Out of cash, out of luck, out on the fringe. Juno Markev has a killer to tail, a debt to pay, and more trouble headed her way. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw takes place in a greasy, blue-collar world of outlaws, truckers, cops and thieves. Strap into a variety of spacecraft, settle a score in a filthy space-bar over a game of 8-ball, rock out to over 24 hours of music, and engage in white-knuckle dogfights. In the Dodge Sector it’s hard to get by – and even harder to get even...

Only a few weeks ago, with the run up to the release of Star Wars: Squadrons, I was talking to an old friend about the old classic game series Wing Commander. We were fondly reminiscing about what a cool franchise it was and how there hadn't been anything quite it released in years. And then Rebel Galaxy Outlaw arrived in my inbox.

The game is set in a retro future world, which makes it feel as though it was designed by someone in the '80s to reflect a future world that, in a lot of instances, is less techie than what we have today, while other elements are light years away.

You play as Juno Markev, an outlaw and smuggler who went straight and settled down until events conspired to drag you back to your former life. After an encounter in a shady watering hole goes bad, your ship is trashed and you find yourself in debt to an old friend and casino owner who gives you a floating garbage truck and some words of advice.

The game is geared to be customised so that it's just as accessible to the novice gamer as it is to the seasoned space combat sim fan. You can follow the main story campaign and branch off to explore the galaxy or complete optional side quests. You can gamble in the many bars and use the extra cash to buy new ships or components to upgrade your current ship.

This is a game that expands as you play. There will be elements that you might not touch for ages, or be straight in there from day one (buying and selling commodities from one planet and lugging them across the galaxy to sell elsewhere at a profit is one example). As you play you'll meet and befriend an array of sketchy characters who you can call on to lend a hand when needed.

The attention to detail is also another element that makes this game feel like a labour off love. Your ship comes equipped with seven radio stations packed with over 21 hours of music, DJs and commercials. The little mini games are also a joy to play, like the bar pool games, dice games and arcade machine games and slot machines.

There's a nice balance here of space combat, barroom mini games and an engaging ongoing quest. If you put the hours in you'll reap the rewards of this fun and well produced offering.

9

Nick Smithson