New Release: Morphite

This is game is about as big as they come. Morphite, an incredible new sci-fi action/exploration game, was just released on iOS, as well as PC and a variety of consoles. An Android release is planned for later this year.

It is impossible to talk about Morphite without mentioning the game that serves as its obvious inspiration: No Man's Sky. Both are space exploration games, both feature procedurally generated planets, both are played from a first-person perspective, both require you catalog procedurally-generated plants and animals with a scanner - it's clear that Morphite wouldn't exist without No Man's Sky.

With that said, Morphite is no mere clone of No Man's Sky. Morphite brings something No Man's Sky mostly lacks: a clear focus and direction. Where No Man's Sky is all about exploration and wandering, Morphite both a directed storyline and a clearly-defined (and fully voiced) protagonist. It also features a more action-oriented gameplay style, with a focus less on exploration and more on Metroid-style action-platforming. I don't want to understate what a difference this makes - to many people, Morphite's presentation as a more traditional "game" will actually make it preferable to No Man's Sky.

Morphite is also a beautiful game. It doesn't attempt to mimic No Man's Sky's massive scale and photorealistic textures, which would likely be impossible on mobile, instead opting for a low-polygon aesthetic. This gives Morphite a retro vibe, but one that doens't feels cheap. Colors are vibrant, but not cartoony. Environments strike the right balance between atmosphere and detail. And there are multiple graphics options in the settings to tweak the balance between visual effects and framerate (I personally recommend disabling cinematic effects, which make everything seem washed-out).

Anyways, I've been a massive fan of No Man's Sky since it launched last year - it is one of my all-time favorite gaming experience, and it's one I've put more time into than almost any other games I own. Morphite is its own game, but it scratches a similar itch. I'm looking forward to putting many, many hours Morphite - I'm giving this one a strong recommendation. And if planned features like cloud saving, procedural temples, and multiplayer end up getting added, that recommendation will only get stronger.

• Buy Now on iOS