Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector Review - Am I Free or Broken?

The sequel to 2022’s Citizen Sleeper has finally arrived and with it comes a brand new adventure to embark on. The stakes are high, you’ve got powerful enemies hunting you and the world around you is brutal and unforgiving. If only you could remember how you got to this point.

In Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, you play as a Sleeper which is described as someone “sleeping until their debt is worked away.” When it comes to the game’s protagonist, things aren’t quite as simple as that. During the game’s introduction, a man named Laine reminds you that the Stabilizer he has been providing for you is what is keeping your body from decaying. It’s his way of reminding you that without him, you’d be dead. Thankfully, there’s someone on your side, Serafin, who manages to help you escape. And this is when you’ll get into the nitty gritty of Citizen Sleeper 2. You’ve escaped, for now, but you still have to find money and supplies and get further away from those that are pursuing you.

Citizen Sleeper 2 is a dice-based RPG that plays similarly to tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. Each day in the game is called a cycle and you can choose which moves to make during each cycle by spending dice. The number on the dice as well as your character’s specific skill set will determine how well an action is performed. For example, if you’re trying to perform an action that requires you to hack into something, using a six on this action will increase your chances of success but, if your character is terrible at hacking this will lower your success rate, even with a high dice. And vice versa if you use a very low rolling dice but you have a high skill level. 

At the beginning of the game you’ll be able to choose which class you’d like to play which will determine which skills you’re good or bad at. An Operator is skilled in working with computer systems, an Extractor has a high level of endurance and a Machinist is skilled at repairing and modifying automated systems. As you make progress and complete missions you’ll earn skill points to level up your character. When performing an action you will be able to see if it is dangerous, risky or safe and placing dice on each action before spending it will show your probability rates for success. As you progress and bring a crew on to your ship, you’ll also be able to utilize their skills and dice during contracts.

During the day you’ll have to prioritize certain tasks for both you and your crew. You’ll likely have a main goal as well as a variety of side tasks you may choose to complete. Doing missions can reward you with supplies and loot or it can hinder your progress depending on that mission's success. You only have a few dice to use during the day and these dice can break giving you even less to work with at times so you’ll have to choose carefully what to spend them on. Along with completing missions you’ll have to pay close attention to your food and general supplies, everyone has to eat and rest properly to avoid acquiring stress.

Stress is a component that can affect how well you do when performing tests. The higher your stress, the higher your chance of taking damage when attempting an action. Thankfully, you can easily reduce your stress, but it isn’t always easy to do. Additionally, due to your characters current state, you can become glitched as well. Each level of glitch that you obtain will increase your chance of rolling a glitched dice which gives an 80% of chance of getting a negative outcome when attempting an action. For those with experience playing tabletop RPGs the mechanics of Citizen Sleeper 2 will come naturally. Players that are inexperienced may find Starward Vector overwhelming to start. I’ve played dozens of RPGs so the mechanics weren’t necessarily unfamiliar to me, but keeping track of all of the different elements on top of juggling supplies, learning the mechanics of contracts and keeping track of the story proved to be very challenging. 

While it may be quite overwhelming at first, the more you play the game, the more comfortable you’ll be with the way things work. The tutorials here are extensive - by hour four I was still getting the occasional tutorial - and they can be referenced at any time in the menu in case you find yourself stuck. But once you’ve been immersed in the world for a few hours, you may not need the reference material. Knowing where to spend your actions and how to handle certain situations will become second nature and after that, each playthrough that follows your first will be even more enjoyable. It definitely takes a long time to master, but once you do, you’ll have an absolute blast. 

What is so compelling about Citizen Sleeper 2 is that on the surface it looks simplistic. You don’t move around too much, you spend your dice, and you read through the story making choices for the characters. It’s as you dive deeper that things get more complex and you realize just how much you have to pay attention to each little detail. And it’s worth it for the moment that everything clicks and you’re really able to focus in on the diverse world that has been built here.

Developer Jump Over the Age had already perfected the dice-based RPG genre with Citizen Sleeper, but now they’ve created a sequel that gives players even more to enjoy. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is a triumph that has a fantastic story, complex mechanics and a well-rounded, unique world that players will want to fully immerse themselves in.

Breakdown

Game: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

Developer: Jump Over the Age

Publisher: Fellow Traveller

Availability: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Game Length: Varies 

Accessibility: Three difficulty options

Reviewed on PC

Final Thoughts

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector perfects the dice-based RPG genre even more than its predecessor. While it can be overwhelming at first having to keep track of the many things you need to remember to stay alive, once you’ve got the main mechanics down, it will all be second nature and you can spend more time appreciating its story which is compelling, action-packed and expertly crafted.

Review by Becca Smith