Rebel Galaxy

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,047 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Rebel Galaxy Game Cover
Rebel Galaxy is nearly perfect in every way. It provides the perfect mix of player choice, balance, and challenge for fans of space combat games who don't mind the lack of 3D flight.
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Rebel Galaxy is a space combat simulation game set in a procedurally generated open world. Take control of a starship and explore the universe, completing missions, trading goods, and engaging in thrilling battles. Customize your ship, recruit crew members, and upgrade your arsenal as you uncover the mysteries of the galaxy and forge your own path as a rebel leader.

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Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,047 reviews
story631 positive mentions
grinding390 negative mentions
  • Engaging and fun capital ship combat with a unique broadside mechanic.
  • Great soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • Variety of ships and upgrades available, allowing for different playstyles.
  • Repetitive missions and grinding can become tedious over time.
  • Limited movement on a 2D plane can feel restrictive in a space game.
  • The story is relatively short and lacks depth, leading to a lack of replayability.
  • story3,531 mentions

    The story in "Rebel Galaxy" is generally considered decent but somewhat simplistic and linear, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a focal point. Players often find the main storyline short, with many missions feeling repetitive and lacking depth, though the engaging combat and exploration elements help maintain interest. While the narrative provides a framework for missions, it doesn't offer significant character development or plot twists, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall impact on the gaming experience.

    • “As an adventure game, the storyline and the side quests are engaging.”
    • “Nice main story and an infinite amount of side missions/contracts.”
    • “The story is interesting, characters are great, ships and equipment have personality, and the trade system is highly dynamic.”
    • “The story is thin, easily the least developed I've seen in the genre.”
    • “The main story is very short and uncreative... it seems like a cliché.”
    • “The story is a bit sparse/short relative to the amount of grinding required to confidently beat it, but even the grinding is enjoyable compared to a lot of games in this genre, due to satisfying combat mechanics.”
  • music2,271 mentions

    The music in "Rebel Galaxy" has received widespread acclaim for its unique blend of outlaw blues and rock, effectively capturing a "space cowboy" vibe reminiscent of the TV series "Firefly." While many players appreciate the soundtrack's initial charm and its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, some have noted that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness over extended play sessions. The option to incorporate custom music further enriches the experience, allowing players to tailor the soundtrack to their preferences.

    • “The choice of outlaw blues for the soundtrack was brilliant.”
    • “With fat dogfights, a great blues-rock soundtrack and an atmospheric western vibe, the game perfectly captures the vastness of space.”
    • “The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, with entries from indie artists who collectively reinforce the space western feel of the game.”
    • “The music is charming in the beginning but gets old really soon.”
    • “The music quickly becomes dull, mostly twangy country music.”
    • “The soundtrack gets old fast.”
  • gameplay969 mentions

    The gameplay of "Rebel Galaxy" is characterized by its engaging and accessible mechanics, blending naval combat with space exploration in a simplified 2D environment. Players enjoy the broadside combat system and the addictive gameplay loop of trading, upgrading ships, and completing missions, although some find the repetitive nature of tasks and the lack of depth in mechanics to be drawbacks. Overall, while the game may not offer the complexity of traditional space sims, it provides a fun and immersive experience, especially for fans of the genre.

    • “One of the standout features of Rebel Galaxy is its open-world gameplay that allows players to explore various star systems, take on missions from different factions, and engage in thrilling space battles.”
    • “The gameplay is pure fun and easily makes up for the repetition in missions.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is oddly addictive.”
    • “The gameplay loop is overly simple and becomes tedious and boring fast.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, side missions and random encounters get repetitive, all locations look too much like one another, and I find that the ships were very few.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive but solid, and getting new weapons and ships is a lot of fun.”
  • graphics722 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many users praising the beautiful visuals, detailed ship designs, and vibrant space environments. While some reviews note that the graphics may not be cutting-edge compared to AAA titles, they are considered impressive for an indie game, especially given the low system requirements. Overall, the aesthetic and graphical quality contribute significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “In terms of presentation, Rebel Galaxy boasts stunning visuals and a dynamic soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The visuals are just beautiful, a fantastic portrayal of deep space with a wonderful blend of colors and hues from star system to star system.”
    • “The graphics are polished and detailed, and the soundtrack features a mix of rock and electronic music that adds to the sci-fi setting of the game.”
    • “The graphics do more to obscure the locations of locations and items than to enhance the gameplay, and the lame writing and delivery of the story really killed any good favor it had built up with its fun tall ship style combat.”
    • “The visuals give you a seizure practically and the whole storyline and method of gameplay is just dumb and pointless.”
    • “It's not triple-A, but it does have the art style.”
  • grinding392 mentions

    The reviews indicate that the game features a significant amount of grinding, particularly for upgrades and currency, which can lead to repetitive gameplay and a sense of tedium for some players. While many enjoy the core mechanics and find the grind rewarding, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, especially as missions often feel similar and the story lacks depth. Ultimately, the enjoyment of the game seems to hinge on one's tolerance for grinding and preference for space combat over narrative complexity.

    • “This game is awesome! While the storyline is kind of short and there isn't a ton of content, my experience wasn't overly grindy, and more importantly, it stayed fun.”
    • “The game's really not too grindy... unless you want to get a destroyer early in your playthrough - they are super expensive.”
    • “The same-y feeling fights, cookie-cutter missions and environments, and tiered equipment list ends up creating a monotonous and grindy experience.”
    • “The level of dissatisfaction I had after grinding money to get the biggest ships and progressing through the story only to feel like it was all futile is really quite irritating.”
    • “First and foremost, the game is a slog of grinding boring, repetitive missions over and over again.”
  • atmosphere131 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its unique blend of space western elements, reminiscent of beloved series like *Firefly* and *Cowboy Bebop*. Players appreciate the stunning visuals, immersive graphics, and a dynamic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, creating a compelling sense of adventure in a vast, lonesome universe. Despite some minor gameplay flaws, the game's atmosphere stands out as a major highlight, drawing players into its engaging world.

    • “With fat dogfights, a great blues-rock soundtrack, and an atmospheric western vibe, the game perfectly captures the vastness of space.”
    • “The atmospheric visuals and music (and occasional humor) is where this game truly shines, and outweighs any minor flaws this game has.”
    • “The atmosphere this game delivers is amazing.”
    • “There are too few factions, and they lack proper lore and atmosphere.”
    • “You are going to die a lot, and it's not because the little fighters have more firepower than you, but because of the atmosphere that will destroy your ship in the middle of space, or some 20 clicks from a moon, yes a moon, smaller than your ship, and destroys you with its atmosphere.”
    • “Sometimes the large distances can be boring, though in truth adds hugely to the atmosphere of the vastness, so a double-edged sword.”
  • replayability101 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players finding it highly enjoyable due to its procedurally generated maps and various faction choices, while others feel it becomes repetitive and lacks depth after completing the main story. Many appreciate the potential for different playstyles and random events, but several reviews highlight a significant drop in replay value once players reach endgame content or max out their equipment. Overall, while there are elements that encourage replayability, such as modding and diverse gameplay options, many users agree that the game could benefit from more content to sustain long-term engagement.

    • “Chances are you might want to play again though because there is pretty decent replayability - the system maps and galaxy map will be different and you can try a totally different approach on your next run - help the militia to rescue citizens, miners and traders from marauding gangs, stay neutral and work for the merchants' guild, take whatever pays the most as a member of the mercenaries guild - you can even go full pirate and ally with the red devils and double jack bandits.”
    • “The random encounters/events and various missions give the game replay value.”
    • “Great fun, limited replayability.”
    • “Can get repetitive once you have reached the endgame and maxed weaponry; not too much replayability beyond siding with different factions (option of 2, but you can technically align with both and they only unlock some mid-tier ships).”
    • “The main downside to it though is it can feel a tad bit grindy at parts, and there honestly isn't a whole lot of replayability.”
    • “Once you finished the story, the replay value is zero.”
  • stability60 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report smooth performance and minimal glitches, particularly on lower-end systems, there are notable issues with specific missions, especially escort tasks, which can be frustratingly buggy. Some users experienced game-breaking bugs and save file problems, suggesting that the game feels somewhat unpolished and rushed to market. Despite these issues, many still find the game enjoyable and recommend it, albeit with caution regarding its stability.

    • “It runs great even on my potato PC that struggles with games almost a decade old. I can even play with most of the fancy graphics options, and it also allows full custom music for all instances, be it during combat, ambient exploration, idling, or while in a station.”
    • “It's smooth as hell to play, bug free (I'm aware that of course there'll be bugs these days in most titles, but I haven't found anything I'd call a bug).”
    • “The game runs great on both a GTX 750 Ti and 970 at high.”
    • “Some of the missions are buggy and it gets to be frustrating.”
    • “All in all, though, for the price I paid on sale I can hardly give this game a not-recommended, but it comes with a heavy dose of warning: this still feels like an unpolished and buggy early-access game (at one point I got stuck in a piece of debris and had to reload the game).”
    • “The escort quests are buggy as hell with the person you're escorting randomly picking fights with militia and the 'warp binding' mechanic keeps breaking when you do absolutely nothing at all.”
  • humor39 mentions

    The game is praised for its quirky and light-hearted humor, which is seamlessly integrated into the gameplay and character interactions. Players enjoy the comedic elements, such as funny NPC dialogues, absurd alien designs, and humorous audio comments that enhance the overall experience. The combination of a lively soundtrack and amusing scenarios contributes to a charming atmosphere, making the game both entertaining and enjoyable.

    • “Rebel Galaxy has a great sense of humor, and the combat can be picked up readily even by terrible players such as myself.”
    • “The game's light-hearted atmosphere with a few funny lines of text here and there blend well with combat and music.”
    • “The character voice acting is humorous and appropriate and gives the game a wonderful charm.”
  • optimization39 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and ability to run well on lower-end machines, with many users reporting no significant bugs or performance issues. While the graphics are generally considered decent, some players noted that they are not fully optimized for 4K resolution. Despite a few minor glitches and repetitive gameplay, the combat system and various mechanics are well-balanced and enjoyable, contributing to a rewarding experience.

    • “I was quite impressed by the engine performance of the game - while I didn't have all the anti-aliasing and stuff ramped all the way up, it performed quite well on my aging laptop, in spite of the broad range of visual effects going on.”
    • “Well optimized, fun combat, easy controls and simplistic enough to be able to jump into with grace, while also presenting enough challenge and complexity to be fun even after hours.”
    • “In terms of performance, the game is pretty well optimized and I haven't experienced any FPS drops nor crashes or glitches in the game so far.”
    • “Bugs-wise, you're going to encounter some wacky ones, like a faction sending you to do a hit on their own guys, meaning that sure, you can do the mission, but you're going to lose tons of rep with them, stuff spawning inside other stuff and abysmal, I do mean abysmal performance.”
    • “Graphics kinda meh and not optimized for 4K.”
    • “Somebody said it might have a data leak, so if that was fixed and it was optimized a bit, that might help.”
  • emotional15 mentions

    Overall, players find the emotional impact of the game to be limited, primarily due to its simplistic story and lack of character development. While the gameplay offers moments of immersion and excitement, such as feeling like a space pirate or trucker, many reviewers express disappointment that the game doesn't fully capitalize on its potential for a deeper emotional narrative. The combination of engaging combat and a captivating atmosphere is appreciated, but the shallow plot leaves players wanting more emotional connection.

    • “This game made me feel like a mix between Han Solo and Captain Mal.”
    • “I'm an emotional gamer, so for me, what makes or breaks a game is the feeling a game emotes.”
    • “Great game, made me feel like a rebel space pirate/smuggler.”
  • character development12 mentions

    Overall, reviews indicate that the game suffers from a significant lack of character development and a compelling storyline, with many players expressing disappointment in the thin narrative and limited role-playing elements. While some effort has been made to incorporate unique aspects, such as alien language interactions, the overall depth and engagement in character arcs and dialogue options are notably weak. Players seeking rich character development and immersive storytelling are likely to be dissatisfied.

    • “And more varied character development, dialogue, and faction options would enhance the role-playing experience in this space action RPG.”
    • “There isn't much character development; however, they put a lot of thought into what was there, such as if you listen to the alien languages, you can actually pick up what words mean in the translations.”
    • “You can hire your own merc to help out in the fighting, but there's limited interaction with them; no dialogue to get to know them or any significant character development, just one-liners about their actions.”
    • “There is no RPG-esque character development; the only limitation on what ship/equipment you can use seems to be money and, to a lesser extent, faction.”
    • “Killer soundtrack, great atmosphere, but it loses its novelty quickly due to a super linear storyline and lack of character development.”
    • “The story and character development is a bit weak though and could use some novelist skills to bump it up a bit.”
  • monetization9 mentions

    The game is praised for its lack of monetization tactics, such as microtransactions and in-game purchases, which contributes to a more enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the absence of gimmicks and the straightforward gameplay, contrasting it with the prevalent issues in mobile games. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as refreshing and beneficial to the game's enjoyment.

    • “No gimmicks, no major tech breakthroughs, no greedy monetization; just a fun space game.”
    • “Well, in short, the game is a blast, no previous knowledge of other games required, no need for a gamepad or joystick, and apparently, which is not the norm, no microtransactions.”
    • “No in-game purchases nonsense.”
    • “I don't need 'live services', microtransactions, multiplayer, and all the other stuff.”
    • “- no in-game purchases bullshit.”
    • “(hint: iOS/mobile games mostly suck due to microtransactions)”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

Buy Rebel Galaxy

Play time

28hMedian play time
33hAverage play time
13-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 83 analyzed playthroughs

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