I've watched this game change from the absolute nightmare of a dumpster fire it was at launch into what it is today, and I can see a kind of value in it that is mostly nonexistent in big titles. I won't elaborate on the 2016 debacle or the years that followed, everyone's heard the story at this point. What I will say is that the amount of dedication that has gone (and as of writing, is still going) into its development goes far beyond what I've come to expect of modern games, and I appreciate it despite my gripes with the product itself. The game's content isn't really gold medal material in my opinion, but it's nothing to sneeze at either. If you're the type who enjoys finding yourself something to do with the environment you're provided, instead of endlessly checking off a list of activities imposed by others with no room for creativity, then you'll be spending plenty of hours in this game. As for how long it'll be before you get bored and put it off, I can't tell you. The experience can vary massively. One thing I certainly recommend is playing the old versions as well, if you have the means. I've met several new players who didn't know anything about the gameplay's evolution, and I could almost see the surprise on their faces when I told them just how much of the game's current content simply didn't exist years ago. I guarantee you'll see it differently once you've felt what it was like to not have all of those improvements. So why only 3 stars? The developers, despite their dedication, have a history of neglecting aging content, and the older the feature the worse it gets. Many ridiculously glaring bugs introduced as far back as 2018 sat unfixed for years despite being reported repeatedly, gradually compounding and becoming more and more absurd. Many were fixed... in 2023, and some are still broken! Little things you won't even notice unless you pay close attention, but after you've spotted them once, you always will. In short, do try it. It's pretty good.
The end goal amounts to world domination, but you can go about it as you please. The only real restriction is your wallet, which you can fill through trade, rewards or violence, and you'll find yourself emptying it regularly in order to upgrade your vehicle and survive beyond the tutorial. You get to decide the general attitude and equipment of your clan, but it isn't possible (or necessary) to micromanage it. The clan mechanics also apply between NPCs, so the political situation in the sectors can change significantly without warning. Having played the first title will allow you to understand the world more easily from the get-go, but it's not required. The information you receive throughout the game provides a good enough recap. As for how the story is presented to the player, you *will* be confused sometimes. This game suffers - albeit less so - from the same mistranslation issues as the first one. There's the occasional odd phrasing and inconsistent naming, but it's fully understandable as a whole. The visuals are about as good as can be expected of a game from 2007. Many things are largely the same as the first one. While it takes some help from your imagination to fill in the blanks, the environments are unique and well-crafted overall, and the experience can be memorable. Unfortunately, actually playing the game is a challenge in and of itself. It crashes and locks up about as often as stereotypically modded Skyrim, and unless you're playing in borderless mode you'll be forced to Ctrl+Alt+Del and sign out. Windows 10 isn't to blame, either; it won't run any better on XP. A nasty bug can cause your glider to accelerate, spin and bounce out of control until it smashes into the edge of the map. Rare, but infuriating. Save often. The handling is just painful. Even at minimum sensitivity, mouse movements will easily send you in a tailspin. Trying to hit a moving target is a wasted effort. Well worth its price all in all, but it could've been so much better.
