The Worst Video Game Ever?

Post date: Feb 22, 2017 7:23:19 PM

By: Korey Alder, Media Editor

Posted February 22nd, 2017

In our first video game review, I took a brief look at arguably one of the best games ever made. This time, however, I'm going to tell you a little bit about one of the worst video games I have ever played. It's called GASP, and its free on Steam – but don't be fooled by its low price; it wouldn't be worth downloading even if the developers were paying you.

At first glance, GASP seems like a unique space survival game, with a reasonably professional trailer and flashy screenshots. The graphics quality is decent, despite over-using cheesy effects like lens dirt and excessive bloom. Textures are detailed and the interface is clean. The problem arises when you actually start to try to "play."

You're started off on the Moon, alone in a space suit with broken communications. Your supposed goal is to reach your fellow astronauts, which are also stranded. There are multiple "Unknown Signals" which you must investigate until you find the correct one, which will lead you to your teammates. The problem is that giant, unrealistic asteroids are raining from the sky, impeding your movement.

This brings us the game's major flaw: the movement. The player wanders from signal to signal – kilometers apart – at roughly the speed of an injured snail. Meanwhile, the asteroids seem to know exactly where the player is at any given moment, because they just so happen to appear in the correct spot and at the correct angle to be flying directly towards them. And then it is truly a challenge, with the astronaut's sluggish movement, to avoid them at all. If you are lucky enough to reach a signal, you will likely encounter invisible walls and other strange "glitches" (which were likely added purposefully because the content proclaimed to be beyond them is in fact not there).

One reviewer on Steam commented, "No Man's Sky has more depth than this." Anyone familiar with the controversy over the release of Hello Games' No Man's Sky will understand this to be quite the insult. Even with the plethora of sarcastic positive reviews, GASP still rates "Overwhelmingly Negative" in its Steam ratings.

To be fair, there is one entertaining thing about GASP. I found it quite humorous that in order to try the second level, the developers had the nerve to ask you to spend several dollars. I'm still waiting for them to acknowledge that the whole thing was a joke, but as of yet, there's been nothing...