As I dove into Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, I kept thinking about the term ‘whale fall.’ When large whales die, their massive bodies drift to the ocean’s depths, sustaining entire ecosystems of deep-sea life. The world of Citizen Sleeper has experienced its own upheaval. This sci-fi tale unfolds in the aftermath of the collapse of the mighty Solheim corporation. Its downfall has led to an entirely new way of existence, where survival hinges on scavenging what’s left. The Sleeper’s journey is just one of many, all feeding off the remains of this fallen giant.
Reflecting on my love for the original Citizen Sleeper, I initially believed it didn’t need a sequel. It felt complete. What more could be explored in this universe? As it turns out, there’s an abundance yet to discover, and I quickly fell head over heels for this intricate, transhumanist world all over again. I was genuinely heartbroken when the credits rolled. Like its predecessor, Citizen Sleeper 2 is a contemplative, unexpected, and wholly captivating sci-fi adventure.
In this outing, you’re once again the Sleeper, a human consciousness encased in a mechanical form of wires, metal, and synthetic flesh. You awaken with your long-term memories intact but your short-term memory unanchored, thrust into a whirlwind of chaos and discovery. Suddenly, you’re on the run, not only from the corporate creators but now from a ‘friend’ turned adversary. It seems space gangsters don’t take kindly to those seeking bodily autonomy.
This forces you into a new existence as a fugitive, relying on gig work and the luck of the dice. The narrative unfolds through vivid text, with your Sleeper describing the world around them via all senses. Visually, you’re presented with location markers on a map as you navigate external settings. Citizen Sleeper’s RPG system thrives on a dice economy. Each day, or cycle, begins with a roll of five dice, which you allocate to various actions to progress. High rolls result in better outcomes. Juggling energy and money is crucial, and thus, gig work becomes a lifeline.
In the first game, you found yourself confined to a single space station, gradually becoming familiar with its nooks and crannies, knowing where to find work or grab a meal, and recognizing friendly faces. But Citizen Sleeper 2 strips away that familiarity and security. Your Sleeper is now a wanderer, constantly moving among the sprawling network of stations and satellites known as The Belt. If you linger too long in one spot, you’ll be caught.
The traveling aspect underscores a major shift from the first game: tension. There’s an electrifying tension throughout Citizen Sleeper 2. It heightens the pressure and difficulty of being on the run. A criticism of the original was the ease at which one could reach a comfortable status. That’s not the case here, and it’s a change for the better. By the start of Day Two, when my shipmate greeted me with, “we’re in trouble,” I knew complacency was not an option. Your Sleeper—and you vicariously—can’t seem to catch a break.
It’s an exhilarating development. Citizen Sleeper 2 has introduced a bold new system to ratchet up the excitement. One such introduction is the Contracts; these high-stakes missions that require swift action. Recruiting a crew becomes essential, each member bringing unique skills and dice into play.
But these contracts are fraught with peril. Take stress, for instance. Fail a skill check, and stress counters accumulate. When someone maxes out, they’re out of the mission. If the Sleeper is overwhelmed, they lose dice, a costly setback. Failures might also spark a crisis, necessitating a quick resolution to keep things on track.
With dice rolls, stress counters, and event crises to juggle, these Contracts offer devilish fun. You’re effectively fine-tuning a machine that could break at any moment, while banking on luck to sidestep disaster. The tension, though nerve-wracking, is immensely satisfying, pushing me into bigger risks than I dared attempt in the first game.
Crew selection becomes pivotal. Anticipating potential pitfalls means leaning on your team’s strengths. Your Sleeper’s RPG-style class includes upgradable abilities, but one skill always remains unavailable. It’s a reality check: much like life, you’ll need to rely on others for assistance.
Hit a snag where none of your crew excels, and you might be in hot water. While it can reduce characters to little more than dice sets initially, over time their depth shines through. They’re more than tools—they’re comrades with their own stories. As you choose who stays, their personal narratives begin to unfold. Your team becomes a patchwork family aboard your ship, a sanctuary amid the chaos of The Belt.
Sometimes, you might spot a familiar face. Although you’re a different Sleeper, seeing someone from the first game carries a bittersweet comfort. Time has changed everyone, hardening them. This evolution reflects the harshness of a world dominated by tenacious corporate capitalism.
What truly brings this sentiment to life is the exceptional writing in Citizen Sleeper 2. Gareth Damian Martin imbues the bustling cityscapes and mechanical labyrinths with emotion and vivid imagery. I found myself capturing countless quotes, too precious to forget. For me, screenshots became akin to bookmarking passages in a cherished novel.
The storytelling remains riveting even when things go awry. Unexpected twists arise not from dice rolls but from critical skill-based decisions. These moments never fail to delight. Whether drilling into asteroids or building colonies, every choice leads to unexpected, breathtaking events.
One narrative thread that stands out is the story of Serafin. He’s among the first individuals you meet, a man from your past. Yet, due to your amnesia, any shared history is lost to you. It’s a poignant exploration of loss and the attempts to rebuild connections—a beautiful microcosm of the game’s overarching themes.
Through Citizen Sleeper 2, we’re reminded that change is constant. The Sleeper, this world, they’re in perpetual transformation, ever-rebuilding anew. Between musings on transhumanism, the pitfalls of capitalism, and technological advances, you’ll find authentic human stories. No flashy space battles or mythical heroes, just earnest tales of survival. In contrast to the shining allure of other space narratives, Citizen Sleeper 2’s grounded, gritty story of the everyday stands out. It’s a stellar launch to 2025.
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector makes its debut on PC, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5 come January 31. This review was crafted from a PC version provided by the publisher.
