Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector – PC Review

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Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector takes players to the Starward Belt, a richly realised, ramshackle set of habitats in an asteroid belt full of secrets, stories, and characters trying to make ends meet. Developed by Jump Over The Edge and published by Fellow Traveller. This is a massively anticipated sequel to one of 2022’s most acclaimed dice run RPGs. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is now out on Steam, grab your sleeper jacket and jump into this thrilling adventure!

Great, another character that will haunt my nightmares.

Developers Jump Over The Edge push the boundaries of the first game to make this an even more compelling story driven adventure now with even more challenge than before.  The stakes are high but so is the reward. And with that in mind, let’s get into it.

A character in futuristic attire stands in a sci-fi environment with dialog boxes on a game interface.
It’s never an easy ride for the Sleeper is it?

Gameplay

Welcome to the Starward Belt. You are a sleeper, a digitised human consciousness in an artificial body, owned by a corporation that wants you back. Jump into the game amongst the many characters and trials of the world, you need to build friendships, earn your keep, and navigate the factions of this strange world, if you hope to survive to see the next cycle of course and that’s where the challenge lies.

Citizen Sleeper uses dice rolls and uses the outcomes to do activities, some of which are more risky if you don’t use a high number dice and dependant on your chosen skill set. Earn money to keep yourself fed and running. You have to do this in order to keep yourself at a healthy condition otherwise you risk getting stressed and ending up with less dice to use which will hinder your tasks moving forward. Accomplish certain tasks within certain time frames. While meeting different character that may want to meet your end rather than be your friend. There are lots of optional tasks every step of the way, with the addition of contracts you can now pick up that will lead to different story outcomes, similar to the first game but with even more content.

An illustrated character in a game's skill tree interface with a "PUSH" mechanic highlighted.
Again, the art?? Breath taking.

In terms of actual gameplay the game is very heavily text driven. If you like a game with plenty of dialogue and back story to keep that imagination flowing Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector will deliver just that. The main base of this is your dice gameplay, this may seem complicated at first however you will grasp this quite quickly, the tutorials will make sure you are up to date and ready to take on the world as a Sleeper.

Graphics & Audio

The graphics? Have you EVEN seen the art style? It is fantastic. The first Citizen Sleeper caught my eye immediately with how beautiful it was. The design of the world, the characters, tt falls perfectly together to make a fantastic narrative story. All the characters have little quirks about them which play part into their personalities. The second game is no different. The art perfectly captures the coldness of outer space and the mechanical nature of the world, but it also had the warmth of all the people living there glowing from inside. It really helps the world feel so much more alive and you really begin to develop some strong bonds with the characters. That isn’t just done through text, but design as well and they do it so well!

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector also has one of the best soundtracks I’ve come across in story-based gaming but the first Citizen Sleeper was again, no different. It’s a lofi/moody soundtrack. Super chill and has just the right vibes for the game. Personally I will be purchasing the soundtrack just to support the wonderful people that created this. It’s wonderful not only to see the love that was put into this game, but also hear it.

A sci-fi character is seen with a funky outfit aboard the rig with dialogue on the side.
The design of these characters is so captivating.

Longevity

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector offers so much in terms of story depth and characters that it can easily get you sucked in. Who wouldn’t be a fan of a game with this kind of amazing detail?! Assemble your perfect crew and go through the harsh world of the Starward Belt together. Develop meaningful and impactful friendships that will last a life time. I still think about my favourite characters from the first game and this won’t change.  Having the ability to also developed your character further using the 3 Sleeper beginning presets brings a little more in terms of replayability.

I can’t wait to try out the different forms to see how it affects the story in terms of my choices. With the amount of dialogue available there is plenty for you to discover. Travel the Starward Belt and discover all of them if that is your kind of idea of fun!

A screenshot from a sci-fi video game with dialogue options and a character named Karsten.
The yellow suit is a fashion staple on top the Rig. Can’t you tell?

Final Thoughts

Citizen Sleeper 2 Starward Vector did all the right things to improve on the first game, they didn’t over do it either. There was no need to absolutely destroy the wonderful structure and solid foundation the series has. So instead they decided to innovate on this and make the game more challenging for those that seek it. While also bring a few new things in to keep interest. The idea of having your own crew and travelling the wonderfully crafted world is nothing short of perfect. Whilst it may not be to everyone’s taste, it certainly was mine.

With all this being said I will be awarding Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. 

Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.

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