From Space

From Space is a 2022 co-op, twin-stick action shooter developed by Triangle Studios and published by Curve Games. Serving as a spiritual successor to the studio’s earlier 2015 title It Came From Space and Ate Our Brains, the game drops players into a vibrant, post-apocalyptic Earth that has been completely overrun by an endless horde of squishy, neon-pink aliens.

Taking a much lighter, cartoonish approach to the apocalyptic alien invasion trope, the game tasks you—either solo or with a squad of up to four players—with cleaning up the streets, completing varied objectives, and blasting the bubblegum-colored menace back to wherever they came from.

Gameplay

From Space combines classic top-down, twin-stick shooting with light RPG progression and horde-survival mechanics.

Key gameplay mechanics include:

• The Specialists: Rather than playing generic soldiers, players choose from a roster of specialized characters divided into classes (Attackers, Defenders, and Support). Each specialist comes with their own unique active abilities, passive traits, and starting weapons, heavily encouraging team synergy in co-op mode.
• Over-the-Top Arsenal: You start with basic gear, but rapidly scavenge and upgrade to a massive arsenal of destructive weaponry, including miniguns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and plasma cannons. You can also deploy tactical items like barbed wire, mines, and machine-gun turrets to lock down chokepoints.
• Perks and Progression: As you level up by exterminating aliens, you unlock new inventory slots and the ability to equip “Perks.” These allow you to fine-tune your specialist’s build, boosting your movement speed, increasing explosive damage, or enhancing your healing abilities to keep up with the increasingly difficult alien variants.
• The Influence System: Advancing the story requires you to lower the aliens’ “Influence” in specific sectors. Completing objectives and clearing out infestations drops their influence level, which physically makes the aliens in that zone weaker and easier to kill.
• Safe Zones: The game utilizes a checkpoint system via safe zones scattered across the maps. Here, players can safely swap their character class (retaining their overall experience), upgrade gear, and save their progress before heading back into the chaotic city streets.

Development and Legacy

Developed by Netherlands-based Triangle Studios, From Space was designed primarily to be a chaotic, accessible party game. The bright, low-poly art style was chosen specifically to keep the game family-friendly and readable when the screen becomes completely covered in pink alien goo and explosions.

Upon its initial launch on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia in November 2022, the game received a mixed-to-positive reception. Reviewers and players praised the highly satisfying gunplay, the chaotic energy of the 4-player co-op, and the diverse character classes.

However, it also faced some notable criticism. Because the game’s difficulty scales aggressively, playing it purely solo could be a frustrating and heavily unbalanced grind. Some players also noted that the mission structure (mostly fetching items or defending points) could become repetitive during longer play sessions. Despite this, it found a solid audience of co-op fans looking for a fun, mindless weekend shooter.

Following a year of updates and expansions on PC, the game successfully made the jump to PlayStation and Xbox consoles in late 2023, accompanied by the release of its massive, highly replayable Horde Mode update.

Key Features:

• Bubblegum Apocalypse — Fight through beautifully stylized, post-apocalyptic environments completely overrun by an army of squishy pink aliens.
• Squad Up — Play solo or assemble a squad of up to four players in drop-in/drop-out online co-op.
• Class-Based Combat — Choose from a diverse roster of Specialists, utilizing their unique skills and tactical gear to complement your team’s playstyle.
• Deep Progression — Level up to expand your inventory and equip game-changing perks to survive the escalating alien threat.
• Tactical Arsenal — Unleash absolute chaos using miniguns, rocket launchers, and deployable defenses to turn the pink horde into glowing splatters.

Release Platforms:

• Microsoft Windows (PC) — November 3, 2022
• Nintendo Switch — November 3, 2022
• Google Stadia — November 3, 2022 (Note: Stadia shut down shortly after in Jan 2023)
• PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 — October 12, 2023
• Xbox One / Xbox Series X/S — October 12, 2023