Others have put it more succintly than I ever could - let me keep this short. Starcom Nexus was a mindblowing surprise, an exploration-themed game I always wanted, but never hoped I would actually encounter. And getting a sequel to it is simply a treat. Both games being inspired by Star Trek is plain to see - the good Star Trek, mind you. You know - exploring strange new worlds, meeting various aliens, investigating anomalies and artifacts, solving the odd mystery here and there... and a good bit of pew pew when diplomacy fails, of course. I'm already renting Unknown Space on Steam, but this kind of a game I gladly buy a second time to not only support the dev, but also to ensure I won't lose access to it. P.S. I also miss our dear old friend, the axial ultragun. It just isn't the same without it.
Long story short - it's unfinished. Or at least, it feels that way. The second chapter is markedly shorter than the first one, and the third is a (exceedingly buggy) joke compared to the first. The map function was obviously removed to help hide this fact. The gameplay isn't that bad, once you get used to (as in, figure out how to deal with, or exploit around) the nonsense Graven keeps throwing at you. But many people don't, understandably, have the patience to deal with ill-designed BS. In its current state, would only recommend buying at at least 70% discount. If the second and third chapters would match the scale and complexity of the first one, I'd be quite content with buying Graven and would even cautiously recommend it. But they don't, so I consider myself ripped off. Lesson learned - wait for the full release next time.
