At first glance, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector looks and feels just like the original we know and love. As I catch up with the sequel’s new, standalone android protagonist and their fellow shipmate Serafin on the small space station of Hexport, the most important tasks on their agenda have a pleasing familiarity to them: get some cash, stock up on supplies, and poke your nose in with the locals. You’re both still feeling a bit highly strung after your escape from gang leader Laine – which we saw play out in explosive fashion during its animated reveal trailer last year – but for now, at least, you’ve got a small window of time where you can take a well-earned breather, and gradually adjust to your new life on the run.
But as I eased myself back into the rhythm of rolling dice to perform my daily tasks and enquiries, it wasn’t long before I noticed a few new wrinkles in my Sleeper’s routine. You’ll still need to keep a weather eye on your energy bar, for example, but the long Stabilizer gauge that governed your overall health and number of dice rolls each day is nowhere to be found. Indeed, Laine himself is part of the reason why you’re no longer dependent on these precious vials, and as you can imagine, he’s not best pleased that his prized android has not only scarpered into the stratosphere, but also stolen one of his ships in the process. It’s this ship you’ll need to return to each night to refresh and regroup, but this time it’s not just you who’ll be calling it home.
Your buddy Serafin is just one of several crew members you’ll be bunking with during Citizen Sleeper 2, and I get to meet two more of them right here in Hexport. Nia is a salvager looking to finally step out from underneath her brother’s overprotective shadow, and you get the feeling she sees your ship as her ticket to freedom. Thing is, if you agree to take her out on one of your big contract jobs, her brother Femi won’t be happy that you just spirited her away without asking for permission first. He’ll demand his cut of your new windfall, souring your hard-won victory. Then again, if you say no to Nia upfront, then you might never be able to recruit her at all, either now or in the future.
