Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes Review

There’s something about being forced on a desperate run through the galaxy, pursued by an unforgiving foe, that just screams of the perfect videogame. We saw that concept explored in FTL: Faster Than Light back in 2012, and numerous variations since. However, one series that seems the perfect fit is Battlestar Galactica. Thanks to developer Alt Shift, we now have a chance to experience this dystopian reality with Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes.  

The plot has you take the role of the commander of a scattered fleet that’s trying to escape the destruction of the 12 colonies by the Cylons. You aim to try to rejoin the Battlestar Galactica. That’s the overarching plot, but the real story is your effort to keep your crew alive as you rush through sectors and try to avoid being destroyed. You’ll have to deal with numerous events, each of which can require some harsh choices. Well, in a sense, but more on that in a second. All I will say is that no two playthroughs will be the same, and you can often feel the sense of tension. 

Gameplay is split into two parts; the first happens as you travel between sectors. As a commander, it’s up to you to send out groups to gather resources, fix your ships, and deal with any issues that arise. To do this, you have three different resources that essentially boil down to scrap, fuel, and supplies; you also have a set number of heroes, each of whom can level up as they gain experience. Each time you travel between systems, you’ll be able to use fuel to gather more resources through small excursions, and if you add a hero, then you’ll gather more. However, the odd thing is that there’s no real threat to these excursions, but your heroes are often needed for other situations, so you need to weigh what you want to do with what might come up.

The issue with these incidents is that it never really feels like there’s much tension. Usually, you’re offered a binary choice that impacts one of two factions or takes some supplies in exchange for a straight-up solution (or just waiting it out). This does change as you travel further and resources become a bit sparser, but the only real tension comes from the timer. See, when you’re travelling, you have a set amount of time before the Cylons find you, so there’s a lot to get done in a short amount of time. However, fixing your ships doesn’t take time, so you never feel in a rush to compare being in the best shape you can with gathering enough supplies. 

When the Cylons do eventually find you, you’ll need to hold them off long enough to escape, and that’s where the next gameplay facet comes into play. Essentially, it’s your ship vs one of the Cylon capital ships in a pseudo tower defence mini-game. The enemy will constantly spawn missiles and fighters to attack you, which you’ll need to intercept with your own. At the start, you’ll only be able to use two smaller craft to combat the enemies, but you can upgrade to release more as you progress. These craft can fight off the smaller Cylon Raiders for a time, as well as take out any missiles. Meanwhile, your capital ship has its own assortment of weapons to help.

The fights themselves can get pretty hairy, and Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes loves to throw you some odd curveballs at times. For instance, I was doing really well up until I jumped into a fight, only to find the entire battlefield was full of mines that made it much harder to intercept enemy ships before they got into combat range. You do have the advantage of being able to crew your fighters and guns with heroes you can find while travelling, who offer a bunch of new abilities. However, the actual combat can get a bit repetitive at times, at least until the aforementioned curveballs are in effect. 

One thing Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes does have going for it is its look. The graphics emulate those older space games thanks to its block-like design for the character and ship models. It’s interesting to look at, and it helps the game to really stand out. However, it does mean that the game occasionally struggles to adopt the aesthetic of the 2004 series outside of some of the ship designs.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes is an interesting concept, and the gameplay loop can be a lot of fun. The issue is that, for a game that touts the challenge and struggle to survive, it falls short. You often won’t find yourself losing because of any decision you made, but rather because the challenge just ramps up at random points. It’s not a bad choice, per se, but rather it can feel a bit cheap at times. However, if you’re a fan of either the genre or the series, then it could be one to try.