Astroneer first dropped onto my radar a couple of months ago and I’ve been eagerly awaiting its launch ever since. Like we mentioned on the podcast, an early access version of the game was released on Friday for Steam and Xbox, so I finally got to give it a try. I’ve only played a half hour so far, but I was immediately impressed. The visuals on my starting planet are stunning, with beautiful colors that just beg you to explore. This exploration, of course, led to my almost immediate asphyxiation.

After recovering my body (and supplies) I was able to figure out quickly how power, oxygen, resource gathering and base building work. It’s a simple system, but one that works really well, especially if you are playing with a controller on the Xbox like I was. But as it stands, I can’t wait to continue building out my base, shaping my planet and giving the multiplayer a try.