Ixion review: A coming-of-age space-management simulator that excels in many areas

Ixion is one of several space-themed titles released in December to provide opportunities to sci-fi lovers like me. However, it is very different from Warhammer Darktide or The Callisto Protocol, and I am extremely thankful for that.

Over the years, I have played countless space-based games like Everspace, Homeworld, and No Man's Sky. RTS is a genre that has seen plenty of valuable additions over the last two decades. One question had always plagued my mind - what if there's a space game that involves management?

It has taken me until the last month of 2022 to finally have my dream come true. But how good is Ixion? Is it a flux or does it deliver on what it's meant to do? Over the last two weeks, I’ve had a good time testing out all the nitty-grittys of the game.

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Ixion is an amalgamation of unique concepts but needs some strong improvements

In many ways, Ixion does what the developers want it to do. It's the perfect marriage of a management-simulator combined with survival and exploration elements. The game does play the different roles well and provides a wholesome experience.

There will always be some criticism, which is no different in this case. Some of the problems did well to test my patience, and I hope future patches will remove them. That being said, the title performs well in most regards, and has given me hours of happiness in achieving my dream on the virtual screen.

Exploring the plot

You're in charge of the Tiqqun, a massive spaceship in every sense of the word. Fitted with a gigantic VOHLE drive, Tiqqun is mankind's next hope, and you're the ringleader. Ixion puts players in charge of an administrator whose job is to find the next habitable planet.

A gigantic ship with six different sectors and self-sustaining abilities. Honestly, what could go wrong? Well, a lot, and you will find that out very soon once your journey begins. Whatever plans you have will go down the drain as it will soon become a battle of balance and survival.

Strangely, I didn't expect a story in Ixion, and it was surprising to find one. The plot felt quite gripping due to the suspense created by the all the Black Swan events. It made me realize very soon that everything wasn't in my control. While some of those things were easier to manage, others made my life incredibly difficult.

Management

Essentially, Ixion has three important roles - the ship's management, construction, and exploration. The first part involves the ship's interior, which isn't finite. At first, it appears like a vast space as six different chambers comprise the entire ship.

Each chamber will soon start filling out the different constructions required to bring the ship back on track. It's essential to maintain diversity in each area to ensure a balance because it will otherwise lead to a disaster.

To run your ship, you must manage the crew, which needs to be improved upon. Considering Ixion's requirements, the workers should at least resemble workers with their movements. However, a bigger problem is the number of constant random accidents.

After a certain amount of time, these accidents will become major headaches as they will start hindering your progress. Their frequency needs to be toned down, as their current rates are too high for my liking. Along with humans, there is automation to take advantage of as well.

Overall, the management feels quite satisfying, though it can get irritating at times.

Construction

The construction part of Ixion is quite simple and deals with the outside of the ship. While simple, it is important in ensuring the ship's smooth passage. It will unlock more construction as you move through the story. Due to the 3D graphics, the exterior of the ships looks quite cool.

Regarding exteriors, Ixion has outdone itself in the traveling part, which is the overall goal. As the Tiqqun jumps from one system to another, you can witness different star systems that can be found. With a detailed generation of each system, I got nostalgic RTS vibes.

Exploring is also important to earn different resources, as you will encounter many such things on your journey. Carefully assigning the crew to mine them properly will be crucial at times, especially when some stocks are running low.

I also found the particular scenarios interesting where I had to choose between a few options. While some of those decisions were trivial, others carried more weight in ensuring that my ship survived.

Balance is a core part of the game, as overdoing one aspect will lead to lopsided results. The game ensures that such decisions will result in grave outcomes, which is nice.

Performance

I did find a major bug that prevented me from rotating the buildings. This is a major issue since connecting them to pathways is mandatory in Ixion. Thankfully, it was resolved before the full release, and I haven't encountered any.

The performance feels well-optimized and stable, and Kasebo Games gets full marks in this regard. It remains to be seen if there will be any improvements in this department in the future, but the game is smooth and playable.

In conclusion

December has seen some big releases, yet Ixion held my interest for a significant amount of time. Yes, the accidents are very frustrating and should be reduced. Yes, workers sometimes act cluelessly, and there should be an easier way to manage them. The emphasis on timed decision-making and certain work assignments felt forced and made me feel coerced to a certain extent.

Yet, Ixion has plenty of potential when it comes to the content it offers. While many developers have gone down the path of RTS, creating a full-blown management-sim in space is unique. Management is its strongest point, and it builds on the formula created by other successful titles like Frostpunk, for example.

The Tiqqun quickly develops into a home from a mere ship, but it's a one that regularly runs into trouble. While you will have relative freedom with your decisions, some require efficiency and timeliness. Carefully curating the needs and work of the crew will be vital.

Ixion, despite some problems, became a memorable management-sim in my library, and was well worth the time and effort.