Since the advent of online gaming, it’s become increasingly difficult to find titles that allow you to sit on the couch with a couple of friends and play a game together, rather than playing online with each player in their respective homes. Recently, though, with titles such as Towerfall Ascension and Battleblock Theatre, it’s becoming easier to download games that allow you to play locally. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a game that is designed around co-op play more than being a solo adventure, and really requires two players to be enjoyed fully.
The general premise of Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is that a machine built to harness the power of love, the Ardor Reactor, has allowed the force of Anti-Love to seep into the galaxy. Controlling one of a selection of Lovers, players are tasked with rescuing Cosmic Bunnies to restore harmony to the galaxy. This isn’t a simple task, though, as players are required to control multiple aspects of their spaceships, including engines, shields, navigation and gun turrets, all of which must be physically manned to be controlled. If you’re playing solo, you can command your pet to man a particular post, but it’s a much more intuitive system if you have two human players, as they can change systems on the fly.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime proves to be quite a stressful experience at times, whether playing by yourself or with a partner, but for different reasons. Solo play requires you to be aware of the positions of both your own avatar and your pet and deciding the best positions for each character. Co-op will instead see the two players frantically discussing where each other should be, as planning tends to go out of the window once enemies are encountered. It’s a fast-paced, exciting experience that will have your heart racing for much of your time with the game.
Looking at the game, you wouldn’t expect it to be quite such a high-stakes experience. Bright colors and adorable characters would likely lead the casual observer to judge the game as a relaxing title, and character names such as Dr. Hopsy-Flopsy go a long way to promoting this frame of mind. Even the end of chapter bosses are fun to look at, with the forces of Anti-Love causing constellations to come alive, such as the bear encountered at the end of Ursa Major, the first sequence of levels in the game.
Levels in Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime are split into two main types – exploration and wave-based. Exploration levels require players to find enough Cosmic Bunnies to open a heart-shaped portal to the next level, which wave-based sequences see your ship remain stationary, but waves of enemies approach and need to be destroyed to advance. Cosmic Bunnies are not only required to advance in levels, as they also contribute to your overall rank, which can allow you to unlock upgrades for your ships, such as being able to use extra power-ups and even unlocking different models of ships, each with their own particular strengths.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime isn’t the type of game that I can see many people sitting down to play by themselves in order to play through from start to finish, but for those looking for a game to play when friends come over, you could do a lot worse. It’s a fast-paced and enjoyable experience that will definitely see some light-hearted banter shared between the two players, and the adorable visuals on show go a long way to defusing any potentially vicious arguments. Decisions need to be made on the fly and there often isn’t much of a chance to plan your approach to a target in advance, but it’s likely that you’ll see an hour or two fly by before you realize it. Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a game that almost requires two players to truly enjoy, but if you’ve got friends to play locally with, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an experience that provides quite as much adrenaline and enjoyment.
