For any avid video game player who has found themselves sucked into the endless galaxy of space-based games, you will agree with me when I say that there’s something irresistible about carrying out your missions and your battles in the vast unknown. Like EVE Online and Sins of a Solar Empire, Battlestar Galactica Online is a fun Player vs. Player focused game perfectly fitted for any gamer looking to find an incredible world to fly around in, take ships, and make things explode.

The game, which Bigpoint Games and Artplant developed was developed by Bigpoint Games and Artplant, is loosely based on the 2014 TV series “Battlestar Galactica.” It was first released in open beta in February 2011. It quickly gathered a large, raving fanbase completely hooked with all the vividly executed and detailed designs and plots the game had to offer. However, since its 2011 release, plenty has happened to the Battlestar Galactica Online universe including an untimely ending.

Storyline

Battlestar Galactica Online probably had many purposes of fulfilling when Bigpoint and Artplant created it. Interestingly, the one that undeniably hooked many of its players was none other than the feeling of nostalgia it gave. Having its storyline loosely but excellently drawn from the series drew many fans of the show in. 

The game set in the Battlestar Galactica Universe is a flight-combat game that has you, the player, in the pilot of your battleship. Depending on which faction you have chosen to be on registration, you could either be fighting for the Colonials (the human group) or the Cylons (the cyborg group).

Battlestar Galactica Online features a seemingly never-ending battle between humans and cyborgs. Both factions could also create mining ships that the other side can attack for even more riveting engagements. The Cylons and the Colonials had a huge war in the past, forcing the cyborgs to retreat deep into space. Battlestar Galactica Online chronicles a new battle after the cyborgs re-emerged from hiding to destroy what is left of the human race.

Factions/Groups in Battlestar Galactica Online

Battlestar Galactica has two factions or groups fighting against each other, as earlier stated. The colonials represent the side of the humans who are fleeing from the Cylons while racing towards “the promised land” following the destruction of their colonies.

On the other hand, you have the Cylons. This faction consists of the robots (also not-so-fondly referred to as toasters) who were created by humans. The robots were created to serve humans but as every robot apocalypse movie has warned, they turned against their masters. 

Game Objectives/How to Play Battlestar Galactica Online

Being familiar with the original show, getting the hang of Battlestar Galactica Online was not particularly difficult. The registration process was as seamless as it could be. While deciding which faction I wanted to play for, I decided my nostalgia for the popularly beloved series and its characters won. I chose a Colonial character. 

After picking sides, you are taken to the character creation screen, where you customize your character’s physical appearance. Next up, We were then welcomed by a series of simple story missions that serve as a tutorial to help you get the hang of the game. After moving past the tutorial missions, I was taken into real action, ready to start with combat and asteroid mining.

The game’s controls and combat systems are an interesting mix of action and tab-target. Your point of view is essentially made in third-person, and your controls lie with your mouse and WASD keys as expected. Your story missions and daily missions are handed to you by NPCs you would be excited to meet as a show fan. These include famous characters from the series, including  Commander Adama, Starbuck, Apollo, and Chief Tyrol.  As a player, you get to either buy ships and ammunition with the virtual currency you buy from Bigpoint, or you gather enough in-game points and merits to buy them.

Major Strengths of Battlestar Galactica Online

After exploring and getting the hang of my movement in Battlestar Galactica Online, that’s when I started to enjoy playing the game. I thoroughly enjoyed the seamless 3d space combat experience. The storyline was fun, engaging, and, most importantly, easy to understand and play. I found that the engine is as light as you need it to be but still stable enough to let you have as many spectacular space battles as you want. 

Flaws Spotted in Battlestar Galactica Online

The first and most obvious problem with Battlestar Galactica Online is that it does not really exist, at least not anymore. In January 2019, Bigpoint announced that they were closing the game servers at the end of the month. True to their words, the game permanently shut down on February 1.

While the game was live, there were quite a lot of flaws to pick up on. Although the graphics were quite nice, there were telltale signs of just how old the game was. Not only was there a poor user interface, but the bugs also started to become unbearable. With the constant unity crashes, slow loading, the limited number of enemies, and the size of the Galactica world itself, I found myself trying to give myself reasons to keep playing. 

Conclusion

While Battlestar Galactica Online was still in full swing, there was plenty to love about it. I enjoyed the space battle experience, good graphics, and some interesting ideas behind the game. As best as I could, there wasn’t much I could do to take my attention off the flaws it presented. 

Battlestar Galactica was a fun game while it lasted and effortlessly gave sci-fi lovers and fans of the show what they wanted to see. The patience and time required to understand the workings of the game’s workings, but overall, it was a great gaming experience.