Homeworld Bound
Ixionstarts by asking the question “What ifHomeworldwas a management sim?”.
Also like Homeworld, it’s a darned stylish thing.
Welcome to the Tiqqun, Administrator.
Your long journey starts here.
Naturally, when you turn the key in the ignition, something goes wrong.
From here, you have two basic goals.
In play, Ixion is split into three separate, yet interconnected layers.
This is where Ixion most closely resembles a standard management sim.
But Ixion’s tweaks adds a couple of wrinkles.
The Tiqqun may be huge, but its interior is still finite.
Each sector is operationally independent, but most will rely on other sectors to provide them with specific resources.
The other notable wrinkle is the crew itself.
Since you’re stranded in space, your workforce is initially limited.
At this layer alone, Ixion is a perfectly decent management sim.
The portrayal of life aboard the Tiqqun is a little sterile, however.
Buildings bear a reasonable amount of detail, but your human workers wander aimlessly along pathways.
It’s a far cry from the intricate, characterful animation of the Two Point series.
This isn’t too much of a problem, though, because most of Ixion’s personality lies elsewhere.
The second layer is the station exterior, which mechanically is far simpler than the interior.
It’s worth visiting occasionally, though, for its glorious space vistas.
“Ships, you say?”
Well, fellow traveller, let me introduce you to the third layer of Ixion the planetary layer!
Meanwhile these micro-stories are playing out to the backdrop of the grander narrative.
Ixion’s sci-fi storytelling effectively captures the eerie, and passively hostile nature of space.
It’s a captivating story that lends your day-to-day management of the station a real sense of purpose.
Moving from one chapter to the next can be a bit of a chore, though.
This aside, however, Ixion is a properly great blend of management sim and sci-fi storytelling.
