ZeroSpace early access review: ambitious RTS-RPG with a Helldivers 2-style Galactic War, held back by streamer gimmicks

ZeroSpace, the new RTS from Starlance Studios, just hit early access — and it's one of the more ambitious genre entries in years, blending StarCraft 2-style basebuilding with a Mass Effect-flavored RPG campaign and a Helldivers 2-inspired Galactic War system. The cautious optimism is warranted, but so are the caveats.

The campaign is the headline feature, and in its current alpha state it's a solid if underbaked foundation. The setup is generic — humanity needs a rare resource, horrible aliens are in the way — but ZeroSpace quickly layers in crew friction and murky political intrigue that makes you distrust your own superiors. Writing and performances are workmanlike, and the cast hasn't earned much emotional investment yet, but the cinematic RPG bones are there. Between missions you chat with crewmates, level up allies who fight alongside you, and spend resources on troop and building upgrades. One standout synergy: extending jetpack range on basic troops while buffing their landing damage, essentially building Warhammer 40K-style assault marines. The mission structure echoes StarCraft 2 in objective variety and story integration, but it's noticeably more streamlined — micromanagement is light, the pace stays fast, and a clever battle-line drawing tool lets you snap units into formation or cover positions instantly. That last feature is a smart evolution of the cover system Relic pioneered. Outside the campaign, early access includes comp-stomps, co-op survival, and 1v1 and 2v2 PvP. The UI is ugly and functional at best, and when oversized units, tiny soldiers, and alien swarms fill the screen simultaneously, the lack of visual clarity becomes a real problem. Homeworld artist and Relic co-founder Aaron Kambeitz is leading an art overhaul, but it isn't there yet — the aesthetic reads as Mass Effect meets StarCraft 2 on a budget, with only ship and vehicle design standing out.

ZeroSpace arrives in a genre still bruised by Stormgate's troubled launch, which makes every ambitious RTS a harder sell. Starlance is clearly swinging for something bigger than a straight StarCraft clone — the Galactic War layer in particular, drawing from Helldivers 2's dynamic community-driven conflict, is the kind of systemic ambition the RTS genre rarely attempts. The RPG campaign angle also puts it in rare company; most modern RTS games have abandoned deep single-player storytelling entirely.

The streamer-pandering elements — not fully detailed in the reviewed build — are flagged as a genuine disappointment, the kind of feature that can undercut an otherwise earnest game's credibility with its core audience. Whether Starlance irons out the UI, sharpens the art direction, and delivers on the Galactic War's promise will determine if ZeroSpace becomes a landmark or another cautionary tale.