Defect: Spaceship Destruction Kit

The concept just works. I mean, who doesn't want to conquer the galaxy with a man-sized seagull and Ziggy Stardust? Until, of course, they put you in a space suit and throw you out of the airlock. Defect: Space Deconstruction Kit is a vibrant romp that forces you to create ever more outrageous spaceships, by way of frequent mutiny.

As such, much time is spent in build mode. At PAX, there was a designer telling me which parts were needed and that, in fact, I’d better put armour on the outside of the spaceship. Playing at home, I made several non-viable monstrosities. This is actually a good thing. With adequate instruction, the process should be supremely flexible. Your ship will work exactly as well, or as badly, as it is designed.

In game, you maneuver around by way of thrust and rotation. Weapons fire automatically, at least in this early build, so success is all about positioning. In the single player campaign, objectives and story are delivered by dialogue as your duplicitous crew report on unfolding events.

Designer and artist, Drew Morrow tells PCPP, “The game will give you enough freedom to build almost any kind of ship you want, from tiny fighters to moon sized space stations. Then fight your designs against each other in challenge mode.” Defect promises to be a deep, physics based experience, though the overriding story remains enigmatic for now. I just want to know why my crews so loathe me.