As someone who played FTL to death I REALLY wanted to love this game too, but it's like a cheap Chinese knock-off of the original. Crew are disposable blips, enemies repeat on each run, there is nothing new to learn after one run, and worst of all there is no reward for knowledge of past runs! That's right the game is a cynical take on the perma-death roguelike where you are at the mercy of dumb luck and nothing you learn will improve your odds. Yes, that is the ultimate failing here - and I have 40 runs done so far so I can say with some confidence that my win was due to luck and not mastery of systems. I am giving it two stars because the concept was good: bigger ships, more detail, and potentially a longer run than FTL, but this game in no way improves on it's obvious inspiration.
I played the original a couple years ago and loved it so when I saw there was a sequal I had to get it. Pros: good graphics, decent story, challenging bosses, doesn't hold your hand Cons: lack of AA for better graphics, bad default party (make your characters)
Escape From Butcher Bay was my favorite game of all time when I played it years ago. So I of course bought the sequel as soon as I could and, though not as good as the first game, it still provides an experience you won't want to miss. The action is well paced, the scenes are varied, and the story is passable - not great like Butcher bay, but better then the average FPS by far.
