Who would Han Solo be without theMillennium Falcon? What wouldStrek Trekbe without theEnterprise? In sci-fi, the spacecraft become as much of a character as the actors themselves, and the same goes for video games.
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Whether it’s a lumbering, larger-than-life destroyer or a fighter that you’re able to nimbly pilot around the galaxy, one of the coolest aspects of sci-fi games has to be the spaceships. From retro classics to immersive, groundbreaking modern marvels, here are the coolest spaceships that have appeared throughout video game history.
10The Saucer - Destroy All Humans!
What list of spaceships would be complete without a classic Roswell-style saucer? In the retro-styledDestroy All Humans!series,the saucers are capable of doing everything that classic science fiction says - abduct people, drain the battery out of vehicles, and shoot lasers. In the game, it was also where players could extract DNA from the abducted humans and perform experiments that would help create better weapons. The franchise’s newest edition has just been released, to excellentreviews.
9Venture-Class Corvette - Wing Commander
Wing Commanderwas released in 1990 and helped usher in a new era of outer space gameplay. It was even awarded the 1991 Game of the Year award. In the game, the players are part of the Terran Confederation in the year 2654. The Terran’s Venture ships were equipped with laser cannons, heat-seeking missiles, and target-locking capabilities.Wing Commanderhelped change the face of gaming forever (and also created averypoorly received1999 film).
8Great Fox - Star Fox
TheGreat Foxwas first introduced inStarfox 64as the team’s home base. It was also a powerful battleship and aircraft carrier headed by General Pepper, the Commander in Chief of the Corneria Defense Force.
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Not only was the ship a powerful force in theStar Foxgames, but it has also appeared as a stage in everySuper Smash Bros.game in the franchise. Before theGreat Fox, the only mention to a “mothership” was a small space station inStar Fox 2. However, the station had no defense capabilities and was never seen in motion.
7Colonial Scout- EVERSPACE
In EVERSPACE, you traverse the wreckage of a galactic war. However, you quickly realize the war isn’t fully over. In the game, you choose from multiple ship types, the most unique being the scout. While the scout has the weakest armor of any of the fighters, it’s also the fastest and swiftest in the entire fleet. The scout also comes with an array of features the other ships don’t, like a cloaking device and the ability to teleport. It requires some training to get used to but proves to be the most exciting ship in the game. EVERSPACE has been called one of the bestsci-fi gamesin recent years, and its sequel is set to release in 2021.
6Outrider - Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Shadows of the Empiretakes place betweenEmpire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi, and follows mercenary Dash Rendar as he helps Luke Skywalker rescue Leia. In the game, his ship, theOutrider, will look familiar to anyStar Warsfan.
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That’s because is a YT light freighter, just like Solo’sMillenium Falcon. One of the highlights of the game is being able to fly through space in theOutrider, shooting down Imperial fighters. In 2019, the game received a remastered re-release with improved sound and graphics.
5SSV Normandy - Mass Effect
The SSVNormandyinMass Effectis a gamer favorite. The ship’s design looks like a futuristic Concorde, and is equipped with a wide array of features, including a powerful stealth system, lasers, kinetic shields, and a heavy-duty cannon. The ship also carries the team’s M35Mako, a highly agile tank used for ground battles. TheNormandyis destroyed at the start ofMass Effect 2by a surprise attack, and its successor, theNormandy SR-2,is used throughout the rest of the game.
The massive mining vessel, theIshimura, was known as a “planet cracker” for its ability to mine and smelt entire asteroids, moons, and planets. On top of the mining efforts, theIshimurahad a large medical section used for treating ailments as well as experimental research.
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At the start ofDead Space, theIshimurais boarded by an infector, a parasitic alien that spreads the necromorph contagion in order to infect more bodies to keep the virus alive. TheIshimurais the setting ofDead Spaceand numerous chapters ofDead Space 2.
3Protoss Carrier - StarCraft
Carriers act as giant flying aircraft carriers, and hold a fleet of fighter drones called interceptors. One of the coolest things inStarCraftis building an army of carriers that can unleash a flurry of interceptor attacks. In the original PC games, a fleet of carriers could cause so much carnage that it would actually cause the game to lag. Despite Terrans being the most popular race in theStarCraftgames, the Protoss Carrier is by far fans' favorite ship in the entireseries.
2Samus Aran’s Gunship - Metroid Series
Surprisingly,Samus' ship never had an official name. Even more surprising, the ship was not featured in the originalMetroidgame for Nintendo, but was first introduced in the Game Boy sequelMetroid II: Return of Samus. In the beginning, the ship served mostly as a prop.
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But as the games continued, the ship’s role grew bigger and bigger. The ship’s design is very much Nintendo, choosing smooth edges and a cartoonish approach rather than aiming for gritty realism.
1UNSC Pillar of Autumn - Halo
At the start of the firstHalogame, thePillar of Autumnexits slipspace and discovers a giant ringworld. The Covenant quickly begin battering the ship, causing the crew to evacuate onto the world.The Pillar of Autumnquickly became a favorite among fans, not only for its immense size and awesome design but also for the importance it holds in the game. to destroy the Halo, the crashedPillar of Autumnneeds to be detonated.
Luckily for fans, the ship returned in the prequelHalo: Reach. The ship itself carried the UNSC throughout space, housed the Pelican dropships and Warthog jeeps, and was outfitted with an impressive defensive armament.
