Alpha Beta Gamer

Critical Mass is fun a top-down voxel-based shooter. Using an engine made from the ground up for a different game called Ground State, Critical Mass is only a tech demo to see if everything is working out for the main game, but the dev still plans to flesh out Critical Mass more and has been doing regular updates.

The game engine that they’re using is absolutely gorgeous with it’s nice shading and voxel destruction. At the moment the gameplay is basic but very satisfying, with the voxel based destruction a joy to behold, and and excellent music track that really makes you want to blow things up.

It’s great fun blasting the cubic zombies, firing missiles at hordes of enemies watching their voxel guts get splattered everywhere. We’d certainly like to see more of Critical Mass, and look forward to seeing what Ground State has to offer.

Play the Critical Mass Tech Demo, Free

Avorion is a sci-fi sandbox space game where you explore a galaxy far away from the milky way. Build your own space ship and space station, mine asteroids, and meet other players who are doing the same. Buy and sell with players online or with NPCs.

The game features voxel based graphics, plenty of customization options, smooth controls, and great combat mechanics. There are a few voxel based space games in development, but Avorion is certainly one of the best and well worth giving a go. With a bit of work you’ll be able to build a deathstar with some properly secured Jedi-proof thermal exhaust ports.

Download the Alpha, Free

Spark Rising is a highly customisable build and battle sandbox game where you create fortresses and engage in massive battles. You’ll the ability to create almost anything imaginable in-game, including units such as mechs, aliens, zombies, dinosaurs, monsters and robots, as well as a host of vehicles, artillery and defences.

To demonstrate the variety of creations available to players and to showcase the gameplay options, game developers - Wicked Loot - have released 3 different Alpha Demos, each with a different theme. It’s not possible to fully build and create in the Demos (though the second demo does allow some building functions), but they’re great fun none the less and offer a great demonstration of the gameplay, carnage and voxel based destruction.

The first Demo released was Retro Rising RAMPAGE (RRR), a fast-paced FPS arcadey homage to 8-bit NES era, with you playing as a Mega Man-esque character, fighting off shy guys. The second demo - Gaiden 2: Build Play - allows you access to some of the building mechanics, with you building a fortress and battling in it. Last but not least, there's Titian Rising which has just been released, is by far the most spectacular of the three, with you fighting off a massive Titan which can completely destroy the voxel based terrain.

All three Pre-Alpha Demos offer up unique and entertaining experiences, whether it be retro charm, building fortresses or the spectacle of fending off a massive Titan. Each one’s a great showcase for the vast possibilities that in a game that both nurtures creativity and embraces destruction.

Download all three Pre-Alpha Demos Free

Air Knight is an excellent side scrolling arcade shooter that really takes advantage of it’s wonderful voxel based graphics. Unfortunatley it has already been cancelled, and all that is left of it is an Alpha build.

The Alpha build plays really well, has Xbox 360 controller support, a catchy retro soundtrack, power-ups and the ability to blow up any terrain or enemies into a tiny voxels.

It’s a real shame the game has been cancelled as the levels in the Alpha build are great fun to play, and it’s great fun smashing everything into a spray of voxels. Air Knight still has a Greenlight page though, so if the game gets enough interest maybe the dev (RetroSouls) will think about restarting the project. It’s worth visiting the RetroSouls website anyway, as they have lots of great free retro styled games that did reach completion.

Download the Alpha, Free. And visit the RetroSouls website.

Iubes is a fun mix of real-time strategy game and god-game with some minecraft-esque aesthetics.

You don’t have direct control of your iubes, instead you decide what has to be built, then the iubes do whatever they think they have to. You must manage your time and iubes to build your city, defend it, make soldiers, and destroy your enemy.

It’s an interesting game with a wonderful art style and some great ideas.

Sign up for the Beta

Posts tagged voxels