As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that 2 Minutes in Space is a breath of fresh air in today’s saturated mobile gaming market. Despite its unpretentious title, this game packs a punch and keeps me coming back for more.
In simpler terms, ‘2 Minutes in Space‘ is an exhilarating survival game that puts you in control of your own spaceship. The goal is to survive the harsh space conditions for as long as you can while gathering precious resources.
2 Minutes in Space, a game produced by the independent studio Rarepixels based in Spain, is their second creation. Their first venture, entitled Planes Control, which is an air traffic control simulator, was launched over nine years ago and is a title I’ve encountered before as I’ve played it previously.
Speaking of which, I was quite eager to give 2 Minutes in Space a try and find out if Rarepixels could continue providing the captivating gameplay that I’ve enjoyed from their past release.
Table of Contents
- Game Concept
- Gameplay
- Graphics / Visual Presentation
- Sound
- Performance
- Microtransactions
- Uniqueness
- Conclusion
- Final Rating
Game Concept
2 Minutes in Space belongs to the survival genre and revolves around a straightforward game mechanic: either you endure or you meet your end.
You’ll take on the role of an astronaut piloting a spaceship, tasked with navigating safely around hazardous elements like stellar bodies and explosive projectiles. A collision with these could lead to severe damage to your spacecraft or even its destruction (which means game over for you).
Regardless of how threatening the surroundings might seem, they also offer enticing rewards such as treasure, boosters, and repair tools. It’s particularly important to gather as many treasures as you can because this valuable item serves as the game’s currency. You can use it to acquire various spaceships and environments, or enhance your power-ups with it.
Gameplay
Initially, upon learning about the game’s concept, one might assume the gameplay to be quite straightforward. Given that assumption, it’s understandable. However, my perspective changed as I delved deeper into the game; surprisingly, this apparent simplicity turned out to enhance the overall gaming experience instead.
2 Minutes in Space begins with a relaxed pace as you evade a few missiles casually. As time progresses, the intensity escalates as an increasing number of missiles approach you. The core mechanic of dodging and collecting items is engaging because it doesn’t overburden you when gameplay becomes tough. It’s worth noting that the rhythm remains consistent throughout, ensuring this game is accessible regardless of your familiarity with this type of games.
One standout aspect of “2 Minutes in Space” is its knack for maintaining novelty even after multiple playthroughs. You’re not just restricted to one setting, as you can pick from numerous diverse map settings to explore. Moreover, you have a choice of up to 15 distinct spaceships at the time of our review, each with unique stat enhancements and armament options for self-defense. This vast array offers an element of strategy that I find engaging.
Additionally, I’m grateful to the creators for providing flexibility in playing “2 Minutes in Space”. They’ve allowed you to select from both landscape and portrait modes. Furthermore, they’ve given you the freedom to customize the controls for your spaceship. You can opt for control buttons, a joystick, or simply tap the screen.
It seems to me that what makes the gameplay a bit challenging is its tendency to require repeated play or effort to amass sufficient in-game currency for unlocking all the available items.
Graphics / Visual Presentation
In the game 2 Minutes in Space, the graphic design is similar to that found in traditional arcade shooters like Galaga, but with a modern touch. It maintains the familiar top-down, 2D style that can evoke a sense of nostalgia for those who remember this era of gaming. Whether or not the developers drew inspiration from these types of games, I personally enjoyed this style.
About the spaceships and various map layouts, there’s definitely intricacy in the artwork, yet it’s maintained at a degree that doesn’t interfere excessively. I believe this decision by the developers was wise given the complexity of the gameplay, as adding more visual elements might have become overwhelming.
Sound
In general, the developers have skillfully crafted the audio design. The music composition and sound effects are well-executed, avoiding a commonplace feel. The soundtrack complements the game perfectly, building anticipation as you continue to endure during your playthrough.
In this particular aspect, I’d prefer if I could control the volume levels for the music and sound effects independently. At present, you can only toggle them on or off, which sometimes makes it challenging because the music overpowers the regular sound effects. Offering an adjustable volume setting might enhance the experience as players would then be able to appreciate both elements without having one overshadow the other.
Performance
I played the “2 Minutes in Space” game on a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with its default settings, and I didn’t experience any lags, framerate troubles, or other related issues during my playtime. To sum it up, the gameplay was seamless, and the controls felt quick and responsive without any noticeable delay.
Based on the specifications of the game, it’s suitable for playing on a wide range of mobile devices, from high-performance to moderately powerful ones that have been launched in the past five years. However, I’m confident that the game can still function on less advanced devices as well, although performance might be slightly reduced.
It’s important to note that while in space for 2 minutes, you can’t alter the graphical settings. Fortunately, the visuals aren’t so demanding that they strain everyday mobile devices significantly.
Microtransactions
In the world of mobile gaming, excessive microtransactions can sometimes spoil the fun by creating a “pay-to-win” scenario where regular play doesn’t seem as fruitful. However, when skillfully implemented, these transactions allow certain players to acquire items swiftly without adversely affecting the gameplay experience for others who prefer not to spend money.
In “2 Minutes in Space,” they successfully implement microtransactions. Inside the game’s shop, you can buy ‘gold coins,’ however, you don’t have to because you can gather plenty of them without spending a penny, just by playing and collecting them throughout your missions.
The game includes advertisements that might annoy some gamers. Luckily, you can choose to eliminate these ads permanently, but there’s a one-time fee associated with this feature.
Uniqueness
I find “2 Minutes in Space” to be quite an exceptional game. While it may not be groundbreaking within the mobile gaming genre, it certainly excels at providing a well-crafted, refined gameplay experience filled with strategic challenges that will keep you engaged and alert.
Even though the game came out in 2021, it continues to shine in today’s gaming environment because the focus is predominantly on narrative RPGs and Battle Royales. However, with its numerous environments and spaceships to explore, this title offers a unique experience that feels fresh each time you play.
Conclusion
Rarepixels has created an engaging, fun, and relatively well-balanced game that excels in essential player experience elements. Although the idea isn’t overly complex, the developers have masterfully implemented it to make the gameplay seem deceptively intricate.
2 Minutes in Space is a catchy and straightforward title, making it ideal for players who enjoy games that are easy to grasp and don’t demand extended playtime when you decide to play a quick round. I often find myself drawn to it during my spare moments because it does an excellent job of fulfilling those unexpected gaming cravings.
Despite the misleading title suggesting it only lasts a few minutes, the game actually allows you to endure longer periods, as shown by your rankings in the global leaderboards. What keeps me and other players engaged is the innate ambition to achieve high scores.
All things considered, I found 2 Minutes in Space truly delightful. As Rarepixels aims to produce top-tier mobile games, I believe they’re moving in the right direction with this title.
| Pros | Cons |
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Final Rating
Our final rating considers the game’s performance across six key areas. Namely, the areas are gameplay, performance, graphics / visual presentation, sound, uniqueness, and microtransactions.
Here is an overview of the scoring in each area:
| Gameplay | 28/30 |
| Performance | 19/20 |
| Graphics / Visual Presentation | 18/20 |
| Sound | 11/15 |
| Uniqueness | 3/5 |
| Microtransactions | 8/10 |
| Total Score | 87/100 |
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2024-09-16 16:01