Games with a 2001 or Moon vibe?

[DraQ]

Not to sound like an ungrateful ass, but I'd prefer action and adventure games to strategy games. I guess the personal stories as opposed to a grand setting is why I really love the movies listed, and I'm looking for a similar experience in a game.

The Dig looks really cool. System Shock is great as well, but not exactly what I meant. Same goes for Alpha Centauri.

I couldn't stand the sluggish controls and the camera of Dead Space. It's more Event Horizon than Space Odyssey anyway, it seems.

The only good thing to come of Moonbase Alpha is this video.

Thanks for the recommendations, though! I'll check some of these out.

FE2 and FFE are simulators and procedural sandboxes, so they aren't the best way to look for personal stories, but they do keep up a close perspective - there is just your ship and yourself, and you're flying around engaging in whatever activity you desire/find profitable.

The atmosphere is quite 2001 like - there is even obvious tribute to it in form of Blue Danube playing during docking sequences which are also very similar to the one from the movie. Solar systems are generally astronomically correct - while combat is generally conducted with lasers over the distance of several km (missiles can hit much more distant targets, but they are limited in supply and there are many ways to avoid them), the in system travel distances are measured in AU (often tens of AU), astronomical bodies follow their orbital paths, and typical mode of travel is accelerate for many days, then start braking long before you can even visually distinguish the planet you want to land on from stars.

Nexus is a tactical game, but it's pretty character driven and you're generally just ordering your ship plus up to several other ships around - no massive battles with tons of expendable units. The atmosphere and ship design in game is very Odyssey-like. Later it degrades quite a bit (because developers cannot into aliens), but still has enough highlights and awesome to pull you through.

Lastly, I'd recommend Homeworld 1. It's an RTS, but it is strongly story-driven and has very personal touch despite not really having much in terms of actual characters (an interesting achievement, BTW). It's not Space Odyssey like for most of the time, but it's somewhat Odyssey in space like (if you excuse me), and the space in it does feel like space.

 

[Trash]

Bioforge from the awesome late Origin might have some of what you look for. It's more die hard in space than 2001 though. Then again, any game that lets you beat your fellow captive to death with his own severed arm wins in my book.

Other than that do try the Dig. It's great.