Review of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

While diving into the world of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, the notion of a “whale fall” lingered in my thoughts. When these magnificent creatures perish, their immense forms plummet to the ocean floor, nourishing an entire underwater ecosystem. The narrative of Citizen Sleeper echoes a similar phenomenon, set in a universe recovering from the fall of the colossal Solheim corporation. This epic tale depicts a society surviving on the remnants of a fallen giant, much like creatures feeding on the remains of a whale. The Sleeper’s journey is just one among hundreds, all feasting on the debris of a bygone behemoth.

For those who cherished the original Citizen Sleeper, like myself, the need for a sequel might have seemed unnecessary. It felt perfectly conclusive. I wondered what unexplored narratives remained. Yet, stepping back into this gritty, makeshift world proved there’s plenty left to discover. I was once again captivated by its stark charm, feeling a pang of sadness as the credits rolled. Citizen Sleeper 2 is every bit as reflective and engrossing as its predecessor, inviting contemplation through its sci-fi lens.

In this sequel, you once again embody a Sleeper, a human-consciousness encased in a synthetic shell of wires and synthetic flesh. Awaking in a foggy state, your long-held memories intact, but short-term memories are adrift, you find yourself thrust back into a cycle of escape. You’ve broken free from your corporate shackles, only to flee from a so-called ally turned determined adversary. Space gangsters apparently don’t take kindly to your quest for bodily autonomy.

This life as a fugitive means survival hinges on temporary work and dice roles. It’s a narrative-driven experience told through vivid text, with your Sleeper vividly describing the world around them. The visuals display location exteriors, with events accessed via clickable map markers. Citizen Sleeper’s RPG mechanics hinge on a dice economy. You start each cycle with a roll of five dice, assigning the results to various actions to progress clocks and accomplish objectives. High rolls yield better outcomes. To sustain yourself, energy and money become imperative, making gig work essential.

The original game unfolded on a solitary space station, and over time, you grew familiar with its inner workings—where to find jobs, the best food stalls, and a network of reliable allies. This semblance of safety is shattered in Citizen Sleeper 2. Now, your Sleeper is constantly on the move, visiting different stations across The Belt, never staying put for long to evade capture.

Your journey now spans a network of stations and satellites, a vast territory known as The Belt, where remaining stationary spells danger. This new nomadic lifestyle introduces a heightened sense of tension, a sharp contrast to the relative comfort one could eventually find in the first game. Citizen Sleeper 2 ratchets up the stakes with an intense atmosphere of uncertainty. You’ll need to be perpetually ready for whatever challenges the next station presents.

Citizen Sleeper 2 thrives on this palpable tension, introducing systems that push the stress of living on the edge. A significant addition is Contracts, risky missions with lucrative rewards requiring swift execution. For these missions, crew members become indispensable, each with unique skills and dice to deploy.

Juggling these contracts presents its own set of challenges, chief among them being stress levels. Botched skill checks leave your crew stressed, and too much pressure could force them out of the mission entirely. If your Sleeper becomes overwhelmed, their dice might crack and go out of commission—a dire situation indeed. Failed checks can also prompt crisis events, demanding solutions to keep your mission viable.

These Contracts, with their dice, stress levels, crisis events, and looming deadlines, are a devious delight. It’s like operating a machinery with potential to blow up anytime. I can’t count how many times I hoped against the odds, praying a 50% chance wouldn’t backfire disastrously. This thrill was addictive, prompting me to take far greater risks than in the original game.

Choosing the right crew becomes critical, as you’re constantly navigating a minefield of potential pitfalls. Your Sleeper has RPG-like classes with abilities to upgrade, but one skill always remains locked, necessitating reliance on others to offset weaknesses—eerily reminiscent of real life’s dynamics.

Engaging events often hinge on skill checks, and without proficient crew members, success could be jeopardized. It might initially seem your crew is little more than a means to an end, but they soon reveal themselves to be fellow survivors with rich backstories. Over time, they become more than just tools; they transform into comrades, their stories intertwining with yours. Your ship evolves into a refuge for these wanderers, a home amid the scattered remnants of The Belt.

You might also cross paths with familiar faces along your journey. Though different from the Sleeper in the first game, encountering them is both comforting and bittersweet. Their transformation over the years highlights how the harsh realities of corporate rule alter individuals.

This is powerfully conveyed through Citizen Sleeper 2’s exquisite writing. Gareth Damian Martin breathes life into these worlds and machines, making each city pulse with vitality. Certain lines were so evocative that I saved them, turning my screenshot folder into more than a simple collection of digital snapshots; it became a treasure trove of cherished passages.

Even when scenarios spiral into chaos, the ensuing events remain captivating, often surpassing the outcomes of smooth sailing. Citizen Sleeper 2’s choices aren’t dictated by dice rolls but hinge on your skills, presenting wild outcomes that enhance the experience. The narrative sweeps you into drills through asteroids, inciting mutinies, constructing rough colonies—it’s an exhilarating narrative journey.

A pivotal narrative moment involves Serafin, a character unveiled early in your adventure. Your Sleeper shares history with him, despite amnesiac gaps obscuring those connections. Serafin must navigate the loss of a friendship, while the Sleeper copes with the absence of recognition. It’s poignant, human drama underscoring the entire game.

Both characters embark on a journey to reconstruct their lost bond, representing the overarching theme of transformation. Everything, from the Sleeper to their surroundings, is in perpetual flux. The past paves the way for new beginnings.

Between its speculative themes, Citizen Sleeper 2 weaves stories of ordinary people navigating life without flashy distractions or epic battles. Its grounded, relatable tales offer a refreshing departure from high-concept sci-fi. Citizen Sleeper’s universe belongs to scrappy engineers, persistent repair techs, resilient cargo haulers, and every uncelebrated individual forging their path among the asteroid belt’s rubble—eschewing the polished allure of other franchises. Citizen Sleeper 2 elevates the genre with its unvarnished, gripping narratives, marking a remarkable start to 2025.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector launches on several platforms, including PC, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5, arriving January 31. This review is based on a PC copy provided by the publisher.