One damn fine game!
If you’ve ever prayed that Firefly would be turned into an action-packed space sim, just pour yourself a tall glass of bourbon and strap in, pardner. With the crunchiest roadhouse-cowboy soundtrack this side of the ‘verse and a visual feast that can only be described as f---ing majestic, Rebel Galaxy has been lovingly hand-crafted to appease the most deeply rooted spacelust in us all.
Gods. Be. Praised.
Here’s the story: Your aunt Juno, a semi notorious ne’er-do-well, has vanished under mysterious and potentially dangerous circumstances, leaving you with a junkheap of a ship and a cryptic message. You’re then set loose in the Xanthe star system (the beginner zone) to carve your own path, choose your side(s), and blast through the near and far reaches of space trying to save the old gal from her fate. And that's just the start of it.
The solar systems are randomly generated but feel fully realized, with fluctuating economies, random events, and an endless torrent of side quests. The factions are pretty clear – there are “good” guys and “bad” guys, and it’s rare to help someone without cheesing off someone else, and you’re definitely going to be doing that. You’ll make heaps of money, buy bigger ships and WAY bigger guns, and doing lots and lots of killin’ folk, often in self defense.
A majority of your time will be spent fighting nasty people and blasting around the systems for your quests, and it can feel grindy sometimes. That said, I managed to spend WAY more time than I expected doing just that without it feeling tiresome. Hell, it took me 13 hours of gameplay before I felt like finishing the story quests in the very first system, and there are 14 systems.
The physics are just delicious, the visuals are head-shakingly grand, and the sound design is so good it hurts. It’s all more than enough to make you forget you had a life outside which, frankly, is kinda the point. Rebel Galaxy is heroin wrapped in crack and drowning in whiskey. So, giddyup.
How I’d describe it: EVE for introverts.
Score: 4 out of 5
Why: Gameplay is unbelievably good. Character interactions feel a bit railroaded, but let’s be honest – that’s not why you’re playing.
