Back in 1998 I was 14. A bunch of us went into town to the cinema. The girl of my dreams was in the crowd. My first ever crush. Unfortunately the day ended with my best friend chatting her up, then they left together back to her place. My world grew cold and blanched, my eyes filled with tears and my nose blocked with snot.
Happily as I stumbled back to the bus stop, the local games shop had a big poster of Rebelstar 2 in stock. That brightened up my fickle teenage angst considerably.
Anyroad, as for the game, its a refinement of the game engine used in Rebelstar 1. The graphics are more consistent and more appealing. Unfortunately the big falling down is the map. The gist of the game is that the battle should be fought over the swampy marshland. However when any two areas look the same its impossible to get bearings, and any game which is played by taking the fight to the enemy always ends up with you being decimated by the computer taking impossibly long shots against what you though was a covered flank. The only viable strategy is blandly waiting for the enemy to come to you in the start area. Most of the map goes unused.
It can still lead to a tense dash for the landing craft to finish the game, and a very high score will result in the comment 'Death to hackers', which is reward in itself. There is some fun to be had, but overall it feels like a step back from Rebelstar 1. The 'Paradise Valley' scenario from Laser Squad has a similar theme but that time it works correctly.
Rebelstar 2 takes place on a hostile
alien planet. You start off on the left of
the map and have to make your way to
the aliens fortress on the right of the
map, destroy the queen and make off
with as many eggs as you can. The
game is a lot more of a challenge than
the first game. You start off being
attacked by vicious marsh rats. Having
fended off their attack you have to
make your way across the alien
landscape, taking cover behind trees
and bushes. You'll need to ensure
you're well hidden as the aliens take
pot shots from miles away, often with
deadly accuracy. The game has a real
sense of urgency. You'll need to keep
moving forward as alien
reinforcements will start to arrive from
the left from about turn 12 onwards. If
you do manage to reach the fortress
you'll find the queen to be a
formidable foe spitting lethal acid at
anyone who gets too close. Once the
queen is taken care off you need to
gather up her eggs and make for your
ship before it takes off. And if you
manage to do this you've done very
well indeed.
Rebelstar 2 is one of the finest games I
have ever played and helped cement
my love of turn based strategy games.
