Base-building space game Dyson Sphere Program just got a lot more dangerous. The beloved factory simulation and automation game holds an impressive ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 97% Steam user score, making it one of the top strategy games on the Valve platform. Now, in its latest update, Rise of the Dark Fog, you’ll face threats never seen before with the introduction of a brand-new combat system – but don’t panic if you’re a peaceful sort, as developer Youthcat Studio includes the option to tweak or disable it if you prefer a more laid-back experience.
For those of you unfamiliar with Dyson Sphere Program, it puts you in control of a mech called Icarus to work on an interstellar project for the betterment of humanity. Your goal is to construct Dyson Spheres, a megastructure built around a star to harness its energy (a popular hypothetical creation envisioned by the scientific community as a possible energy solution for a spacefaring future). In order to do so, this strategy game sees you starting out from a small base and building a galaxy-spanning production facility across all manner of celestial bodies.
The long-touted combat update Dyson Sphere Program: Rise of the Dark Fog is finally here, and it sees the arrival of a hostile force, the eponymous Dark Fog. To combat this threat, you’ll have a selection of defensive towers that you can use to protect your various bases and facilities. You can even step into combat using Icarus itself, which is accompanied by deployable combat drones to make it a formidable force against the threats presented by the Dark Fog.
The Dark Fog will create both space hives and ground bases in its attempt to seize matter and energy, and it’ll target your facilities as a result, although it won’t currently attack the Dyson Sphere directly. Youthcat Studio notes that “Rise of the Dark Fog is the first part of the combat system, and there will be future content related to space combat. Building space stations and confronting space hives are already in our plans.”
While this first implementation is balanced “to allow the majority of players to smoothly finish the game,” there are options to set the Dark Fog’s aggression level either to ‘passive,’ where it won’t attack you unless you initiate hostilities, or to ‘dummy,’ where it will not attack or retaliate at all, giving you a peaceful alternative way to play.
The Dyson Sphere Program Attack of the Dark Fog update is out now. You can read the full patch notes for the latest version of the game on Steam, where you can also currently buy Dyson Sphere Program at a 10% discount, meaning you’ll pay just $17.99 / £13.94 if you want to join in on the action.
If that’s still not enough to satisfy your curiosity for interstellar adventures, be sure to explore the best space games on PC. Alternatively, the best sandbox games offer plenty of opportunities for you to stretch your creative muscles.
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