Space Rangers 2 is a throwback to the times of old where a man needed only his starship and the infinite expanse of space to be truly happy. You can be a pirate, or a soldier or a rich money grubbing merchant. You can be human or a slimy alien from a distant planet. Whatever you choose, the fate of the galaxy rests squarely in your hands/tentacles.

Gameplay

I've played and enjoyed my fair share of turn-based games… in fact, some of my favorite games have been turn-based. The turn-based format allows you to make plans far in advance and to execute them with precision and accuracy. It is with a heavy heart that I deem the turn-based nature of Space Rangers 2 to be a mistake. I sincerely feel that the game would have been more enjoyable and more practical had it been a real time game. I personally don't need to plan out my trip to mars that much. Granted, there is a lot going on in the universe and it is nice to be able look over a system and see where the planets are before you make your move, but that could have been accomplished with a simple pause function.

What's more is that turn based nature of the game completely ruins the combat system. It's all point, click, and forget, unless you start losing; then you have to click a planet and hope you get there before your aggressor makes a space cloud out of you.

Turn-based aside, the game is actually well put together. When you land on a planet it's not difficult to find what you want and get it; instant gratification. The game doesn't fiddle around too much with superfluous wastes of time. Though for some reason when you refuel your ship there is a little animation that plays that you have to wait for before you can take off--a minor issue.

Graphics

SR2 runs on a top down "two and a half dimensions" format that uses simple 3d models to represent ships and planets and what not. I cannot tell if these graphics are pre-rendered (though I believe they aren't) but for all intents and purposes they might as well be because you don't really see anything other than their tops. Despite the 2d nature of the game it is really nice to look at. The space you see in the background is actually quite rich and vibrant and sort of belies the empty dark nature of the vacuum.

When you land on a planet, you get to look at a pretty simple, yet still pretty, pre-rendered cityscape designed by the indigenous peoples. What you can do on a planet is basically all controlled with menus and buttons, so its not like you can fly around the planet or anything (which is a bit of a disappointment). Considering the sheer number of visitable planets I can understand why the developers didn't include planetary exploration. Still, it looks nice.

My only real complaint with the graphics is the planetary quests. Every once in a while you are given a mission that actually takes place on the surface of an uninhabited planet. You land and click a button to start what is basically a create-your-own storybook. Have to find the remains of a pilot who crash landed? Perhaps following the monstrous footprints will lead you to what you seek. Oh! Look! There's a monster and he's eaten the captain. But lo! There behind the slumbering beast is the whats-it-called. Do you: A. Sneak quietly up to the beast and carefully remove the item. B. Distract the monster with one of your expendable crewmen. C. Shout as loud as you can. You get the idea. At any rate, the graphical representation used for these planetary quests are what look like pencil drawings washed in some simple color. Sure they're nice drawings… and sure you don't get many of these quests, but I really think that the developers could have given us something a bit more, or just gotten rid of the whole idea completely.

Sound

Really, when I was playing Space Rangers 2, I hardly noticed the sound. But when I went back and started playing around just to hear the sound for this review I realized that I hadn't noticed it because the sound really fit seamlessly with the game. The music really sets the mood without being overpowered and drowning out the interactive parts of the game. The interface sounds are simple, yet let you know that you've done something. Nothing fantastic, nothing that makes my soul sing or anything like that, but it's pleasant to listen to. What more can you ask for?

FunFactor

This game is hard. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It is hard and it knows it. I played this game for over a week straight and I've had to start over several times just to get to the point where I don't die. The secret is in not picking fights for your first few game years since you'll more than likely die in the process. You mostly run errands across the galaxy and build up a nice bank account to fund snazzy new weapons and other upgrades.

There is also a simple level system, which provides you with extreme advantages, some more extreme than others. The only problem is that the way the game is set up, you really can't win important battles without leveling up and the only way to level up is to win these important battles… a paradox of sorts, and it can get frustrating, but that really only hurts the games enjoyability a little.

In truth, this game was lots of fun. I haven't beaten it, and probably never will, but I plan on playing it some more even after this review is posted. Something you can't always say about a game.

PlasmaFactor

I usually like to talk about a game's handbook, because it's a very important aspect of the game itself. It tells you how much the developers put into ensuring that we, the players, had a guide to give us the details of each aspect of the game in an easy-to-browse format. The guide for Space Rangers 2, while it does give you some information on the game itself (not enough in my opinion), has a small and entertaining problem. It seems that the guide was made for an earlier version of the game; the interface described within is completely different from the one that actually exists in the game. The guide includes a quick reference card for the interface which is pretty useless and at the same time pretty funny. While avoidable, I'm not going to go crazy and condemn the developers for their mistake, as I'm pretty sure the world isn't going to end because of it… at least I think I'm sure.

Conclusion

All in all, Space Rangers 2 is a fun game. I would suggest picking it up if you're a fan of science fiction, and I would suggest taking a look at it if you aren't. I think only those who hate space and everything to do with it would dislike this game.