tag:cheerfulghost.com,2005:/games/24055Cheerful Ghost: Solar 22024-03-28T23:14:39+00:002014-05-12T23:48:20Ztag:cheerfulghost.com,2005:Post/10822013-03-12T03:52:50Z2014-05-12T23:48:20Z/jdodson/posts/1082/solar-2-because-you-want-to-advance-the-universeSolar 2: Because You Want To Advance The Universe<div class='youtube-player' data-id='VdilX8CSJMU'></div> <br/>I heard about Solar 2 from the recent Humble with Android Bundle 5. I picked up the bundle and decided to give Solar 2 a spin from Linux. First off the game plays perfectly from Linux with the keyboard and my USB controller. Valve has really done a good job getting the Linux client working and I also give mad props to the developers that make cross platform games. Its a cool trend I hope keeps trending upward.<br><br>Solar 2 is a hard game to describe but essentially its a game about the lifecycle of planetary bodies... I know that sounds strange but the above video can show you a bit more of it in detail. Basically you start the game out as an asteroid and you need to slam into other asteroids to gain enough mass to become a dead planet. As you evolve to a dead planet you must suck up more asteroids to evolve life on your planet. From that point the life forms put a shield on you and launch little fighters to protect you and attack other planets. The life forms fighters are totally uncontrollable by you so you need to know how they operate and work with them. From the life bearing planet stage you suck up further asteroids as you evolve into a Star.<br><br>From the Star stage you can suck up other planets to orbit you and evolve them to have shields and attack other stars with planets. Essentially you do this until your star evolves into a Black Hole and then you finally finish the game by sucking up all the matter you can and then the Black Hole explodes and you start over again as an asteroid.<br><br>The game also features a few quests you can do to break up the pace of celestial advancement. I really enjoyed the quests where you had to steal other Stars planets because they contained a "key card" someone needed. The game works within its game mechanics yet adds fun quests that keep the game fresh.<br><br>At the end of the day I am really impressed with Solar 2's simple mechanics and beauty. The score entirely captures the games mood and is one of the best accompaniments of music to this kind of game I've heard in a while.<br><br>If you get the latest Humble Bundle, and you totally should the first game you should play is Solar 2, its a beautifully stunning game that deserves your attention.2014-05-12T23:48:20Zjdodson