The Space Force is all but certain now and countless veterans want to “re-up” just so they could go into space. Shy of the 536 people who have completed a sub-orbital flight, no one really knows what it’s like. That’s where pop culture and video games come in.
Okay. At the current time, we probably won’t be encountering any alien lifeforms in our lifetime. Chances are highly likely that just because you joined the Space Force doesn’t mean that you’ll go into space. I can almost say for certain that most of the Space Force would just be sitting at a desk and watching satellites in orbit.
These games offer some of the more realistic looks at a potential Space Force — even if it’s just because the aspects of the game are so great.
The aliens you bring into your crew are basically contractors anyways.
(Bioware)
Mass Effect
The most critically-acclaimed game on this list has got to be Mass Effect and the original trilogy. Mass Effect is a sci-fi shooter RPG where the player explores the Milky Way Galaxy as the first human Spectre (essentially Special Ops of the galactic council.)
Aside from all space monster fighting and sleeping around with blue-skinned aliens, the game does give a good look at how the military would be structured in space. The humans made their presence known on a galactic scale and it mirrors how the modern Navy operates today.
It could also simulate the stakes involved since you’ll lose months of game play if your ship is destroyed.
(CCP Games)
EVE Online
There’s only been one MMO to stand against WoW’s domination of the genre and that’s the space-based EVE Online. Its focus is much more on the player interactions than a spoon-fed experience from the game developers. If players want to organize a massive 7,548 player battle that took 21 hours to play and an estimated real-world value of 0,000, they can.
The take away that potential Space cadets could learn is how troops would interact in the vast nothingness of space.
If you thought sweeping the dirt in Iraq was bad, just wait until you’re in space!
(Keen Software House)
Space Engineers
Onto the more grounded games on this list. Space Engineers is a sandbox simulator set in space. Think Roller Coaster Tycoon with astronauts. The focus of the game is to set up mines and science labs on asteroids and distant planets. To its credit, it takes in a lot of physical limitations into account.
This game is a fantastic look at what Space Force troops would be doing until it’s time to fight on the moon.
God speed, you magnificent bastard.
(Squad Games)
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal is a deceptively deep game. You just create rockets and launch them into space. It seems goofy at first until you realize they got the physics of getting into space down so accurately that it’s grabbed the interest of NASA and SpaceX.
For the 90% of the Space Force troops who are stuck on this boring blue marble, this game will probably be true to your inevitable supporting role for actual astronauts.
Real pilots practice on simulators. You could too!
(Martin Schweiger)
Orbiter
If flight simulators are more of your thing, the Orbiter is for you. You pilot real-life space shuttles in a completely true-to-life simulator. About the only real effect not taken into account in this game is time dilation because, you know, it’s just a game and you’re still on Earth.
This simulator was created at the University College London for astrophysicists. It could also be used and played by the general public for free. To download the game, click this link here.
I mean, if you played this game on the Atari, get ready to play this in real life.
(Atari Inc.)
Missile Command
Let’s be real though. Everyone is losing their minds about the potential to go into space and to live out all of their childhood dreams. But the purpose of the United States Space Force is to protect America and her interests in space. The most realistic threat that the Space Force would face is an ICBM from enemy nations.
Shooting down missiles is about the most exciting thing Space Force troops will deal with.