GamesOpen WorldAfter 32 years, the 1992 open-world space game that helped inspire Mass Effect is getting a proper sequelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesOpen WorldAfter 32 years, the 1992 open-world space game that helped inspire Mass Effect is getting a proper sequelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pistol Shrimp)
The devs who founded Toys for Bob are going back to finally build a proper sequel to their beloved 1992 open-world space game, and while they no longer have the rights to the original game’s name, the Kickstarter for this new title has smashed its $100,000 goal in less than three hours.
Free Stars: Children of Infinity is a sequel to Star Control 2 in all but name, and like its predecessor it’s an open-world space game where you captain a ship, explore the galaxy, and have dialog tree conversations with all sorts of alien characters. You control your ship from a top-down perspective, flying around and shooting enemies in action sequences, but the real draw is the open-ended freedom you have to change your relationships with the characters you meet along the way and forge your own way through the galaxy.
If that sort of setup sounds familiar, it probably should. Star Control 2’s “inspiration is all over the Mass Effect series,” as formerBioWaredev Mike Laidlaw once toldHardcore Gaming 101. “Rich stories, featuring a human who finds themselves thrust into a galactic conflict against dire, overwhelming foes bent on universal extinction is a great common theme. And of course we can’t forget the Mako, which was a direct nod to the lander gameplay of Star Control II.”
Star Control 2 is a beloved classic, and with Free Stars: Children of Infinity promising a similar adventure from the original developers, it’s little wonder that the game’sKickstartermanaged to smash its $100,000 goal less than three hours after the project launched. “This is the ultimate, best feeling in the world,” as the devs say in anupdate post.
If you’re not familiar with Star Control 2, you might be wondering why this game features an entirely different title, and why I’m completely ignoring the multiple other sequels that have appeared in the years since the original game’s release. Well, buckle up, because this is a long, strange history lesson.
And that’s where things get weird. The rights to the game eventually reverted to Reiche and Ford, but the Star Control trademark stuck with Accolade. In 2002, Reiche and Ford made all the original content of Star Control 2 open-source, leading to a free remaster called The Ur-Quan Masters. Now under the title Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters, this game isavailable on Steamtoday, and it’s this version that we’re now getting a Kickstarted sequel too.
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In 2017, Reiche and Ford announced their intention to make a sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters, but that didn’t sit well with Stadock, which had acquired the rights to the Star Control name and was then promoting its own separate game called Star Control: Origins. You can read the full details of the resulting legal battle onWikipedia, but in short, the two parties settled, leaving Stardock with the rights to the Star Control name, while Reiche and Ford kept their right to produce a sequel under a new title - provided they waited a few years before promoting it any further. (Also, bizarrely, the settlement apparently included an agreement to trade honey for mead, asRock Paper Shotgunreported at the time.)
Reiche and Ford left Toys for Bob in 2020, eventually joining a few other veterans of the studio to found Pistol Shrimp, the outfit that’s now bringing us Free Stars: Children of Infinity - or, if you’re nasty, the real Star Control 3 - all these years later. As I write this, the Kickstarter’s already over $141k, so clearly there are plenty of fans who’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.
Reports suggest thatToys for Bob is now making a game with former owner Xbox shortly after going indie.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”