Space is so vast that I think that we may never be able to explore it. Luckily, there are games like Manticore: Galaxy on Fire that allow us–albeit in a fantasy setting–to explore the deepness and dangers of space. The story is straightforward: you are the new recruit for mercenaries for hire, Manticore, and during a escort mission a terrible event known as “The Shattering” sets the gears in motion for rookie pilot in a hunt for answers through the galaxy.
Gameplay wise, Manticore is really well done. You control your spaceship with the Left stick. With the Right stick, you control the speed of your ship. Tilting the stick up gives you a boost at the expense of energy, which regenerates automatically. Tilting it down, you can brake, which is useful for when you want to explore your surroundings with more detail. And tilting left or right, you can do a barrel roll(Starfox style) to evade enemy fire. Weapons systems are reserved for the shoulder buttons. ‘ZR’ will fire your infinite primary weapons, while ‘ZL’ will fire your limited missile weapons. You can use ‘R’ and ‘L’ to quickly swap between weapon mount points. Your primary weapons have different types of ammo (ballistic, laser, plasma), fire modes, and range. As you unlock more of these, the more options you will be able to fit into your ship. Having the right weapon type for each boss is key for victory.
Some ships have device slots and you can use these with ‘A’ and ‘B’, adding options like EMP pulses or cloaking devices to your arsenal. If you do happen to find yourself fighting a space pirate boss without the proper weapon to take him out, you can either restart and reconfigure your load-out or, if you like to live dangerously, them into submission. Micromanagement of your weapon load-outs plays a big part of the game and it is particularly well implemented.
As you would expect, the highlight of the game goes to the spaceships you will be able to fly. There are a total of nine different vessels, divided into three categories (fighter, scout, and gunship) and faction (Terran, Nivelian and Vossk). All of them have different hull, energy, shield, and missile ratings. Just like all primary and secondary weapons, these can be upgraded, limited to your current level and available Mhaan-Tiq. One thing worth mentioning is that while some ships are awarded after successful missions, there are are some that you can get with blueprints scattered in each area.
The campaign is divided into three acts, with plot being delivered by very good voice acting for all characters. The Manticore mercenaries take on a hunting approach, taking down space pirate factions and their leaders one by one, thus most of the missions will evolve you destroying a particular boss ship.
While some repetitiveness might be a bit of an issue for some, I personally think that it adds to the setting of the story, and I prefer to explore 100 percent, everything even if it’s repetitive. Also, I think that the developer is worthy of praise for all the different ways they found to keep things interesting, adding several other types of mission to break up the usual ace pirate dog fight: escort missions, cargo inspection missions, capital ship take downs, combat air patrol for the Manticore itself, and even the odd race here and there. You are never quite sure of what is around the corner, and it certainly motivates the player to keep going not only to know where the plot is being driven but what the developers have come up for you next.
Apart from the regular missions, there is also an optional free exploration of each sector you do battle in. With these, you are often left alone to explore with your probe satellite for hidden data cubes, items that will unlock hundreds of lore codex entries where you can delve deep into the lore of the Galaxy on Fire series. These can sometimes get a bit frustrating, but it’s here where you will find 15 different prototype Terran ship parts which will then be added to your hangar as a flyable option. When you’re done, you can either warp straight into your next mission or dock onto the Manticore to tweak your ride.
Graphically Manticore is amazing. It feels that it was tailor-made for Switch from the ground up. The game looks like it was developed for Switch and then ported for mobile than the other way around. Every sector you fly into battle is so well detailed that is a joy to see. Stars and planets on the background, remains of destroyed vessels, space stations, jump gates and so on look amazing. If you hit ‘+’ at any time, you can enter ‘Action Freeze’, a photo mode that lets you freely fill your Switch photo library with gorgeous space vistas and your ship from any angle you desire. The Sound effects and music weren’t left off either. The voice acting is superb,. The ship’s AI comments are funny and do not overstay their welcome. The sound effects of your weapons are flashy and satisfying. Explosions are frequent and pack the appropriate punch, while interactive music means it will pick up the pace when you are engaged in battle and play out moody, sci-fi eerie melodies when you’re out exploring.
