"I want a third one"

This sequel to Starflight is another excellent space exploration game with a few more twists than the original. More expansive in all areas, Starflight 2 offers more alien interaction and plot developments which make the game longer and more challenging.

Story
Once again, things aren’t looking all that good for humankind. A ban on Endurium, the traditional fuel source, has put a serious strain on resources and spacefaring ability. The discovery of a new fuel source called Shyneum has forced the construction of a new outpost in the region of space where that fuel is plentiful. This new region is inhabited by 20-30 new species of alien, not all of whom are friendly. Compounding problems has been the sudden rise to power of the sniveling Spemin who, after acquiring a powerful new technology, have styled themselves as overlords of the galaxy and have taken to harassing everyone else. Your new mission is to answer two questions: First, find out the secret of the Spemin’s new technology and acquire it yourself. Second, find the source of the fuel called Shyneum.

Gameplay
Gameplay in Starflight 2 is almost identical to Starflight. Like Starflight, the first part of the game revolves around making enough money to outfit a decent ship and crew. However this isn’t as easy in the second game because you can no longer sell minerals to Starport for money. This was one of the things that made Starflight too easy in some peoples’ opinions, because your ship would have class 5 everything after just a few mining expeditions. In Starflight 2 the only way to make money is by doing something new: trading with aliens. Trading is done in trading posts on the alien’s homeworld. Here you can sell any minerals and life-forms that the alien is interested in and purchase fuel, specialty items and rare artifacts.

When your ship is decent enough you can begin to explore the galaxy and encounter more alien races. Of the species that inhabit the area, only a handful of them are spacefaring. (You can still visit and trade with the non-spacefaring aliens by visiting their homeworlds.) Each species has their own personality and trading techniques which you must pay attention to. For example, some like to barter and some don’t. You can communicate with any spacefaring aliens you encounter while in your ship and they can offer important information. Each race has its own idiosyncrasies which you must respect, or else you might end up offending them and have a battle on your hands.

Through the game you will be required to wear many hats and take on different responsibilities: explorer, diplomat, miner, life-form wrangler, trader, fighter and detective, to name a few. There are a greater number of plot “events” in Starflight 2, but the game never tries to force you down a certain path. Gameplay is always very open-ended and lets you remain independent so that you can go down that path at your own leisure.

Audio
There is no music to speak of during the game, just ambient sound effects of various noises made by the ship, from sensors to engine noise. The game is very realistic this way in that it doesn’t give you anything outside of what you would actually hear in that situation.

Video
Overall the quality of the graphics has improved over Starflight 1, reflecting the advancements of video technology. In basic gameplay the graphics are exactly the same as in the original: simple with little to no shading or texturing. For certain situations you will get a bigger close-up picture, and this is where the added detail and more complex colors are brought in. For example, when your ship encounters an alien you will see a nicely detailed close-up of that alien in your communications window. The same goes for trade-centers, where you get a picture of the alien you are talking to and a close-up of the item you are bartering for.

Conclusion
Starflight 2 is a game of the highest caliber in every respect. So much love and attention to detail has gone into it, and it shows. The things I’ve talked about in my review are truly just the tip of the iceberg of what the game has to offer. Like its predecessor Starflight, Starflight 2 is a true classic that I would recommend whole-heartedly.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/18/02, Updated 05/06/03