Be like the wolf
The first Star Wolves is a nice slice of Homeworld-style real time strategy that also threw in some RPG elements to the mix to create an enjoyable science fiction experience. This sequel improves on some of the content and ideas but is a little lacking in polish which spoils things a tad, although it remains a fun game. It's basically a 3D RPG/strategy game where you control a group of mercenaries who carry out a variety of jobs for cold hard cash. Unlike before, this one is pretty freeform, and you can explore as you wish thanks to the non-linear storyline. The universe created here is one where corporations run things, while there's also a war going on between the empire and the usual vicious aliens. Your missions here generally focus on small scale ship-to-ship combat, where you can buy a mothership as well as craft of varying sizes and then send them out into the galaxy. The RPG elements include the presence of abilities, upgrades for pilots, ships and so on, while there are also many systems to explore and discover and lots of ships to experiment with. For the most part, this is a fine game. The tactical combat, which forms the main part of things, is enjoyable and challenging, with lots of opportunities for clever thinking and use of strategy. The open world feel is also impressive and there's a genuine sense of adventure as you roam the galaxy. The visuals, music and interface have also seen improvements over the first game, but there are problems with mission and level design, and issues with balancing, which bring things down a bit. However, despite these problems, this remains a solid bit of sci-fi fun.
