Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector GBAtemp review
Computer
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): January 31, 2025
- Release Date (EU): January 31, 2025
- Publisher: Fellow Traveller
- Developer: Jump Over The Age
- Genres: RPG
- Also For: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Game Features:
In Citizen Sleeper’s universe, a Sleeper refers to an artificial body that houses the emulation of a human mind. You play as one such Sleeper who is on the run from criminal gang Utsubo and their leader Laine. To escape from their clutches, you attempted to rewrite your system’s code.
However, this didn't go as planned as you were left with a malfunctioning body and no recollection of the past. On the flip side, you are now free from servitude but must stay on the run. Across the Starward Belt, you’ll have to take on odd jobs, assemble a crew and upgrade the ship you stole from your captors. How will the story pan out? It’s for you to decide, one dice roll at a time.
A return to the Citizen Sleeper universe
Despite being a sequel to 2022’s excellent Citizen Sleeper, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a standalone title set in the same universe. It’s an original story set in a cyberpunk universe where megacorporations rule the universe while the layperson has to incessantly toil to get by each day. There are some recurring terms between the two games but you play as a new character in a new adventure. This makes it easy to pick up by newcomers and veterans alike.
At its core, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a story about identity and belonging; themes that are common to the first installment as well. While the oppressive, dystopian element plays a central part, the narrative revolves more around the individual experiences of characters you meet.
For this sequel, developer Gareth Damian Martin introduces more characters and locations, making it larger in scope than the previous installment. They lean heavily on the narration to flesh out this title’s diverse characters and expansive universe. This comes as no surprise considering the developer’s previous games.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a highly descriptive, text-heavy game that’s not far from a visual novel but with more hands-on gameplay. Gareth Damian Martin does a terrific job at immersing the player with eloquent prose. If you enjoy tabletop RPGs or simply like sci-fi books, you will revel in this title; but if you’re not much of a fan of reading, you might want to stay clear as this game is not lacking in terms of text.
Citizen Sleeper 2 brings back Amos Roddy for the audio score and comic book artist Guillaume Singelin for the character designs. This small but talented team really complements the writing with excellent atmospheric soundtrack and original, eye-catching art. The whole package will feel familiar to those who played the first game in the series, and it still packs a unique charm.
Navigate across the Starward Belt, one dice roll at a time
If you’ve played the first Citizen Sleeper game, this sequel’s gameplay will also be familiar. It plays from a top-down perspective which displays your current location. This also serves as a map where you can move from one location to the next by selecting accessible nodes. In Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, the map is larger as you have a spaceship that allows you to travel to other locations and settlements in the Starward Belt.
Conversations with characters are shown as text, with a visual depiction of the interlocutor. Some interactions will also allow you to select between different options, which may lead to branching paths. For example, you might be able to accept or decline a character from joining your crew. Indeed, as Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is inspired by tabletop RPGs (TTRPG), the narrative has been designed to be branching one. You will have to make some tough choices such as who to trust and whether pursuing a quest is worth using up your limited resources for. Whichever decision you make, a different path will be laid down; which can mean parting ways with some crew members while joining forces with other characters. Irrespective of paths taken, the flow is seamless and feels natural, attesting to the developer’s writing prowess.
Beyond conversations, the gameplay mechanic also leads to differing paths. As with the first game, the gameplay is mostly dice-based. You start each cycle (or day) with 5 dice rolled which are used to perform some actions. Depending on your class, upgradeable skills and the die roll itself, you can have varying levels of success. This, in turn, leads to the unfolding of different scenarios.
This sequel further leans into its TTRPG inspiration and adds more depth to its dice mechanic. You now have to manage a stress gauge which can lead to damaged dice. You will then need resources to fix broken dice; otherwise, they won’t be rolled. Sometimes, your dice can be glitched and this minimises your chances of successfully performing an action. Based on your character’s class, you can also use a unique “Push” ability that can, for example, reroll your dice if you are in a bind but you risk ending up in a worse situation than you started with.
Furthermore, as you can travel to other areas across the Starward Belt with your ship, you will need to have enough fuel. You will also need to have enough food supplies or you will end up starving, which will negatively impact your dice rolls and chances of success. Therefore, you will need to have enough cryo (money) to get from one station to the next. You will have to take odd jobs and complete drives (quests) for monetary reward, which also revolve around you slotting in dice.
The individual drives are interesting as they feed into the main story while also fleshing out other characters in the Starward Belt. They are also quite varied, ranging from assisting in staging a mutiny against a corporation to scavenging for electronic relics. Completing them will also reward you with skill points which you can use to make your Sleeper more proficient at certain tasks.
All of these mechanics supplement an interesting, branching progression. Even when you think that you are backed in a corner, the game still progresses in a seamless way. For example, during my playthrough, I made decisions that led me to be “stuck” on a remote settlement. I didn’t have enough fuel or cryo to leave the place. I could do nothing else but complete cycles, until at one point, Laine caught up with me. I thought this would prematurely end the game but instead, another path opened up. This not only adds to the replay value as each playthrough will be significantly different but also makes the experience memorable, considering the unexpected turns the plot can take.
Moreover, in this entry, characters you meet play a more active role. Some of them join you for brief drives while others stay on as crewmembers. During some drives, you can further select members to join you. This allows you to use their dice and skill sets to boost your chances of successful actions.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector - gameplay sequel in a standalone story
The first Citizen Sleeper game had a noticeable learning curve and with the added complexity to the sequel, this challenge is still present, if not more so. The barrage of mechanics to learn and get accustomed to is noticeable early on. Luckily, this new entry now features tutorials accessible from the pause menu. This makes getting the ropes around the numerous elements of the mechanic more manageable.
In fact, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector feels more like a sequel to the mechanics than a sequel to the story. The latter is a standalone one but the mechanics are an expansion of the first game. The in-depth aspect adds more challenges which will be welcome for those who played the first game as it offers something familiar, yet new. But those starting with this current entry might be intimidated by the intricate gameplay. I would recommend starting with the first game if you are unsure whether its gameplay is for you. This will give you a better idea of what to expect in the sequel, making the transition smoother.
Having a crew is a welcome approach to make the experience less lonely. While they can help in some drives, their dice rolls are not available when you are moored at a station. I found that this can be a disadvantage as you are back to relying on your own skills and dice. Having their input in some tasks would be helpful here. That said, you can focus their “input” on some tasks such as gaining cryo, fuel or food supplies.
One aspect of the gameplay that I found rather unforgiving is the resource management. It can be quite a chore to get enough cryo to purchase fuel and supplies, while also looking out for timed story quests. During some intense drives, with no respite in between, fixing dice was also a challenge. This can offset your priorities and does add to some anxiety in a very real sense. It does fuel the oppressive cyberpunk theme, almost to a fault.
While the game is polished for the most part, I did encounter a bug during my playthrough. I could access an area on the map that shouldn’t be accessible at that time. This triggered some story dialogue and quests when others should precede them. When I got out of that area, the former quests showed up. It’s not a game-breaking bug but a noticeable one that I hope gets fixed.
That said, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a very good RPG. Despite not featuring AAA graphics, its stellar writing and atmospheric soundtrack immerses the player in this original cyberpunk universe. Its engaging, branching storylines with a mechanic focused on meaningful choices makes for a memorable experience.
Verdict
- Excellent writing, artstyle and soundtrack
- Added depth to dice-based mechanics
- Standalone story accessible to newcomers
- Unique, branching storylines
- Complexity of gameplay can be intimidating
- Resource management is sometimes unforgiving
- Crew dice rolls not available at stations
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