Gratuitous Space Battles 2

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Gratuitous Space Battles 2 is a single player and multiplayer strategy game. It was developed by Positech Games and was released on April 16, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Gratuitous Space Battles 2" is a space fleet management and simulation game, where you can design and build your own customizable ships with a new and improved engine. Retaining the core gameplay of the original, it offers even more gratuitous explosions and beam-lasers in epic space battles. As the admiral, your task is to manage and strategize your fleet, not control individual units, in this unique and engaging sequel.

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41%

Audience ScoreBased on 264 reviews

graphics17 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

The game offers extensive customization options for ships, allowing players to create unique designs and strategies.
The graphics and visual effects have been significantly improved, making battles visually appealing.
The asynchronous multiplayer feature allows players to challenge each other's fleets, adding replayability.

The game is plagued by frequent crashes and bugs, making it frustrating to play.
There is a lack of content compared to the first game, with only a limited number of missions and ship classes available.
The user interface can be clunky and unintuitive, leading to confusion during gameplay.

graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
68%
5%
The graphics in GSB2 have received mixed reviews, with some players praising the improved visuals and detailed space battles, while others criticize the game's graphical glitches, busy backgrounds, and overall art style that detracts from gameplay. Although the game supports higher resolutions and offers more customization options, many feel that the graphical enhancements do not compensate for the numerous bugs and lack of content compared to the original. Overall, while the graphics are considered a step up, they are marred by performance issues and design choices that hinder the gaming experience.
- “The game also offers great visuals, especially for a 2D game, and there is a lot of strategy involved when planning your attack.”
- “I love the feeling of immense space battles, and the added features and graphics over the previous version add so much to the game.”
- “Without a doubt, GSB II is pretty much a remake of the original with a variety of new key features and graphical upgrades.”
- “Unfortunately, GSB2 has crashed multiple times in the first hour and has graphical problems.”
- “Even if by some miracle you get it to actually load and play, you can expect constant crashes, graphical glitches, and a developer that, as far as I can tell, never supported the game to begin with, much less patched it.”
- “The graphics are an improvement, but the environment is so prominent it can be hard to tell what is going on with layers of asteroids, debris, and smoke obscuring your view.”
story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
79%
13%
The game's story aspect is largely criticized for its absence, with many players noting that it lacks a coherent narrative or immersive campaign, reducing the experience to a series of repetitive missions without meaningful context. While the customization and ship-building elements are appreciated, they do not compensate for the overall lack of engaging storytelling, leaving players feeling unfulfilled and bored. Overall, the game is seen as a missed opportunity to build on the foundation of its predecessor, offering little more than a basic mission structure devoid of depth or challenge.
- “The story periodically changes between non-existent and incoherent.”
- “- I personally would enjoy more of a serious campaign that has some story, but this game does not have that.”
- “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) and there's no larger context or purpose beyond that since there's no story or narrative elements.”
- “The sales pitch video makes it look like it would have some sort of campaign or story drive to it... it does not.”
- “Without a storyline to hold the game together, this game ultimately feels like a space battle simulator like the one in Ender's Game.”
gameplay
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
58%
13%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over its shallow and repetitive mechanics compared to the original. While some appreciate the deep ship customization options and visual improvements, others criticize the lack of balance, bugs, and overall content, suggesting that newcomers might be better off starting with the first game. Despite some positive aspects, the gameplay experience is often described as lacking immersion and complexity, leading to a less engaging experience overall.
- “The deep and interesting ship creation mechanics allow limitless fleet capabilities and potential, and more will come with expansion packs.”
- “There are some bugs, but there's been a lot of progress in cleaning them up, and the core gameplay is pretty awesome.”
- “I like the changes made to gameplay.”
- “The gameplay loop is a bit shallow and repetitive.”
- “Beyond that, the gameplay is crap compared to the original and there is a line of never-ending bugs.”
- “Gsb 2 is just terrible, lacking a lot of content and polish with game mechanics that are somehow worse than the original.”
stability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely criticized for its severe stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and incomplete features that hinder gameplay. Many users describe it as a "buggy mess" that feels abandoned by the developer, leading to frustration and disappointment. While some players still find enjoyment in the game, the overwhelming consensus is that its stability problems significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “The game shipped as a buggy, incomplete mess, and frankly it hasn't improved much at all since then.”
- “Even if by some miracle you get it to actually load and play, you can expect constant crashes, graphical glitches, and a developer that, as far as I can tell, never supported the game to begin with, much less patched it.”
- “Short summary: this game is unplayably, laughably, horribly, ruinously, buggy.”
replayability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The game offers significant replayability, particularly through its skirmish mode and a compelling research system that enhances longevity. While some players initially perceive a lack of content, the challenge of fleet-building on a budget and the integration of Steam Workshop challenges contribute to a deeper replay value. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a game with high replay potential.
- “Plenty of replayability in skirmish mode.”
- “If you're looking for a game with incredible replay value, then GSB 2 is the game for you.”
- “The challenge and what makes this game have a high replay value is that you must build your fleet on a budget.”
- “It really doesn't add that much replayability.”
- “It may seem to lack content at first, but when you realize it is harder, fleets need to be thought of more, and challenges are integrated with Steam Workshop, then you understand how big the replayability is while waiting for other races/campaigns.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its unique and quirky elements, such as amusing ship names and entertaining combat chatter, which some players find reminiscent of literary influences. However, there are mixed feelings, with some users feeling that the humor has diminished over time and expressing frustration with the game's overall quality.
- “I like the funny random ship names, I enjoy the chatter during combat, and I appreciate the minor amount of strategy involved.”
- “The series has such a unique sense of humor.”
- “The ships all have funny names too that remind me of ships in an Iain M. Banks novel or something.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to a lack of content and modules to earn, compounded by a cumbersome user interface that makes selecting and researching modules tedious. The excessive number of clicks required to navigate between screens and set up formations adds to the overall sense of tedium, highlighting a need for improved UI features.
- “Not enough modules or content to earn, and selecting modules to research and unlock is super tedious without being able to sort by the kind of ship you want to build.”
- “Come on, get your act together and implement some UI tweaks like being able to copy, paste, and save part of the fleet. It's so tedious to constantly set up the same formations, for example.”
- “There are so many forced, unneeded clicks to jump around that just moving from one screen to the one you want feels tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is viewed skeptically, with users expressing concerns that it may exploit the success of its predecessor through heavy reliance on DLC, potentially turning it into a cash grab.
- “It is clearly a cash grab from the success of the first one.”
- “The last game was DLC heavy, and I hope this doesn't end up being a cash grab.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players find the soundtrack amazing and visually appealing, others find it annoying enough to lower the volume. Overall, the sound design is generally appreciated, but the music may not resonate with everyone.
- “That being said, it is really quite pretty and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The graphics are fine, the sound is nice, although I find the music a little annoying, so I switched the volume down.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it lacking in immersion and engaging gameplay, others appreciate the introduction of new mechanics that enhance the environment within the flagship's war room. Overall, the atmosphere seems to be a point of contention, with some players feeling it falls flat.
- “The atmosphere inside the flagship's war room is enhanced by several new mechanics that help to freshen the experience.”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its world with every detail.”
- “The haunting sound design and stunning visuals create an atmosphere that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”
- “I snoozed through the first few missions; there's no immersion, there's no atmosphere, and there's little gameplay.”
- “There are several new mechanics that help to freshen the atmosphere inside the hardened bunker that is your flagship's war room.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers feel that a more considerate approach to the emotional connection with fans of the original content could have fostered a more positive reception and long-term loyalty.