We’ve all been there: waiting years for a space sim that delivers on its promises, only to be met with endless loading screens, game-breaking bugs, or missing features. But what if I told you there’s an ambitious indie title, mostly developed by a single person, that manages to blend the best parts of Star Citizen, Everspace, and Mount & Blade?
I’ve spent 65 hours in Spacebourne 2, with 25 of those in the recent 1.0 full release, and I’m here to tell you why this game needs to be on your radar [00:05].
What is Spacebourne 2?
Spacebourne 2 is a single-player, open-universe RPG that lets you do almost everything. You can pilot ships in first or third-person, walk on planets, engage in third-person ground combat, trade, mine, and craft [00:24].
The scale is staggering. The galaxy is procedurally generated with tens of thousands of solar systems. While the planet surfaces aren’t “handcrafted” beauties like you might find in a AAA title, they are functional and massive, and most importantly – there are no loading screens when transitioning from space to planet surfaces [00:49, 02:35].
Building Your Empire
The game’s true depth lies in its “Empire Building” mechanics. You play as the son of a general of “The W,” a human faction trying to regain its strength against various alien races [02:55].
- Faction Management: You don’t just fly a ship; you lead a faction. You can conquer systems, set up internal structures, and expand your military power [01:19].
- Progression: The story acts as a tutorial, slowly introducing mechanics like sector warfare, station building, and managing a massive mother ship [03:42].
- Navigation: A brilliant feature is the numbering system for sectors. You simply type a code into your map and fly there, no clunky UI navigation required [04:12].
Combat: Space vs. Ground
- In the Stars: Space combat is arcade-style and fast-paced, reminiscent of Everspace. It features different weapon types for shields and armor and feels satisfyingly “snappy” [05:11, 08:38].
- On the Ground: The ground warfare is… well, “funny” is the best word for it. It uses standard Unreal Engine animations and the AI isn’t the smartest, but it serves its purpose for conquering bases and progressing the story [04:43, 08:07].
Stability and Performance
One of the most refreshing things about Spacebourne 2 is that it works. While there were some initial “memory buildup” crashes during warping in the 1.0 release, the developer has been incredibly active in fixing them while maintaining the “no loading screen” philosophy [02:27, 07:33].
The Verdict: Should You Play It?
If you enjoy No Man’s Sky, X4, or Star Citizen, the answer is a resounding yes [10:24].
Spacebourne 2 is a project of passion. It uses some AI voices for minor characters and cyborgs (which actually fits!), but the main story is increasingly being updated with professional voice actors [10:56]. It’s a massive, ambitious sandbox that gives you a level of freedom rarely seen in the genre. It’s an indie game that truly “saves gaming” by focusing on fun and scale over corporate polish.
See you in the stars, Captains!
YouTube Video: Another Indie Game to Save Gaming! – Spacebourne 2 1.0 Full Release Review