5 Games With Big Space Stations You Can Freely Explore

Space stations are some of the most unique environments people can explore in any medium. The idea of space travel becoming so prominent that humans can set up space stations to make their exploration of the great unknown easier to handle is certainly a tempting prospect that deserves to be talked about, and then some.

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There are many great sci-fi games that do a great job of incorporating massive space stations that are beautiful to behold. Of course, while some of these space stations can feel rather horrific if they’re desolate and full of monsters, there are many other interpretations of space stations that don’t necessarily need to be terrifying and end up being a blast to explore as both humans and aliens try to share the same habitat together.

5 Mass Effect

The Citadel

Commander Shepard’s story in the original Mass Effect trilogy is one of the greatest video game experiences that anyone can subject themselves to. The lore of the world is incredible and players can spend hours upon hours just exploring the Citadel in these games and seeing how different alien lifeforms try to co-exist in harmony, which is easier said than done.

Still, barring the xenophobia that is rife in the game, the Citadel is one of the best space stations in video game history that players are intimately familiar with. It plays a huge role in the main story and has numerous side quests that players can engage with, if they wish.

4 System Shock

Citadel Station

The remake of System Shock was very much welcomed by the masses who wanted to sink their teeth into an immersive sim with horror elements set in space. System Shock 2 is hailed by many as one of the greatest games in the genre, and many people weren’t able to experience the first game because of how dated the control scheme was.

The System Shock remake addressed all these issues by modernizing the title’s gameplay without losing the core of what made the first System Shock such a special gem. There may be issues when it comes to the overstuffed level design and the insistence on adapting the more dated aspects of the first game, but that’s a small price to pay for this impressive remake of a classic title.

3 Prey

Talos 1

No one expected the reboot of Prey to be such a masterpiece, but that’s what people get for underestimating Arkane Studios. The masters of immersive sims have made a name for themselves by crafting magical video game experiences that fans just can’t get enough of, and Prey combines their excellence in this genre with the horrors that come from being trapped in a vast, abandoned space station that’s been invaded by aliens.

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Prey‘s ending may not stick the landing for some, but the journey is truly mesmerizing from start to end. The Typhon is a pretty tough threat to deal with at times, and players need to be on their toes if they don’t want to be jump-scared by the many mimics that will try and ambush them while exploring the desolate halls of Talos 1.

2 Alien: Isolation

Sevastopol Station

Most games based on movies don’t really end up being all that great for a bevy of reasons. More often than not, these titles are developed solely to cash in on the marketing hype and don’t really feature any interesting gameplay loops. Thankfully, Alien: Isolation is a great example of what a game can achieve if it focuses on doing justice to the world it’s inspired by.

The Sevastopol Station is one of the more engaging space stations that players will explore in a video game, in no small part because of how immersive this title really is. Fighting humanoid enemies is pretty challenging as is, but things take a turn for the worse when the feared Xenomorph makes an appearance, hunting Amanda down and forcing her to hide and avoid the brutal deaths she would be subjected to if the alien catches up to her.

1 The Outer Worlds

Groundbreaker

The Outer Worlds is an AA sci-fi RPG by Obsidian Entertainment that marks the start of something special. While some people were expecting something on the scale of New Vegas, that would’ve been impossible given the smaller budget of this title. Still, The Outer Worlds is a great testament to what developers with passion can achieve while developing a massive role-playing game that lets players enjoy a spacefaring adventure for the ages.

There are many locations that players can explore in the games, including a space station that used to be a colony ship called Groundbreaker. This area is rife with many unique areas and quests, making it a highlight in a game that is chock-full of many memorable locations.

Special Mention: The USG Ishimura – Dead Space (2023)

The remake of Dead Space was divisive for most fans, who didn’t feel like the game needed this special treatment. Despite the many years that have passed, the original Dead Space still looks great and is absolutely dripping with atmosphere. So, many fans were glad to see that 2023’s Dead Space not only did justice to the legacy of the original but expanded on it as well.

The USG Ishimura is such a massive ship that most people can easily mistake it for a space station! With some of the levels and environments of this desolate ship being expanded in the remake, the mining ship has never been this terrifying to explore. Players have to really watch out for themselves at every corner as they explore these desolate halls and figure out the mystery of why its crew members have been completely eradicated.

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