Star Sonata 2

About

Star Sonata 2 is a space-themed massively multiplayer online game that combines elements of action, RPG, and empire creation into a truly unique MMO experience. Explore the sandbox style universe, build persistent bases, construct trade ships, and even fight your way to the top and claim the Emperor’s Throne!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 223 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Star Sonata 2 offers a unique blend of gameplay elements, including exploration, combat, and a player-driven economy, making it a standout in the space MMO genre.
The community is friendly and helpful, with many veteran players willing to assist newcomers, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
The game has a deep progression system with extensive customization options for ships and playstyles, allowing players to tailor their experience to their preferences.

The game suffers from dated graphics and a clunky user interface, which can detract from the overall experience for some players.
There are concerns about the balance and fairness of the game, particularly regarding the influence of long-time players and the potential for pay-to-win mechanics.
Frequent updates and changes can lead to frustration, as players may find their hard-earned progress or setups rendered obsolete or less effective.

gameplay
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
Gameplay in this game is a blend of nostalgic mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like "Asteroids," combined with a more modern RPG experience that offers depth in PvE and sandbox elements. While the game features engaging combat and a variety of progression systems, players have noted issues with community toxicity, confusing mechanics, and a lack of new content, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, many players appreciate the unique gameplay and community aspects, finding enjoyment in the evolving mechanics and the potential for deep engagement.
- “The gameplay is very fun.”
- “If you crave depth of gameplay, and a thriving community among the stars, this is the game for you.”
- “An ARPG in space with tons of sandbox elements, active combat dodging, skill utilization, gear min-maxing, raid bosses, roaming bosses, mods and affix/prefix to grind for on your gear and stack together, civilization and base management, PvP and base PvP with high risk high reward mechanics, asteroid mining and automation elements that you can invest in to build up your own gear and ships to optionally gain independence from the player market.”
- “It can take some time to really grasp all the mechanics, especially if you're new to this type of game.”
- “The game mechanics suck and are broken in various ways.”
- “Major mechanics are redesigned every 6-24 months, invalidating any investment made by players.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics of the game are generally described as dated and simple, lacking the visual flair of modern titles, yet they evoke nostalgia for players familiar with older aesthetics. While the visuals may not win awards, they are considered charming and functional, contributing to a deeper gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics serve the game well, especially on various devices, but players express a desire for more variety and updates in visual elements.
- “Pretty old-school aesthetics and sound effects; I don't know if this is intended, but it has provoked strong nostalgia for my childhood (2000-2010).”
- “Old graphics though, some antiquated systems, but honestly part of the charm.”
- “Really like the graphics; they work well on all computers and look really good on an OLED or iPad with 10,000 LED.”
- “Dated graphics; it's not going to win any awards for visuals, but what it lacks in graphics, it makes up for in gameplay depth.”
- “Graphics - simple, not a ton of flash here.”
- “The graphics are simple by today's standards, but the game has depth to it.”
grinding
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players describe the grinding aspect of the game as extensive and often frustrating, with significant time investment required for progression, particularly in PvP. While some find enjoyment in the grind and the excitement of obtaining rare items, many feel that recent changes have rendered their efforts meaningless, leading to a repetitive cycle of farming with little reward. Additionally, the presence of long-term players with accumulated advantages can make the experience feel unbalanced and discouraging for newcomers.
- “Developers announce sweeping changes seemingly randomly that nullify dozens if not hundreds of hours of grinding with absolutely zero forethought as to how it will affect the player base and content.”
- “You will constantly be running into players that have been playing with 10 years of accumulation of wealth and resources, with advantages from past bugs (duplication and autofarming bugs specifically) that were never properly purged, and an unwillingness for people to pursue content with you as anything other than a carry, making your experience in getting loot and progressing yet again unpleasant.”
- “The content is just a dead end loop of grinding.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's story is noted for its diversity and depth, featuring multiple storylines and a rich lore that includes elements like ancient universe wars. However, players have expressed confusion and overwhelm due to the complexity of missions and systems, which can detract from the overall experience. While the narrative is well-written, the abundance of quests and mechanics may lead to frustration for some players.
- “I am definitely going to play this, between the base building, the well-written story and missions, the combat, the trading, and especially how the planets rotate and move.”
- “And if all of that isn't enough for you, you can actually pay attention to some of the missions in the game.”
- “I had a lot of confusion about the beginning missions, quickly got overwhelmed and then realized I can go anywhere I want to in my first 20 minutes of gameplay and got even more overwhelmed, and that was the end.”
- “Not good... too many systems, too many quests, no global trade market/auction, no one-click auto quest path, not a good party system, too many useless skills, drone system making the game and the mine ship useless too... overall the game score from 1 to 10 is 3.”
- “There's multiple storylines which you can follow, and there's a ridiculously deep lore, like the ancient universe wars.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its retro-style action RPG elements infused with humor, featuring subtle jokes and references in its writing and art that may go unnoticed by some players. The community, including players, admins, and developers, is described as friendly and funny, contributing to an overall lighthearted atmosphere.
- “Overall, the game deserves a bigger community than it has, especially if you enjoy a retro-style action RPG with a lot of humor and care injected into it.”
- “The tone and references in the writing and art styles are subtly humorous, though most people might not notice.”
- “For the most part, the players, admins, and devs are incredibly friendly, funny, and helpful.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The music in the game is described as silly and enjoyable, with some players expressing a desire for more variety in the audio-visual elements. Overall, the soundtrack has received positive feedback, contributing to the game's charm.
- “I would personally like to see a few more things from it, like some more variety in the bullet/laser/etc visuals and sounds/music.”
- “Also, I'm not sure why, but I love the soundtrack.”
- “The music was very silly.”
- “I would personally like to see a few more things from it, like some more variety in the bullet, laser, and other visuals and sounds/music.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The monetization model is generally viewed as fair, offering balanced free-to-play and pay-to-play options without pay-to-win elements. However, players express frustration over the frequent changes and lack of compensation for major game alterations, especially as the game increasingly relies on microtransactions.
- “Fair monetization: F2P and P2P options feel balanced, with no pay-to-win aspects.”
- “The monetization model is well-structured, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
- “The development work is messy, often requiring many iterations to reach a workable state, all while you're paying to play in that hectic and unpredictable environment. Since the game has shifted heavily towards microtransactions, you're unlikely to receive any compensation when the dev team makes arbitrary changes to major game elements, as they expect you to pay for those updates.”
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, with essential features locked behind paywalls, making it frustrating for players who don't want to spend extra money.”
- “It's disappointing to see a game that could be great being held back by aggressive monetization strategies that prioritize profit over player experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, users report minor stability issues, such as occasional UI bugs and difficulty accessing certain fighters early in the game. However, the game performs well on Linux, particularly when using Wine and Proton, indicating a generally stable experience across platforms.
- “I'm also happy to report the game runs great on Linux with Wine, but also now using Steam and Proton (Valve's Wine fork), which I'm grateful for.”
- “The only real struggle I've faced is some UI annoyances, where item menus can be a little buggy at times, and fighters for a carrier class are hard to access early on.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has faced significant criticism since 2018, with players reporting a decline in content quality and performance. Issues include the introduction of overpowered items that were later nerfed unexpectedly, leading to frustration among players who invested time in optimizing their setups. Additionally, the removal of key features, such as combat bots for the gunner class, has further contributed to dissatisfaction with the game's balance and overall experience.
- “Since 2018, the game has been on a downward spiral with awful content and negative performance. Players have invested hours perfecting setups around overpowered items, only to have them nerfed on a whim by the game owner, leading to huge setbacks.”
- “The recent removal of a major feature for combat bots in the gunner class has rendered them identical to other classes, which is incredibly frustrating for players who relied on that unique aspect.”
- “The constant changes and deletions of items without proper communication from the developers have left players feeling disheartened and confused about the game's direction.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the game's high replayability due to its unique freedom to choose between various approaches—whether through violence or peaceful means—allowing for diverse experiences in each playthrough.
- “The ability to do whatever you want and to attain power, through violence or peace, is unique and gives the game a lot of replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a sense of heartbreak over its decline and underappreciation, suggesting that it has the potential for greater recognition and impact.
- “It deserves to be better known, and it's heartbreaking how it has languished in what is basically decline for years and years.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a blend of 90's arcade action and MMO character development, offering extensive item progression that rivals contemporary MMOs, reminiscent of the Star Control series.
- “The game is heavily influenced by the Star Control series and combines 90’s style arcade action with MMO character development and an almost limitless item progression that rivals many modern MMOs.”