some of the classic themes of gaming with one foot firmly in today's world of hi-def, rich and immersive gaming. Sure there's a charm in the nievety of some 8-bit games, but if you want to avoid making a niche game you've got to marry simplicity of play with complexity of feature in a way which just wasn't possible in the 32 or 64k machines we grew up with," claims DrMistry.