With the new year just starting people no doubt have made all sorts of new year’s resolutions. Myself? I decided to clear out some of the games that I’d been amassing over the years. I was surprised to quickly find one that had consumed much of my attention, a game that is surprisingly complex while also simple and a lot of fun. This is the space simulator sandbox Solar 2!

                Developed and published by Murudai, Solar 2 was released for PC and mobile devices in 2011. The Australian developer brought us a space simulator sandbox game. The game has no real story to speak of. You play as a developing star system from which you have the freedom to explore the galaxy. Will you become a life supporting solar system with many planets? Or will you become a massive black hole, devouring everything in your path? The choice is entirely up to you the player…

                Given that this game doesn’t really have a story, you can just pick and play from the moment you start. If you intend to become a black hole you can finish the game in as little as 40 minutes, but if you plan on developing a solar system you can spend hours and enjoy every single minute. The game also offers optional missions that the player can undertake to add some variety to in-game tasks. Complete enough of them and you will unlock features such as God and Debug mode, allowing you to run wild with the physics or an invincibility cheat if you desire.

                Coming from an Indie developer I didn’t quite know what to expect in terms of looks and sounds, but the variety of planets you can amass are quite a treat for the eyes, especially compared to the emptiness of space. The score of one JP Neufield serves as a nice supplement to the gameplay and wonderfully sets the atmosphere I find.

                The replay value for Solar 2 is rather high as the galaxy is randomly generated every time you play, meaning no two playthroughs will be exactly the same. The only limits with Solar 2 are your drive to explore and your imagination, plus it is exceedingly recreational in its design.

                Solar 2 comes with a price tag of $9.99 as a purely digital game and I find that for those who enjoy a randomly generated sandbox experience, it more than earns that price tag. This is an expansive sandbox with a great deal of replay ability, and I can’t recommend it enough!