Yeah, how good we were at the previous games probably colors a lot of the impressions. By the time StarCon2 came out, I was really good at melee thanks to the original Star Control. And by the time StarCon3 came out, I was god-like.
The most recent game that currently colors my perception the most is Galak-Z. If you haven’t played that, put it on your wishlist right now! It’s got the best 2D space combat I’ve ever experienced. Honestly, I was hoping Star Control: Origins would have the feel of the physics/collision/control of Galak-Z mixed with the ship variety of a Star Control game.
Edit: Good point about the lack of audio feedback when you get hit. That’s a big part of why this feels kind of limp. Also, running into asteroids kills your crew as well, even though the collisions look kind of benign on the screen. Maybe better, more devastating audio feedback is required there was well.