Gratuitous Space Battles 2, the asynchronous strategy game filled with custom-built fleets duking it out in space, has been in development for over a year, but today we see the first glimpse of the titular battles.
In the first look at the sequel, Cliff Harris pits his armada of gaudy ships against an equally gaudy enemy fleet, and the whole thing looks rather gorgeous. It’s pre-alpha at the moment, but already the fights look more detailed and stimulating than its forebear. Take a gander below.
While the battles still take place on a 2D plane, greater depth has been given to the battlefields, with floating debris, smoke and explosions all being 3D.
Lighting, too, has been completely overhauled. Weapons and ships have their own light sources, and the lighting can be tweaked to dramatically change the look of the game. There’s Star Trek-style lens flare too, but if you’re not a fan of J.J. Abrams’ retina-searing aesthetic, then it can be turned off.
I had a chat with Cliff Harris a while back, just after the game was officially announced. He described GSB2 as a “whole new world”.