Been looking for a buggier, 3d version of Sid Meier's Pirates! Well look no further mates. This game is by far the pinnacle of the handful of video games that cover the golden age of piracy. What makes this game so good? Well, like Pirates! You have complete freedom. (Assuming you don't choose the Peter Blood start which, like most of the 'quests' is a truly terrible representation of the game.) Imagine a game like Elite Dangerous, or EVE, You are the captain of your own destiny and fate. Your decisions will make or break you. Its a unique feeling. In few other games will you have to micrmanage your ship and crew. To decide what kind of Captain you are going to be. Load up on goods and cargo and trade? Perhaps charter your ship out to shops, and ferry their goods within a time limit for massive profits? Perhaps things went badly and your trades all went belly up. You accidentally took illegal goods into port and the law is coming after you? Or maybe you just want to declare war upon the world. Attacking merchants and navy ships and becoming the kind of monster that Blackbeard would have feared. This game lets you live a second life. It lets you have a true adventure around the carribbean. Its also incredibly difficult. Learning the awful UI takes persistance. Learning the basic act of sailing requires even more. Mastering the ship to ship combat, and then fencing? Good luck. But weeks after you install it, and you have that shiny new 4th rate Frigate, and you are sailing into the port in Grand Turks to offload your ill-gotten goods, a few thoughts will occur to you. Maybe I should dump this chainshot, and pick up some more grapeshot? I mean really, raising the black is more satisfying than trading. Perhaps I should hire some more crew to make boarding easier? Wait... no... really I should get a better sword for duals. That's the moment when you realize your freedom. When this game shines. Also. Gentleman of Fortune Mod is pretty much required. Google it.
Own this game on steam, and it is FANTASTIC. The problem with the modern space sim, is that it finds itself caught up in trying to cater to two different audiences. There are people who just want SPAAACE and all that it entails. Those guys who like to fly around and look at nebulas and stuff. Then there are people who just want a sandbox to play around in. Rebel Galaxy steps it up a notch. It may seem streamlined and 'dumbed' down in comparison to the standing heavyweights like Starpoint Gemini 2, X3:Terran Conflict and Freelancer, but it outshines them all in one aspect. FUN. SPG2 couldn't get immersion right. X3:TC couldn't get entertainment and story right. Freelancer couldn't quite get challenge or ease of use right. Rebel Galaxy knocks it out of the park. Where Evochron Mercenary felt lifeless, this game has it in SPADES. Talking to bartenders, other pilots, and your enemies never gets old. Its similar to the X series where you can just hail other pilots and discuss trades, events, or things like that. Getting a tip on a sweet deal on the edge of the star system never gets old. The game has procedurally generated galaxies, and each system feels BIG. I think they feel alot more alive and interesting then the ones in X3 or SPG2, mainly because it feels like SPACE. Those titles had so much STUFF in their systems I honestly felt like I was in an overcrowded fish tank. Combat is enjoyable, but restricted to a horizontal playing field. You feel like a car...until you master combat. Being in a massive capital ship you have turrets, broadside cannons, and various other things. I don't think it would be as fun on a 3D playing field. Graphically its very good looking, and the story is actually quite good! It rivals Freelancer's from what I've seen, and it blows SPG2 and X3's out of the water. My only worry is a lack of buyable ships (Easily under 20, depending on what factions you work with) and a lack of factional gameplay. GET. THIS GAME!
