IXIOM (Review)

 

Written By: Sam Delong-Something is amazing about IXIOM, the new space station building simulator. The game is based on a real-life startup company, AXIOM, which is attempting to build a commercial space station. It’s pretty ambitious to use a video game as a proof of concept. Unfortunately, the actual act of space building is quite tedious, and it hasn’t been translated well to a console format.

Resource management in the game is similar to that in other building simulators. You will move pieces of various resources, such as coal, fuses, and other components, across a grid. This game was initially designed for PC, as it was made for a mouse and keyboard format. The PS5 version is very clunky, and the layers of its build system are not well-designed, managed, or explained.

As you go through the stages of your ever-expanding station, the context of the story unfolds through a generic and straightforward sci-fi storyline. There is a pretty awesome sense of scope in the darkness of space, evoking a feeling of isolation and endless exploration at the same time.

Visuals in Ixion are pretty basic, employing a similar top-down perspective to other games in the genre, such as The Sims or any Civilization game. Graphically speaking, it’s nothing to write home about, but those games are rarely visual powerhouses. While games in this genre aren’t usually my forte, the sci-fi angle and space format could have been an opportunity to elevate it to something special.

Unfortunately, though, it’s pretty tedious, and there's nothing particularly compelling that rewards players in terms of mechanics or story, which sets it apart. A The Sims in space sounds excellent on paper, but the experience doesn’t lean into the fantastic enough to make it enjoyable, which is a shame because the source material is like a real-life Star Trek.

2 out of 5 (Don't Recommend)