Rebel Galaxy returns as Epic Games Store’s freebie this week
In case you missed it the first time around
Epic Games Store have found a few more copies of Rebel Galaxy down the back of their couch to give away. Double Damage’s space western (but also very piratey) game is still worth playing if you like big spaceships taking aim at each other across the depths of space. Every death could be narrated by Rutger Hauer having a nice sit-down in the rain. It's free until August 19.
Though it lets you chat to aliens, trade, mine, and hunt bounties, this isn’t really a game like Elite Dangerous where you can spend hours on each activity. About 80% of Rebel Galaxy involves shooting at other ships, with the rest there to help you upgrade your fleet. You start off small scale, making ends meet smuggling and hunting bounties in a randomly generated galaxy of about 15 solar systems. But persistence will net you a large ship that would cause a Klingon’s forehead to straighten. Negotiations often end up in explosions.
The combat, for all it’s zero-g setting, is based on naval battles, and sits on a 2D plane. You’ll spend a lot of time circling and aiming broadside barrages while the AI mans the smaller guns. That actually makes it stand out amidst today’s first-person forward space games. It’s almost relaxing in comparison. A sort of violently zen scull through space. That might be the biggest issue for some: you’re not going to get sweaty playing it, but the Craig who played it six years ago gives it a thumbs-up.
You can grab it for free from Epic Games Store from now until Aug 19, and then Epic will swap it out for next week’s freebies: Void Bastards and Yooka-Laylee.