Rebel Galaxy Reviews
Rebel Galaxy's rendition of space is full of possibilities - but they're all a little too dull and repetitive for it to really work.
Cinematic starship combat and a (final) frontier atmosphere give Rebel Galaxy a great hook.
Rebel Galaxy's combat can be a lot of fun, but there's little depth and a lot of repetition.
It doesn't really do a lot more than what Elite achieved over 30 years ago, but this is a fun and accessible, if rather repetitive, space trading game.
Managing multiple systems can make you feel like a Starfleet Captain, but otherwise the doldrums of long-distance travel are conveyed too accurately
Yet, despite my many complaints, Rebel Galaxy did put a smile on my face. It's an ambitious little game that regrettably tries too hard to grab something out of its reach, but what it does get its hands on is excellent. The combat is spectacular, the atmosphere is charming (prolonged exposure to the soundtrack aside) and while there isn't as much depth to the game's systems as it would like you to believe, they are fun to poke and prod at when you get tired of blasting people with your lasers. Rebel Galaxy is the kind of game I'd want save for a rainy day when all I want to do is set my brain on auto-pilot and lose a few hours watching pretty colors and dreaming about being Han Solo.
[T]he state of your ship is what keeps you going. You fight more to earn more to buy more. In this way it is a very transparent game. But also a repetitive one, and overall, a mixed bag. I know a game is not capturing me when, as a reviewer, I keep checking my "hours played" stat on Steam to see if I can fairly say: "OK, that's enough". Still, I recognise there are always those who want more space sauce, who won't mind fighting on a 2D plane, and who will be much more possessed by upgrading their own "Wobblenaut".
Rebel Galaxy simplifies the formula in an approachable and exciting way, but the 2D space combat, lack of direction and loneliness of single-player space-faring hold it back from reaching the epic scale of other space sims. A fun solo venture, but it won't suck out thousands of your hours.
The design choices become abundantly clear when you encounter your first enemy ship and begin the gripping celestial ballet that is a broadside battle.
Rebel Galaxy is one of the best space games released in some time, both in terms of its vast content and that its low price that won't break your wallet. A slow beginning to the game and over reliance on grinding shouldn't deter gamers in experiencing everything that Rebel Galaxy has to offer to eager space going adventurers. It's difficult not to smile as your ship zooms across space, taking in the star-filled view, and listening to the Firefly inspired soundtrack.
Eschewing complex 3D flight models for whiskey and galactic broadsides, Rebel Galaxy takes the traditional space trading model, dresses it in spurs, and sets it loose on a frontier that's dynamic, dangerous and unashamedly fun.
Rebel Galaxy offers an exciting, if streamlined experience of commanding a large spaceship with a heavy focus on combat. It doesn't do much with the story beyond inviting you into its universe, but the gameplay, Western-inspired setting and procedurally generated nature will keep you playing for many hours. The music is also a plus!
With a vast world with a huge amount to do, set in a space western and an outstanding soundtrack to accompany it, Rebel Galaxy has a simple but engaging and visually spectacular combat system. Rebel Galaxy has more than enough to keep you engaged, though best played in small doses.
Rebel Galaxy is a streamlined take on the space sim that while nowhere near as complex as its PC peers still has enough going on to keep you more than entertained. It's a real shame then that despite its enjoyable ship-to-ship combat, interesting setting, and fantastic soundtrack, it ultimately ends up being tarnished by a repetitive grind that needlessly pads out its length.
There's a lot to do in Rebel Galaxy, it's just a shame that it's all too often the same things to do.
Rebel Galaxy may seem like something deep and hard to grasp, but as soon as you figure out the combat the rest of the game's easy to learn bit difficult to master systems become just layers on a delicious cake. Recommended.
Rebel Galaxy is a robust trek through the stars, even if it is bogged down by a heavy reliance on repetition and a weak narrative. A host of systems that are all built to generate organic emergent moments, no matter what your play style, make Rebel Galaxy one of this year's biggest surprises.
Light on content but heavy on freedom, Rebel Galaxy is a charming romp through a frontier brimming with choices to make.
Rebel Galaxy is nearly perfect in every way. It provides the perfect mix of player choice, balance, and challenge for fans of space combat games who don't mind the lack of 3D flight.