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Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector evaluation – station to station


Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector screenshot
Citizen Sleeper 2 – recreation of the 12 months already? (Fellow Traveller)

One of the perfect indie titles of current years hits new heights with a superb sequel that turns into the primary must-play online game of 2025.

Despite its uncommon gameplay and meditative tempo, Citizen Sleeper was one thing of a breakthrough for UK developer Gareth Damian Martin. The dice-based area journey racked up 4 BAFTA nominations and a nod at The Game Awards, albeit within the patronising Games For Impact class. The place the place considerate, genre-defying video games are lumped collectively and given a disengaged pat on the top, so that they don’t disturb the group pleasers.

After a number of slices of DLC, Citizen Sleeper’s success has led to a considerably unconventional sequel. It’s larger, richer, and builds on the unique’s foundations, however there’s additionally extra friction shouldering you into its survival mechanics.

If you didn’t play the unique, Citizen Sleeper is a tabletop-inspired role-playing recreation pushed by text-based sci-fi storytelling. You play as a Sleeper, an emulation of a human thoughts housed inside a man-made physique, who’s on the run from the company that gave you life. This time although, you’re totally on the run from a prison gang chief referred to as Laine, who’s making an attempt to manage your artificial existence for his personal mysterious good points.

In your escape for a greater life, you end up within the Starward Belt, a sequence of crumbled settlements on the fringe of the war-torn Helion system. Instead of controlling the character immediately, the sport is performed through an overhead view of an area station, with no motion gameplay to talk of.

The tabletop-style loop is hinged round fastened cube you’re given at the beginning of each cycle, which you need to use in locations of curiosity through the aerial view, resembling retailers and different services, to be able to progress the story or keep your survival. The increased the cube quantity is – and in case your character class has the related talent – the higher your chances are high of finishing a job efficiently, whether or not that’s working a shift in a manufacturing unit for money or making an attempt to hack into a tool as a part of a narrative mission.

Tension comes from balancing the completion of those duties whereas guaranteeing you could have the assets to outlive by way of every cycle, which you manually finish your self upon getting used all of your cube. If luck isn’t in your facet otherwise you gamble with a low die, you is likely to be punished with power loss, which prices provides, and in flip assets, to rejuvenate.

The sequel introduces different layers of stress. If your power runs out or for those who fail sure jobs a literal stress gauge will enhance and slowly erode well being bars connected to your 5 cube. If left untreated, you’ll shortly end up on a slippery slope, with damaged slots and restricted choices on how you can crawl again to security.

To add to the strain, there’s additionally a brand new glitch mechanic. Some actions will increase a glitch meter, rising the prospect of a malfunctioning die occupying one (or a number of) of your slots. These solely offer you a one-in-five likelihood of success, so that they turn out to be a really tempting gamble when you find yourself clamouring for a hail Mary towards the cyclical clock.

These are properly carried out as a loss of life penalty too, with each wipe out (if all of your cube break) making use of a everlasting glitch you must deal with for the remainder of the sport. If you fancy an additional problem, the very best problem possibility ends your run solely for those who die, heightening the stakes even additional.

If the primary Citizen Sleeper was comparatively relaxed in its problem, Starward Vector isn’t afraid to squeeze your provides and throw you into pressured conditions the place you’re one die throw away from failure. It does nonetheless have stretches the place it eases up and relishes within the cerebral environment, however the total bump in problem looks like a thought-about swerve to intensify the role-playing methods on the recreation’s core.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector screenshot
The graphics could not dazzle however the music is nice (Fellow Traveller)

These revamped methods additionally make each alternative, whether or not within the cube meta-game or within the narrative’s dialogue choices, extra significant and consequential. The unique Citizen Sleeper, whereas nice, was largely superfluous as a role-playing recreation, with tacked-on character courses and talent timber which you possibly can largely ignore. Here, the whole lot is cohesive and complimentary to the general design, in a manner that’s much more achieved than its predecessor.

The added depth baked into the mechanics coalesces with the narrative too. Yes, you’re a Sleeper that’s on the run, however your physique can be in a gradual state of decline after an tried reboot – inflicting reminiscence loss and different malfunctions, which you steadily unpack as you encounter characters throughout the journey.

While the general premise is much like the unique, the self-esteem is extra compelling because of the sequel’s expanded scope. Instead of being pinned to at least one location all through, this sequel, in an analogous vein to Mass Effect 2, sees you traverse to totally different area stations throughout the Starward Belt, the place you encounter totally different characters who can be a part of your crew. Every crew member you purchase can then be utilised in remoted contract missions, who will workforce up with you with their very own cube and particular attributes to finish the job at hand.

These contract missions act as concentrated doses of stress between the downtime of gathering assets, the place you’ll be making an attempt to hack into wreckage with out alerting patrolling drones and mining for provides in a race towards a rival ship, amongst different duties. Your determination over which crewmates you tackle missions typically boils right down to balancing attributes to counter the weaknesses in your construct, however additionally, you will begin to type favourites primarily based on their personalities.

Between these remoted jobs and the better freedom in its design, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a much more sturdy gaming expertise when in comparison with the unique. You are basically simply travelling between totally different menu screens, certain, however the further layer of consideration area journey brings to the desk – with every journey requiring you to refuel your ship – solely reinforces the convincing phantasm that you just aren’t merely clicking on widgets.

Like the primary recreation, the characters you meet are the soul of Citizen Sleeper. These are all people who, just like the protagonist, are attempting to take care of conditions past their management, in a single type or one other, as they seek for function and solace on the periphery of an escalating conflict. It’s pertinent and, at instances, disarmingly touching – particularly in its closing act. The dialogue selections you make, that are sometimes talent dependent, alter different characters’ arcs in notable methods too, providing you with the motivation for repeat runs with different character courses.

None of this could work with out the distinctive writing, which at all times feels uncluttered and purposeful. It’s notably spectacular when, for lengthy stretches, you’re merely studying textual content off a display with static character art work (excellently drawn by Guillaume Singelin) and occasional white flashes for dramatic impact, but it manages to be extra absorbing than many absolutely realised 3D worlds.

It’s a testomony to the writing but additionally the refined soundtrack by Amos Roddy, which is all spacious synth trickles and atmospheric soundscapes that permits your creativeness to fill within the blanks.

If the unique Citizen Sleeper was an engrossing however flawed introduction to its hybrid tabletop idea, Starward Vector represents a real unique flourishing into its full potential. Like the perfect sequels, it builds on and refines what’s come earlier than, however it additionally charts its personal distinctive path
by way of the particular selections of its design. It may solely be January, however this recreation of the 12 months contender deserves to land with most affect.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

In Short: A incredible sequel which succeeds in offering a mechanically deeper role-playing expertise, whereas nonetheless being one of many best-written video games round.

Pros: Revamped role-playing methods and elevated problem heighten the unique recreation’s finest qualities. Absorbing presentation with a greater open construction. Excellent writing and an awesome solid of characters, who play a extra significant function within the story.

Cons: Some of the area stations can really feel considerably barren, with few actions. Some bugs at
launch.

Score: 9/10

Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
Price: £20.99*
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Developer: Jump Over the Age
Release Date: thirty first January 2025
Age Rating: 12

*obtainable on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one

Citizen Sleeper 2 gameplay screenshot
The script is prime notch (Fellow Traveller)

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