Review - Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector... Dreaming of Electric Sheep

 
Image credit: Jump Over the Age

Ah. That refreshing Amos Roddy music again.

    Some games can really nail down a feeling and a tone that you're looking for as a gamer. Not everything has to be shooting and carving people up. Not everything has to be incredibly crafted dramas fit for television. Some stuff can just be simply great writing with an atmospheric tune ushering you along through the narrative.

    Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector puts us in the shoes of a sleeper again. For those not in the know, a sleeper is an individual who has leased out their consciousness to a megacorp in order to get their ticket off-world in some shape or fashion. The sleeper themselves might be actually in a bunker several lightyears away, but the body their consciousness is operating looks and functions in a nearly-human way on different space stations, ships, or even asteroids in the belt of the Helion System. They need to eat, walk, sleep, and endure the struggles that everyone else does... but with an added bit of cynicism directed towards them because of their robotic status.

    Our sleeper in this tale has just woken up amidst a system reboot-gone-wrong. While they are hoping that the reboot performed would take away their need for stabilizer, the drug cocktail that every sleeper needs to prevent shutdown, there's a little more to the hopes and dreams of the sleeper in general. And I don't just mean electric sheep. The sleeper is also hoping to remove any dependence from a captor that has held them for years in a state of slavery along with others deemed subservient to the ruling gang's boss. The reboot is only partially successful, with the problem lying in the fact that the sleeper loses almost every scrap of memory they have in the process.

    Trust is hard to come by, but with friends like Serafin... the sleeper is able to get by enough to pursue the ultimate goal of completing the reboot in the hopes of starting a better life. Will they ever get there? That's the real question.

The Good

One of the biggest pluses that Jump Over the Age has going for them is simply their writing abilities. They have been able to craft an amazing level of narrative. Continuing the story of the first, but with a different lead and a bit of a time leap, was an awesome feat. Brilliantly executed. It was thrilling to be able to see some familiar faces and learn what became of some of my favorite characters. Ankhita... it's good to see you again. From the start to the finish, over a course of roughly 12-15 hours, I enjoyed every minute of CS2's story. 

    Visuals are also stunning. The character art matches the feel of everyone the sleeper meets. In addition, the entire game has been expanded in overall size compared to the original. While the original's Erlin's Eye space station setting was massive in and of itself, CS2 allows us to explore the system and actually visit several different areas. Each location is fairly small, but the design components breathe a different form of life into each one.

    It's hard to pinpoint where the game shines specifically. The story, the visuals, and the sound are all inspiring. Amos Roddy kills it, once again, with a soundtrack that pulls at the heartstrings in the best ways across the board. When the credits roll, it's hard not to just sit there for a moment and listen to his work in appreciation for how much it gives impact to the conclusion.

The Bad

There really isn't much to put in the bad category. If there is anything that would go here, I would simply say that the innovative nature of the original is not here to give the game a boost. While I wouldn't change much about it, maybe Jump Over the Age could have taken a risk or two more to help to differentiate the story. The gameplay twist of no stabilizer needed, but still having to deal with game altering dice that are loaded against you, doesn't really add much invention. In addition to that, the cryo (or money) that's accrued through the game is so minimal until the last couple hours of playing. By then... it really isn't even necessary. The last stretch requires a minimal amount of cryo, so I'm not sure what the point was for me to end up with such a wealth when I wouldn't be able to continue playing after the credits roll anyway.

Tears in Rain

Another great venture from Jump Over the Age. And that's pretty much all I have to say. I will warn you that the ending is going to be up to your own interpretation. But I suppose really, it doesn't matter what the destination has to say. This is one of those journey cliches, but perhaps Blade Runner's Gaff said it best. "It's too bad she won't live. But then again, who does?"

9/10

Epic

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