Gratuitous Space Battles
- November 16, 2009
- Positech Games
Frequent crashes and easy cheese strategies make Gratuitous Space Battles 2 a superfluous sequel.
Get on SteamGratuitous Space Battles is a real-time strategy game that focuses on space combat. Players design their own fleets, choosing ship types and customizing weapons, and then watch as their fleets battle it out in epic space battles. The game features a variety of enemies, upgrades, and customization options to keep strategy enthusiasts engaged.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game offers a great selection of modules and ship designs, allowing for extensive customization and strategic planning.
- It's a fun and relaxing experience to oversee space battles without the pressure of direct control, making it enjoyable for casual play.
- The graphics and sound effects are impressive, providing a visually satisfying experience during battles.
- The game is now considered abandonware, with a broken campaign mode and repetitive enemy encounters.
- Many players feel that the game lacks depth and becomes repetitive after a short time, with limited replay value.
- The monetization model is criticized, as much of the content is locked behind paywalls, leading to frustration among players.
- story34 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story or narrative, focusing instead on straightforward combat scenarios without any deeper context or character development. While some players appreciate the absence of a story as it allows for uninterrupted gameplay, others find the lack of content and progression unfulfilling. Overall, the game is best suited for those who prioritize strategy and ship customization over a rich storyline.
“Sometimes the story is just the experience of having explored the map and built your bases - you've invested time and effort into the game world.”
“The game promises a straightforward brawl without the complications or delay presented by having any kind of story to get in the way.”
“No real storyline but great strategy game.”
“If you need 'story' or such, this is not the game for you, although there is a bit of witty snark in both the in-battle comments and the descriptions of the various races.”
“You could spend hours painstakingly pouring over every little detail of what ships to use and where to place them in formation, and then it's just a few minutes of watching ships shoot at each other (that you don't control) with no larger context or purpose since there's no story or narrative elements.”
“There is no story, plot, or anything like that.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many praising the distinct art styles and gorgeous visuals, especially for a 2D title. While some reviews note that the graphics may not be groundbreaking, they appreciate the smoothness and charm of the visuals, particularly given the game's indie development background. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's appeal, though there are calls for further improvements in future installments.
“It's a fun little game, the battles are graphically gorgeous and fun to watch and it doesn't demand a huge investment of mental energy or time.”
“The graphics and special effects are glorious.”
“The game also offers great visuals too, especially for a 2D game and there is a lot of strategy involved when planning your attack.”
“Because the developer went on to produce a sequel that has pretty much exactly the same content, but with slightly improved graphics; again, he regurgitated the entire content of the first game in the second game.”
“For graphics, I would give the game a 6.5/10 as well.”
“Graphics are okay considering the size of the game.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a unique ship design mechanic that offers extensive customization, but it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of intuitive controls. While some players appreciate the strategic elements and the ability to speed up gameplay, many find the overall experience limited, with insufficient engagement during battles. Overall, the gameplay presents a mix of promising ideas and frustrating execution, leading to a divided reception among players.
“The gameplay is something unusual, fresh, and new for me, and it actually looks promising (since I am a gamer type that likes to design starships).”
“There is a set amount of great game mechanics, and a pretty extensive customization range.”
“The ability to speed up gameplay is a boon, especially when trying out different configurations in a campaign.”
“The gameplay is not intuitive and intensely repetitive.”
“However, there is not much gameplay outside of the designing aspect as you hardly have any control over the battles.”
“With more varied gameplay or level design, things might have been different, but as it stands I really wouldn't recommend it to a friend.”
- stability11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches across various platforms, including Linux and Mac. Common issues include black screens when switching windows, unexpected automatic wins in campaign mode, and frequent crashes due to internet connectivity problems. While some players note that it runs well on Linux, the overall consensus is that the game is in a buggy state and lacks polish, leading to a frustrating experience.
“Runs great on Linux.”
“I suppose the only positive thing I have to say is that it is not buggy.”
“Lovely idea but is buggy and lacks polish.”
“Also, this game has been left in a buggy state; if you try checking on another window, then go back into the game, you'll be greeted with a black screen and have to force-close. If you invade a planet in campaign mode, that planet can invade the planet your fleet just left for an automatic win, and it won't necessarily even be the same race that then owns the planet, which makes no sense. If your internet connection wavers while playing campaign mode, you'll need to do another force close.”
“Good game but buggy as hell on the three machines I have installed it on.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers infinite fun through player-submitted challenges and extensive gameplay hours, others feel it diminishes significantly after unlocking all upgrades or due to broken campaign modes. The simplicity of the concept allows for some replay value, but it may not appeal to everyone.
“The only downside is that the campaign mode broke some time after support stopped (and is still broken at the time of writing), but you still get replayability with player-submitted challenges.”
“The number of hours I've logged in this game should give you an idea of how replayable this is if you like this kind of game, which I obviously do :3”
“I've had hours of fun with this game, and it has infinite replayability.”
“Replay value falls off a cliff.”
“Not much replay value once all modules (upgrades) are unlocked.”
“Not much replayability.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted as a standout feature, particularly in its manual, which showcases the developer's effort and creativity. Players appreciate the fun and funny elements throughout the game, including light-hearted jokes, though some humor may tread into slightly controversial territory with alien-themed jokes. Overall, it is described as an entertaining experience that effectively combines humor with gameplay.
“The manual of the game humor really made my evening!”
“I liked this kind of humor so much that it made me believe that a developer who allocates that energy, love, and effort into the manual (knowing that many gamers will not even bother to read) has probably created a game that will keep me entertained for a worthy duration of time.”
“This is a fun, funny game.”
- music7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its cool, bombastic orchestral soundtrack that complements the visuals, creating an engaging atmosphere. However, some users feel that the compositions could be improved and more varied, with a few opting to switch to their own music instead. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the experience, there is room for greater diversity in the musical offerings.
“The music is also surprisingly good - and again manages to feel bombastic without becoming overbearing.”
“gsb is essentially a space-opera fireworks display set to music.”
“The visuals, sound effects and background music are superb.”
“I quickly found myself switching to my music player instead.”
“My game wouldn't run; it would play the menu music and show the background.”
“"gsb is essentially a space-opera fireworks display set to music."”
