Gratuitous Space Battles 2 is a continuation of an unusual strategy game with tower defense mechanics, putting a strong emphasis not on the combat itself, but rather on the right preparation. The game has been developed by the creators of the original installment – Cliff Harris and his Positech Games studio, also known for such games as Gratuitous Tank Battles.
Mechanics
What distinguishes this series from other tower defense games is the fact that in Gratuitous Space Battles 2 players cannot directly influence the outcome of particular battles – orders are given by the AI-controlled commanders of our squads. It is up to the player to plan and prepare their defenses beforehand. One can do this by constructing various units from scratch and manually selecting vehicle parts and elements of munitions. Then, one has to prepare battle formations and give orders to their commanders, sit back and observe how their subordinates handle the battle themselves.
The gameplay mostly builds on the mechanics known from the original installment, however, the creators did implement something new – the most prominent novelty being 3 new spaceship classes. Apart from the vessels the players might know from the first game, the Armada was ed by enormous battleships, heavy fighters, and destroyers, which serve as for cruisers. The available set of weapons and componentry has been significantly expanded. In obedience with players’ suggestions, smaller units (e.g. fighters) are now dispatched onto the battlefield from carriers. Moreover, our ships have now limited fuel tank capacity, which forces players to replenish fuel reserves on a regular basis. The changes in the AI algorithms resulted in, among others, the ability to maintain preset battle formation even after losing most of its units.
Technical aspects
Gratuitous Space Battles 2 presents a significant technological progress compared to the prequel. The improved game engine allows displaying much more units simultaneously, and the visuals are even more detailed. The game s very high resolutions (even up to 2k) and the option to use two monitors, which doubles the already high resolution.
