House of the Dying Sun is a promising new space shooter

Playable now through Steam Early Access

You might remember House of the Dying Sun from Patrick’s list of the “top 33 indie games to look for in 2016 (or 2017, or 2018)” back when the space shooter was still known as Enemy Starfighter. It has earned positive buzz as something fans of the old X-Wing and Tie Fighter games ought to check out, and I know that description suits some of you well. I see you lurking!

The game is available as of today on Steam Early Access for $17.99. I have to commend the developers for keeping the summary succinct and readable. House of the Dying Sun has “almost all” of its features implemented and is expected to leave Early Access later this summer. So, it’s mostly there.

The current build has 14 campaign scenarios and (optional!) VR support for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. “The final version will have a complete balance pass, a fleshed out stable of upgrades and weapons to unlock, and a carefully-tuned set of combat scenarios. It will also include a custom wave-clear mode for even faster pick-up-and-play sessions.”

Sprawling, ambitious projects like Star Citizen and No Man’s Sky are all well and good, but I like that this one has a tighter focus. It seems to be working out.