Rebel Galaxy

Space exploration games are quite difficult to pull off properly, mainly because the fans expect a lot for their money. The game world needs to be big and open to exploration, the spaceships have to be customizable and somewhat fun to fly, and the graphics are quite important as well. A few developers have managed to do it right over the years, but a lot more have failed to capture the essence of the genre for one reason or the other.

In the case of Rebel Galaxy, the developers took a more relaxed approach to the genre, in the sense that the game is certainly not a simulator of any sort. This is an adventure game taking place in space, with lasers, asteroids and aliens being the main ingredients. You do not have to worry about learning how to properly fly your spaceship, nor are you going to get lost in the game’s manual when it comes to exploration and ship upgrades.

Rebel Galaxy is also an RPG if you choose to look at it in a different way. While there is not a lot you can change about your character, it is possible to choose from a variety of different career paths, depending on what you feel like doing. If combat is your desire, then you can simply invest a lot of money into a better ship with powerful upgrades and start hunting for bad guys to blow up. On the other hand, you can also choose to be a trader of sorts and earn a living by mining asteroids and minding your own business.

The story is riddled with humor and funny characters as well, which makes it a pleasure to keep playing mission after mission. Most of them can get pretty repetitive after a while, given the fact that they always seem to involve a skirmish with some enemies, a bit of mining, or an escort job. The actual plot is intriguing enough to keep you coming back, however, and there is enough of it to last you for many hours.

Side missions are available as well, including mercenary-style tasks that can be picked up from bars around the galaxy. They are obviously not required to complete the main storyline, but you might not be able to afford the best upgrades if you don’t occasionally kill some pirates for money. Some of these missions can even turn out to be a lot of fun, especially if you get to interact with interesting characters along the way.

Hardcore space sim fans might be severely disappointed with Rebel Galaxy when it comes to ship movement, and for a good reason. Even if the game uses a fully three-dimensional graphics engine, the movement is restricted to only two axes. Hence, you can only go forwards, backwards, left and right. This looks and feels rather awkward at first, but as long as you realize that the game does not aim to be a simulator, the simplicity is actually welcomed. It makes it a lot easier to maneuver the spaceship using a controller.

You accelerate using multiple thruster levels, but you can also activate a temporary boost, or enter warp drive when you have to travel long distances. To make it even simpler to survive and navigate the galaxy, the ship automatically exits hyperdrive whenever you get near objects, so that you don’t crash into them. The force feedback adds even more excitement to the formula, because it’s nice to feel the controller tremble in your hands as the ship gains speed.

Speaking of which, the ship can be upgraded with all sorts of interesting components. Multiple types of turrets are available, depending on how much damage you want to inflict on your foes. Mining equipment is also crucial if you plan on making a living out of extracting precious materials from asteroids. Finally, shields and similar components can be purchased as well, which allow you to survive more enemy attacks.

Finally, the graphics are downright gorgeous, especially when you consider the fact that the game was developed by a rather small team. The galaxy is full of asteroids, planets and space stations, not to mention the detailed ships and the weird-looking aliens you meet along the way. Nice special effects add yet another layer of beauty on top of it all, such as explosions, beautiful lighting and various post-processing effects.

When it’s all said and done, Rebel Galaxy has its fair share of flaws and annoyances as well. The lack of a Z axis can be a serious deal breaker for more hardcore space sim fans, and the repetitive missions can get on your nerves after a while. The game world feels a bit claustrophobic sometimes, probably because there are not so many places you go without getting bored on the way there.

Even so, the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones. Rebel Galaxy has that special gift that keeps you glued to the screen for hours on end, always swearing that it’s just for another mission or two. The story is intriguing, the selection of upgrades is satisfying, and the combat is exciting enough to make you want more after each confrontation.