Citizen Sleeper took me unexpectedly in 2022, giving me a uncommon new online game expertise, each mechanically and narratively, and my dice-centric role-playing journey has caught with me since. I nonetheless take into consideration my Sleeper and what they’re to date. In a yr the place Elden Ring did not launch, it will have been my recreation of the yr with a bullet – learn my Citizen Sleeper evaluation right here to search out out why. Now, a little bit greater than two years later, I’ve performed components of the opening hour of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and discover myself determined to play extra. It brings again its unbelievable sci-fi rating, cyberpunk (but distinct) visible model, and thought-provoking and stress-inducing writing. It infuses every little thing I really like in regards to the first Citizen Sleeper with new mechanics that gas the sport’s central decision-making processes.
Like the primary recreation, I assign my Sleeper one in all three lessons. I’m going with the Operator, which the sport describes as bodily fragile however nice at working in interfaces and laptop methods. Instantly, I discover the chosen class performs a extra vital function in how your expertise will play out as a result of the Operator lacks entry to a whole ability. This implies I am mechanically at a drawback with any motion requiring mentioned ability. Nevertheless, I’ve entry to the Reboot ability that enables me to reset my system, which mechanically means I acquire a cube reroll. It is a dangerous ability, as I might roll a good decrease quantity, placing no matter motion is at hand additional into jeopardy. I might additionally roll a considerably higher quantity, too, although.
The story picks up after my Sleeper has been helped by their good friend Serafin. I’ve lately rebooted my complete system, ending my dependence on the Stabilizer drug that performs a serious function in Citizen Sleeper and the gang chief Laine, who provides it to me. It is a majority of these touchstones to the primary recreation gamers will discover within the sequel, which is its personal standalone story. Nevertheless, the reboot was only a partial success. Positive, I not want Stabilizer, however my synthetic physique is malfunctioning. Serafin and I flee on a ship known as the Rig, which we steal from Laine and take to Hexport.
Laine, sad with every little thing we have carried out, is after us by means of gang members, bounties, and extra. He is somebody my Sleeper as soon as noticed as a protector, a savior even, however now, they know him as “a pursuer, a tormentor, a nightmare.” I am unable to assist however discover the setup for Citizen Sleeper 2 is almost equivalent to the primary recreation – a Sleeper whose physique is preventing towards them is on the run from somebody greater than them. Gareth Damian Martin, the only real developer at one-person studio Leap Over The Age (although Martin has some assist in growing Citizen Sleeper 2), says that is intentional.
“I am an enormous fan of noir storytelling,” Martin tells me. “I assume it is a bit of old school storytelling, however I like the concept about an peculiar one that’s getting sucked into extraordinary circumstances making an attempt to improvise their manner by way of it.”
They are saying they needed to vary it up a bit for the sequel – as a substitute of working from a company conglomerate, you are working from a singular individual and his gang of underlings. Martin says they really feel the result’s a narrative that is a “bit extra intimate and intimidating, and in a manner, weirdly scarier as a result of it feels a little bit extra harmful.”
Laine
After choosing my Sleeper, I am thrown proper into the cube motion that returns from the primary recreation. Serafin goes to test on one thing, so that they process me with going to the Hexport Docks to choose up some small gigs. I put a 5-dice (the upper the quantity, the extra possible the motion I assign the cube to finally ends up with a constructive consequence versus a impartial or pricey damaging one) on a “Chat to Crews” operate right here to get some recommendations on potential crew recruits and contacts. Nevertheless, regardless of the excessive constructive probability with a 5-dice, I get a impartial consequence and solely get materials. From right here, I discover the world extra and ultimately unveil a brand new location after finishing sufficient actions at a distinct spot. It is “The Bends,” and I can gamble some Cryo (foreign money) within the Star and Stoker recreation or purchase some fries to revive my power.
You lose one phase out of your power bar for every cycle or day of motion (largely decided by your working out of cube). If this bar is empty, you starve and acquire one stress bar per cycle. It is right here I be taught Martin has taken a recurring feeling from the primary recreation – the stress one experiences whereas enjoying and its impact in your decision-making – and turned it into an precise in-game mechanic aptly named stress. This dictates how a lot harm your cube will take when rolled. Harm a cube thrice, and it breaks till it is mounted.
Stress joins one other new mechanic known as Glitch, which I do not expertise in my hands-on demo however witness in a hands-off preview performed by Martin. For those who roll your cube when you have some Glitch, which, like Stress, is represented within the U.I., you may roll Glitch cube. These have an 80% probability for a damaging consequence however a 20% probability for the very best consequence, as soon as extra enjoying into the risk-and-reward really feel permeating the sport. You acquire Glitch based mostly on the way you restore or heal your physique – scrap components may yield extra Glitch, whereas extra premium assets yield little to none. Collectively, these mechanics add an thrilling however worrying new layer to every determination you make with cube.
“Whenever you search for there [at your U.I. bar], there’s this sort of recreation of plates spinning,” Martin tells me. “The massive a part of these plates is definitely you coping with the services and capabilities of your physique. Even whenever you heal one in all your cube slots, you are having to take care of the truth that you take on Glitch, and due to this fact, you’ve got received to consider, ‘Do I’m going on a job proper now once I’ve received this stage of Glitch or do I relaxation a bit?’ Generally, that is linked to me including a bit extra mechanical heft to the sport, particularly in the case of gamers who aren’t essentially drawn to the role-playing with out some type of mechanical help for that.”
Martin hopes these further layers of mechanics present new pathways for role-playing. With Citizen Sleeper, they seen some gamers would lean into the role-playing side, being profitable and choices based mostly on how their Sleeper may. Nevertheless, some gamers mentioned, “I prefer to earn cash wherever I take advantage of cash.” It was strictly mechanical for them.
“I all the time felt like, ‘Oh, that is a disgrace as a result of I would like you to interact with this character that you just’re enjoying and the story they’re telling,’ so this time round, if I would like gamers to consider how they need to take care of one thing, there is a mechanical impact,” Martin says.
As there isn’t any level in spoiling the narrative occasions that transpire on this preview construct, given how narrative-focused the sequence is, I will bounce forward to a different new mechanic: Contracts. After choosing one up on the Hexport contract board, I be taught these high-risk, high-reward jobs tremendously increase the scope of Citizen Sleeper 2. Not like the primary recreation, which primarily takes place on a singular house station known as the Eye, Citizen Sleeper 2 provides gamers entry to a big star map with numerous factors of curiosity.
Earlier than embarking on this contract, the sport warns me to make sure I’ve sufficient gas to journey to the contract, provides to maintain my Sleeper and crew going, and that I take the chance to scout out new freelance crew members to affix. Your crew performs a big function each in the principle narrative of Citizen Sleeper 2 and these contracts, which Martin describes as vignettes or episodes impressed by, for instance, sub-arcs in sequence like Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, or different sci-fi greats. They are saying you may do two or three contracts and see the identical character repeatedly, or there may be contracts the place you meet a personality for the primary and final time. Regardless, it is in regards to the “little story” you get from these contracts. Some are excessive depth, others are extra laid again, Martin says. The one I do in my preview falls into the previous.
After traversing throughout house to a safety drone with one thing inside I want, I be taught that mentioned drone is rigged to blow. 4 errors and the contract might be over on account of an explosion. As such, I need to disable components of the drone in a semi-sequential order whereas sustaining a balancing act of cube, provides (and power), and extra. Provides, of which I can carry a most of 5 at this level and do earlier than leaving for this contract, mechanically replenish power after every cycle throughout a contract. Whenever you run out of provides, your power will deplete every cycle, and as your power depletes, your cube worsen, jeopardizing the mission at hand. That is why making ready forward of time for a contract is crucial.
Nevertheless, with a drone rigged to blow after 4 errors, I am unable to threat utilizing low-number cube with excessive possibilities of failure or my low-number crew cube, which, like mine, take into impact our ability proficiencies and can be utilized alongside my very own Sleeper’s cube. Not desirous to threat the low-number cube, I finish cycles prematurely, crossing my fingers that I roll some higher-number cube the following day. Luckily, I do and full the contract. Some intriguing story stuff occurs once I return to Hexport that I will not spoil right here, and my demo is over.
Throughout the preview Martin performs, I see much more of the mechanical and narrative synergy (and stress) of Citizen Sleeper 2 at play. You’ll be able to make the most of Push to get cube bonuses, however doing so instantly provides to your Stress meter. The ability tree is extra expansive and customizable, designed with freedom in thoughts fairly than guiding gamers towards a selected construct. The whole lot I see excites me.
Martin says they’re midway by way of growing the sport and already at 120,000 phrases – Citizen Sleeper and its DLC totals 180,000 phrases, promising a wealthy storytelling expertise within the sequel. There is a bigger push from Martin to lean into Citizen Sleeper’s tabletop inspirations and its cyberpunk themes. Citizen Sleeper 2 is, on paper, a basic instance of extra story, extra methods, extra to do. However critically, Martin is not simply going greater, as a substitute rigorously curating an expertise that strikes sharply on the coronary heart of what made the primary recreation work so properly: the oh-so-fine steadiness between success and failure and the stress that lives between the 2. If the heart-pumping I felt throughout my hour with the sport is any indication, Martin has rolled a powerful set of cube on this first preview cycle for this sequel.
