How do you deal with a game that combines not more, but ALL possible genres? How do you classify it, how do you look at it? You treat it as an all-you-can-eat buffet, or do you take each style into account? If the game in question happens to be Space Rangers 2, I have a humble suggestion: you play it until you drop, and then play some more.
The storyline is willingly a cliché and almost identical to its predecessor. From who-knows-where three alien races appear in the universe, collectively called the Dominators, who proceed to conquer every inhabited solar system, with little regards for morality and mercy. In fact, if you’ll be curious enough to find out where these alien actually come from, you’ll discover a funny story behind the Kelleroids, Blazeroids and Terranoids.
And if the names sound cheesy, wait until you watch the intro and see how sarcasm and irony can be the basis for an entire gameplay experience. The mission is therefore simple and straightforward, because in order to rid the world of the alien menace you can choose the violent or the peaceful path. And even the passive one, for the universe has a life of its own and can do very well without you.
The five races the Dominators are trying to crush have put aside their differences and decided to form an alliance, whose immediate result is the creation of the Space Rangers, a group of elite pilots whose goal is to annihilate the pesky aliens. Officially. Because unofficially, they have a lot of fun gathering fortunes, shiny spaceships and combat medals, in a title that although cannot be easily labeled, can also be described as a space combat and trading game, with complete freedom of movement.
The player can choose his race and job description, although the latter is more like a title that determines the initial relation with other races, and can change during the game. And because a race turned hostile towards you will no longer allow access to its planets, keeping everyone happy is something to aim for in the long run.
Considering that the Dominators are quite a difficult foe to tackle, in the beginning you will probably tend to your ship, upgrading it with a multitude of available components. We have engines, fuel tanks, radars, shields and of course, weapons. Ships can have large storage bays for transporting goods or can be equipped with extra weapon slots, but either way, I found that hunting for the best deal and the latest equipment is a pleasurable enterprise. Furthermore, we have artifacts – special items that cannot be attached to any ship, but offer a considerable boost, as well as modules that can be used to improve certain components.
A drop of RPG elements can be encountered in the pilot’s attributes (six of them), which enhance combat abilities, the amount of money you can receive or the number of wingmen you can control in combat. These can be increased with the experience gained while defeating Dominators or completing special missions.
Show me the money!
Considering that the universe has a life of its own, the five races usually go about their business and leave the Dominators affair in charge of rangers. The bulky Maloq are interested only in war and food, the Pelengs are scoundrels who love bad jokes, while the Fayens and Gaalians care for beauty and scientific research, respectively. Humans, as usual, are good at trade and diplomacy. Every solar system (there are about 60 of them) can contain several planets, usually owned by more than one race, where you will spend most of your time repairing your ship, buying new components or purchasing trade goods.
This is in fact the heart and soul of trade, a simple concept based on demand and offer. We can trade medicine, food or minerals, although some races may not be happy if you’re smuggling banned goods, such as weapons and drugs. Trade may be an easy way to make money, as long as you keep an eye out for pirates, but you can also jump the fence and become a pirate yourself. Innocent traders or diplomats may be threatened into paying a road toll, or even to drop their cargo, but extensive piracy may bring about the wrath of the local governments, who will send their security ships to hunt you down. Fortunately, this hostility can be easily fixed with a well-placed bribe, or if things get serious, with some jail time.