Rebel Galaxy

Much like buses, you can be waiting for what feels like years for one to come along and then several show up all at once. For years the space trading and combat simulation game had little representation on PC and even less on console. Then a couple of months ago Elite: Dangerous got its full release on Xbox One and just last month Starpoint Gemini 2 was ported onto the console. Now after a few months of only being available on PC, Rebel Galaxy makes its way to consoles and it would seem the best was saved for last.

Rebel Galaxy was developed by Double Damage and brought to Xbox One by the now incredibly successful ID@Xbox program. But before I heap praise onto Rebel Galaxy I feel it’s important to stress what an incredible achievement it is for a developer that consists of just two people! Travis Baldree and Erich Schaefer previously co-founded runic games who developed the wonderful Torchlight games and now this two man team has brought us what I think is the best modern example of the genre yet.

I knew I loved Rebel Galaxy when I found myself proselytising about it to anyone who would listen. Be it at work, my wife or my friends, I can’t stop telling people about how much fun this game is. The basic concept isn’t that different to other examples of the genre such as Starpoint Gemini 2 which I reviewed last month. You are a captain, you have a ship, you explore space, you get in fights, you trade and live out your Firefly fantasies. The tone is one of the wonderful things that sets Rebel Galaxy apart from its competitors. Nothing is taken too seriously and that’s a welcome change of pace for a genre that can be incredibly self serious.

However the tone is not the only thing that sets Rebel Galaxy apart. Just about every element of the game is polished and approachable. The first thing you notice and can’t miss is the incredible slide guitar lead soundtrack. While the console versions don’t support the much lauded custom soundtrack abilities of the PC, it’s not something I miss as what’s included is so wonderfully evocative I am actually listening to it as I write this. I love the ‘southern rock’ vibe it gleefully wallows in and it fits the game perfectly.

Rebel Galaxy is also a stunningly beautiful game. Space has never been so wonderfully colourful and filled with stuff. Be it nebula, wrecks, asteroid fields, dozens of space stations, planets or stars, everything looks amazing and it makes exploration an exciting experience. Then the combat starts. Your ship in Rebel Galaxy is of the capital variety and not a poxy fighter, so that means broadside combat. Most reminiscent of the naval combat from Assassins Creed: Black Flag, nothing feels better than closing fast on an enemy vessel, your turrets automatically picking off fighters, then as you get close unloading a thunderous, devastating and beautiful broadside of lasers.

A lot can be going on on the screen, combat with dozens of ships in a nebula as you dodge debris, but the controls and interface never become confusing and the game never suffers from any technical problems. In all honesty everything from the GUI to how you fly your vessel of mass destruction is laid out, explained and executed faultlessly. It’s the simplest and most friendly implementation of what can be a confusing (in lesser games) array of options and inputs I have seen yet for this genre. I knew exactly what to do in every situation and never found myself having to pause to just to work out what to do. Unlike all the other games I have played in this genre on console this one is easily the most fun to actually play from moment to moment.

An area that is often overlooked within space trading and combat sims is that of the story. In addition to the wonderfully set tone and universe that exudes outlaw frontier at every turn, the story that actually gets you out into the ‘verse is more than compelling enough. Sure it’s simplified but it’s told with charm and humour. Where most games of this genre would rely on text heavy with exposition Rebel Galaxy has fully animated CGI models all voice acted and performed with impressive level of professionalism. You get to meet and interact with (and often blow up) a ragtag group of diverse and colourful personalities and I enjoyed meeting all of them.

Rebel Galaxy is also very smart with how it gates your progress. With a galaxy map including dozens of semi randomised systems you start in one that is easy enough to get to grips with and introduce you to the mechanics of the game. Then as you make money and upgrade your ship with new weapons, shields and engines you can progress to new systems which are a tougher challenge. With no selectable difficulty level the game relies on the players judgement and knowledge of their ship and what she can handle. I died many times playing Rebel Galaxy, but only because I took on more than I could deal with. I would then take that knowledge, make some more cash and upgrade my ship before trying to tackle the really tough enemies you will encounter as you explore and push further out into the galaxy.

Variety is key to a space trading and combat sim and Rebel Galaxy has it in bucket fulls. From dozens of ships to upgrade towards, loads of different components for those ships and a huge amount of side activities to do so that you can earn the money required to actually afford all those lovely ships. I never found myself at a loss for things to do, and while many of them involved blowing stuff up, that never gets boring as you can do it in so many different ways. You can specialise your ship to be anything from an up close brawler built to get close, take massive damage and deal it back to a blockade runner, built around speed and avoiding confrontation. The choices are manifold but making them was easy to understand and implement, when you have saved up the credits to do it that is.

I take my hat off too Double Damage, Travis Baldree and Erich Schaefer. Like I said at the start of this review, Rebel Galaxy is an amazing achievement. The scope of the game is massive and yet the level of polish and the production values on display are unparalleled. Everything looks great, sounds amazing and even the narrative hooked me in. I haven’t had this much fun in the genre since its heyday decades ago. With the introduction of a kick ass soundtrack, humour and modern sensibilities, Rebel Galaxy is elevated even higher within the genre. But beyond that the game is just plain fun and unlike Elite or Starpoint it’s one I would recommend to anyone. It’s designed so well that it’s even accessible to players unfamiliar with the space trading and combat genre. My recommendation comes with no caveats, you should play this game.