Review: Galaxy on Fire 2 HD: Valkyrie

[the_dead_man]

Galaxy on Fire 2 HD: Valkyrie

Android Game Review

Title: Galaxy on Fire 2 HD: Valkyrie
Developer: FISHLABS Entertainment Gmbh
Publisher: FISHLABS Entertainment Gmbh
Release Date: April, 2011
Latest Update: December, 2011
Platform: Android
Genre: Sci-Fi based shooter/RPG
Reviewed on: SE Xperia X10
Game Features: Immersive storyline with complete English voiceover, new ships, new weapons and equipment, black market trading system, anew space station as a home base, nine new planets across four new solar systems and many more.

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Summary

Prepare yourself to step into the shoes of Keith T. Maxwell, daredevil space adventurer, bounty hunter and ace pilot for the second time as he takes on the mysterious voids, hunts down pirates and sets out to find the perpetrator of the mysterious Valkyrie conspiracy. Fly the coolest spaceships, toast enemies with the latest weapons and join Keith in an intergalactic adventure involving space wars, pirates, shady traders, mining, weird alien races and even romance.


Review

This week, ladies and gentlemen, we have on our hands Galaxy on Fire 2 (GOF2), the much hyped sci-fi shooter and RPG based on a huge intergalactic universe. GOF2 is the second release under the popular Galaxy on Fire series of games from Fishlabs and in this review, we’ll see if it lives up to the hype it has generated.

Long before Android and iOS was as popular as it was today, the main mobile gaming platform used to be J2ME based on the Java Mobile API and I was lucky enough to have played the mobile version of Galaxy on Fire and Galaxy on Fire 2 before Fishlabs started taking them off officially because of obvious known issues of piracy and illegal usage which was unfortunate. However when Galaxy on Fire 2 was released officially for the Android platform I was really excited because among everything Fishlabs games offer, the most attractive and eye-catching thing about them are the graphics.

Having said the above, Galaxy on Fire, 2 for the Android platform delivers some of the best cutting-edge HD visuals and graphics which are a treat for the eyes. The game makes full use of the Abyss engine, which is a powerful game engine that makes possible for GOF2 to display high-def 3D graphics with fluid gameplay. The whole galaxy has a vast number of stars and planets all of which have their own unique location and space stations, with each having their own look and feel. GOF2 features a huge number of spaceships and space stations with lounges and each of them are extensively detailed down to the last bit and offer full 360o views with geometric and isometric perfection. GOF2 boasts of bold and high quality visuals with beautifully rendered planets and solar systems packed with asteroids and jumpgates which makes one feel that he\she is actually in the game cruising through the vast and expansive universe.

Galaxy on Fire 2 offers an enormous number of features which have increased furthermore with the Valkyrie DLC. The vast and never-ending GOF2 universe is based on several galaxies and boasts of around 20 solar systems with 100 unique space stations with their own space lounges and over 30 different spaceships. The game offers missions based on the storyline and also freelance missions acting as sidequests which promises to give over 10 hours of gameplay. The game also features a fully voiced storyline with dialogues and high quality visuals with 3D sound. The game also features a complex trading system and a unique reputation and diplomacy system. The addons also offer the user a chance to get his\her own space station and bar which allows us to store all the ships and equipment we want to own. The game also offers a wide variety of weapons, shields, boosts and equipment with lots of customizations available to mix and match.

Gameplay is really well planned and has a lot of fluidity. The controls are really easy to use and master and make full use of the multitouch feature supported by the latest smartphones, the accelerometer controls take some time to get used to. The game is a space based shooter and basically it’s all about shooting enemies however the whole game doesn’t boil down to that, it also has elements of RPGs mixed into it. There are several factions and you get to do missions for all of them throughout the course of the game and that increases your reputation and favour with that faction and while that has benefits like bonus cash, it also has adverse effects like other factions being hostile so keep your diplomacies in check always keep your levels to s safe neutral level whenever possible. Signatures of different factions are also available which when equipped disguise you as a member of that faction which is beneficial in many situations. There is also a complex trading system and also mining ores and cores which can be used to get cash easily by making some wise decisions and choices. There is also a unique ‘Action Freeze’ system which allows you to freeze the current screen and take a screenshot in any camera angle and share it with your friends. The game also includes an immersive storyline with various missions and also sidequests which can be taken as freelance missions.

Galaxy on Fire 2 has a really interesting and immersive storyline where you are the daredevil space adventurer Keith T. Maxwell. After battling the Vossk in the original Galaxy on Fire 1, a hyperdrive malfunction sends him through space and time. Awakening 35-years later without ageing surprisingly at the far end of the galaxy in the Midorian and Nivelian system, he gets to know about a devious alien species known as the ‘Voids’ who have been attacking every known race in the galaxy.Keith gets drawn into investigating and stopping this alien menace and along the way he must fight, trade, explore and negotiate as he uncovers the truth about this powerful enemy, and ultimately find his way home. Old friends and new enemies join forces as Keith takes command of a dangerous, intergalactic mission to fly deep into enemy space and bring the war to an explosive conclusion. The story further continues with the Valkyrie DLC where Keith sets out to find the perpetrator of the mysterious Valkyrie conspiracy.

Last but not the least, the music in Galaxy on Fire 2 is really crisp and clear and the ambience created by it is pleasant. With the Valkyrie DLC, the entire dialogue system has been modified to include full voice acting and it is definitely a feature to look out for. The sounds made by the ships cruising or boosting or zapping enemies with lasers and cannons sound realistic enough.



Conclusion

Galaxy on Fire 2 is definitely one of the best games I’ve played since I got a smartphone and it has all the features one needs to make a really immersive and interesting game which people will either love or hate. The game is bug-free and till the time I’ve played it, I’ve not really found any significant bugs or crashes and the game is really stable. So if you want to spend a long time with an interesting sci-fi shooter with role playing elements which has eye catching visuals, Galaxy on Fire 2 is definitely the game for you.


Screenshots

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Scores

Graphics: 10/10
Cutting edge Hi-def visuals.

Sound: 9/10
Great voice acting, sounds and pleasant music.

Gameplay: 9/10
Easy to master controls, fluid and dynamic.

Features: 9/10
Enormous number of systems, space stations, ships, weapons and many more.

Story: 9/10
Interesting and immersive storyline.



Overall Score: 9.5 out of 10