Rebel Galaxy

This is an interesting Space Shooter, which reminds a bit of the 30 year old 8-bit game "ELITE". It has the same starting parameters: the player is entrusted with a little second-hand raft from a lost relative, told some background story, and sent on his way. One can then choose whatever path one wishes to follow: piracy, bounty hunting, trade, smuggling, mining, the same options as in ELITE. And as one makes money, one can of course upgrade the ship's systems, or even replace the ship with a different model altogether. And that's where the similarities end. Unlike in ELITE, there is more story, even while you're already playing. You're sent on a mission to find your lost relative, and meet all kinds of shady characters on the way. Also, unlike in ELITE, ships in Rebel Galaxy are not represented by wire mesh models. And there is so much more than just ships: all kinds of space stations, debris fields, asteroid fields, planets, gas clouds, plasma storms... you name it, the game provides. And beautifully crafted at that. One thing I miss, though: space is just a flat disc. No up or down, but just left, right, forward and back. And sometimes, that makes it hard to target ships that pass over or under you, even though they don't seem to have any problems targeting you! Another thing I miss: sometimes, I would like to be able to selectively dump certain items in space. Like sometimes the tractor beam might accidentally pick up some unwanted contrabande. Then I want to be able to dump it, to avoid getting into trouble with authorities. Or if my hold is packed with Nuts and Bolts, and I want to make room for some crates of Gold floating around... Anyway, one cannot have everything. In this day and age, for those who fondly remember ELITE from all those many years ago, Rebel Galaxy is the good stuff!

I cut my teeth on Elite way back in the good old days of the Commodore 64 (yes, I am that old), and I dread to think how many hours I clocked up (or how many times I was woken up at 4am with a friend hammering on my flat door begging me to dock because his docking computer had been shot out - you listening Cactus Kid?) After the, i settled back into other genres of games, but kept trying to find a good space game to play, only to get lost with the controls, helplessly lost in space, and pathetically blown up within the first hour. For someone who just wanted to hop into a spaceship, get out there and run missions without panicking about what key I need to press next, they were all a bit beyond me. Then I got this as a freebie as part of a sale, and thought, what the hell, give it a go. Needless to say, the game I bought has been shelved and I'm hooked. The music!!! Wow the music! So different to any other game, and really fits in with the game too, wish there was a soundtrack i could pinch. The controls are sinle, and yes, you're stuck on an X-Axis, but that doesn't detract from it, in fact, it makes the game just that bit more playable as far as i'm concerned, as i can concentrate on speed, targeting, missions, staying alive. If you want strategy, I'd guess you need to look elsewhere, but as an immersive, fun to play game with great graphics, brilliant voice active, engaging story, I don't think you could go wrong. Seriously, give it a try

What was the other game bought to receive this as free? I don't remember, I've played only to Rebel Galaxy. It's very addictive, roaming free trying to avoid problems or jump into battle with the first ship you'll see. I miss the 3rd dimension, but there are enough things to worry about to forget this little weakness.

RG started out very promisingly, especially since I love the truckers-in-space aesthetic. The system you start in ramps up well, but after you leave it becomes incredibly grindy. There is tech scaling, so basically the highest type of tech you have, even if you only have one, influences the level of enemies that appear. I suddenly found myself getting smashed instantly. And it's like this every tech tier. There is no steady ramp up now, it's like climbing rungs of a ladder and it's painful. Doesn't that sort of go against the point of grind mechanics? Money making gets especially difficult later on. I've read that there are tricks such as mining certain things, but I haven't had luck at all with those drops. The 2D plane feels a bit limiting if you prefer other space titles, but it does simplify things a lot. Basically a lot of this game feels like simplified systems of other games like Master of Orion. Trade is pretty basic and there aren't too many resources to keep track of. Various events and blockades can affect the value of things. Combat is quite fun, visually reminding of Homeworld games and there can be a lot of ways to approach combat. However, the aforementioned level hurdles usually mean you get into quick wins or quick losses. It can be frustrating to have to fly all the way out for a mission that says "Low risk" and then get annihilated on arrival because it turns out the enemies are far more numerous and better equipped than it would suggest. Overall Rebel Galaxy is fun at the beginning and I still feel intrigued enough by the story to keep playing. However my enthusiasm has waned significantly due to constantly increasing grind times. A good game should manage grinding without forcing players to stay away from the plot for hours upon hours not of their own accord. If you dislike grinds, this will probably turn you away. But I got this game for free, so my disappointment is curbed.

I got it free at sale, so i expected nothing. But it was much more. Great fun for 10h. There is not many spaceprivateer games. And this one has preatty graphic, and smooth action combat. Game offers some varietty, we can can mine asteroids, run transports for the guild, hunt pirates, or attack innocent traders. There is also story, which is ok as narration. There is not much problem with the game, however it leaves with need for more. The trading system could be better, and easier to use. The variety of ships and weapons could be more balanced. There could be more storyquests. More content. However, if game leaves with need for more, that is good sign.