Kerbal Space Program: first impressions

Sometimes this game is downright beautiful.

   I introduce, an amazingly fun and interesting indy game called, Kerbal Space Program.  This game puts you in control of a budding space program on the planet of Kerbin.  At the time of this writing, KSP is in early stages of production and the game has been released as a free to play alpha demo.  Much like Minecraft's earlier days, the game acts primarily as a sandbox, providing the player with a "tech demo" and an idea of what things may be like when the game releases.
   The good news is that, much like Minecraft, you can donate to the developer a small sum of $10 and receive all future updates of the game.  KSP, even in this early state, is a very enjoyable and even slightly challenging gaming experience that introduces enough elements and wonder to get you excited for things to come.  Hit the jump for a more detailed look at the game...

    At the start of the game, you are presented with an empty hangar and given a tabbed list of ship parts.  Essentially building blocks, the parts snap to each other, making it really easy to throw something together and get flying.  There is a certain level of depth here as well.  You are given some advanced construction tools like a symmetry multiplier, and if you couple that with stabilizers and simplified rocket science, you could build a pretty complex rocket capable of getting you into space without any hassle.

     Basically, as you add items and engines to your space craft, you are creating stages that you will cycle through as you move throughout your flight sequence.  Just as actual space craft do, you will "shed" some extra weight as you disengage your initial rocket boosters and move on to another stage.  This is one area where the game really shows it's versatility and potential.  Since it is an early build, there are not many parts to choose from.  There are, however, enough different configurations and combinations already to ensure that no two rockets will be the same or even function similarly.  The game calculates weight, thrust, and even stability, so this aspect of the game almost feels like a puzzle.

The 6th and most successful incarnation of my rocket.

   Once you're done building, you're taken to the launch pad.  There you are given complete control of your craft and it's launch sequence.  In the lower right hand of the screen, you have three animated (and usually hilarious) portraits representing your ship's crew.  The rest of the interface is pretty detailed, but still simple enough to refrain from being overly complicated.

So far, so good...

    Once you have exited the planet's atmosphere, it is now a good idea to establish a decent orbit.   It was pretty difficult for me the first few times, but once you get a better understanding of some of the ship parts and controls, it gets much easier.  I'm still amazed at how realistic the "space" physics feel.  KSP brings out the inner astrophysicist in you.

Orbit looks good.  Mun...here I come

   You are then free to explore the galaxy.  You can see the endless potential the game has here especially.  In the current build, I managed to collide with the moon, land back on Kerbin, and even establish an orbit with the solar system's star.  There's not much else to do just yet, but I've spent hours playing, and continue to find interesting things to try.  I can envision some future elements that would make this an even more amazing experience, like space stations, landing craft, rovers, other galaxies...

Sometimes things don't go so well...

   There is so much they can do to make this an amazing game.  It's already really fun and entertaining.  With the framework they have set in place, all that is left is to add content.  I am personally excited to see this game evolve, and can't recommend it enough to anyone interested in a unique and inventive gaming experience.