Last Updated on Sep 22, 2026 @ 13:23:53 PM.
Have you ever wanted to go to the moon? I mean, who hasn’t? The majority of the human race has always had a sense of wonder with space, the moon, and really anything else in space that we can’t get to. While getting to the moon is unlikely for the majority of us, Lunar Strike from developer and publisher Cognition, is a pretty close second.
I was lucky enough to spend an hour with the game and the team behind it at Gamescom 2026. I wasn’t aware of it before the convention, but after it, I was quietly optimistic about it. There’s some issues at this earlier stage of development, as to be expected, but there’s also some shining moments of brilliance.
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Lunar Strike is More Than it Seems
Set in 2119, you’ll be taking on the role of a Junior Archivist, as he puts his feet on the Moon’s South Pole for the first time. Seeing and feeling the same emotions as our protagonist is something of a masterstroke, it has to be said. Between arguing with his longterm partner over video call about the ethics and motivations of the mission’s founder, you’ll be sent to explore the moon itself, which, I was told after the demo, is factually correct. Created to mimic the geography of the moon as it is right now, you’ll be able to walk on the surface of the moon knowing what you’re walking on in Lunar Strike is actually up there. As for human items, there’s the chance to find Armstrong’s boots, various items from the many historic landings, and more.
More than that, it’s also accurate in its science. Movement on the surface is limited as you’d expect. You will float, you will feel weightless. Your character isn’t about to run anywhere, so it’s just as well the game isn’t focused on combat, but more-so the story. Touted as a ‘single-player hard sci-fi narrative adventure set on the Moon’s South Pole’, the developers really pushed the envelope here, both in what is possible in gameplay, and how patient the player will be.
This is where one of the few issues appear in Lunar Strike. The demo I played had a section dedicated to moving between an outside base and the main base on the moon, meaning you’d be piloting the ‘spaceship’. Admittedly, I chose against the tutorial, instead focusing on the on-screen controls, but throughout the short journey before I careened into the surface of the moon and died, I had no real idea what was going on, with little to no feedback or even an idea if what I was doing was affecting the trajectory, speed and so on, of the ship. It’s something I said needed more feedback, so hopefully the final release has that.
A simple mechanic, perhaps, but one of my favourites I got to play around with was the oxygen tank system. You’re obviously wearing a spacesuit that feeds oxygen to you. Spend to long exploring the surface without replenishing your oxygen? Dead. It happened to me, and it’ll happen to a lot of players that get too interested and intrigued by what’s on offer. I was aware of the danger, but ignored it because I wanted to see what was behind that rock, and then that rock. You get the idea.
Lunar Strike has an overarching story that you wouldn’t believe until you play it, with sabotage, exploration, hard-hitting decisions and something going on I can’t talk about, but it’s not just any old space sim, although it definitely has plenty of that too.
Beyond that though, you’ll be in the shoes of the Archivist, making hard decisions that propel the story on. You can choose different dialogue options, which affect the characters around you and the story itself, and there are multiple endings on offer. You’ll be seeing some of the history of the moon, while having to obey the laws of physics and no real forgiving nature for it being a video game.
For your next read, check out our thoughts on Marvel’s Wolverine, or our Valor Mortis preview from Gamescom 2026.
Luke Addison is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thumb Wars. Having previously been a part of multiple outlets over the years, including building an entire gaming team from nothing to something, he thought it best to forge his own path and answer only to himself. As likely to be found playing the latest game as he is in the kitchen relaxing (by cooking), he always brings the same bold and brash attitude to everything he does, with a heavy leaning on sarcasm and dry wit!
