There are plenty of things to shoot at and explore in StarGlider 2. In space you can get swarmed over by pirates, which is where most of the fun is. After you dispatch your foe, you can use a tractor beam to collect the cargo he was carrying. You can then trade it for weapons. Planetside, there is a wide variety of foes to destroy, ranging from tanks to fighters. The planets have underground tunnel systems with little rooms where you pick up extra missiles and ammo. The game is so immersive that you'll really feel the sensation of flying over a planet's surface, in space and in huge tunnels inside the planets.

StarGlider 2 is not just a shoot 'em up space sim like its predecessor. The game has adventure elements in terms of "quests" you can solve that reward you with new weapons and goodies. Most of the quests can be found in tunnels, and involve catching something with your tractor beam and trading it for weapons, although there are a few unique ones, such as one that requires you to capture a space whale to trade for a ship enhancement. Although the polygonal graphics are simple, the animations are well done, so the ships move the way you would expect them to. In addition, each planet you can travel to has its own atmosphere. Dante, for example, is like hell (not surprisingly). It is littered with volcanoes that spew hazardous lava.

There are so many things to see and do in StarGlider 2 that you will hardly notice the time and then it's 6 AM. It may not have the same level of depth in diplomacy, adventure, and economics that Elite does, but its spaceflight model and sheer addictiveness are second to none. If you are a space sim fan, StarGlider 2 is simply a must-have.