So how was a Real Dog turned into Top Dog material in the sequel? Ty Brewer's Games Domain review says it all:

"Outpost 2 is a real-time strategy game with a different approach (aren't all games this season?). It would be easy to categorize Outpost 2 in terms of Command & Conquer or even SimCity, but comparisons would be unfair and inaccurate. Outpost 2 has elements of SimCity: develop a city, grow the population, establish an economy, get prepared against natural disasters, etc. It also has elements of Command & Conquer: mine minerals to build structures and units; build a military for protection and aggression. Still, Outpost 2 is not just the sum of the two games.

The focus in the game is the happiness and survival of the colonists – the last remaining survivors of an Earth catastrophe. These survivors were smart enough to abandon the doomed Earth and tended to be scientists – the most evolved form of life on our planet. Their mission is to re-build the human species. Of course we all know scientists are a flakey bunch, sometimes being out of touch with the reality the public subscribes to. For some reason these scientists are only happy doing research or teaching. Imagine that. Somewhere down the line they realized they must have someone around to empty the garbage. That represents the focus of the game: keep the scientists happy so they can research new technologies to make the workers happy. But not all is well in paradise. A splinter group has formed that disagrees on the right direction for the colony's future. Now two separate colonies compete for resources – both human and natural. Players can take the side of either Eden or Plymouth, with slight distinctions in technology and intent. This isn't life in a fishbowl, there are sharks out there who will gladly take what you do not protect. Outpost 2's story unfurls as you play. Each new mission introduces a lengthy "novella" in its characters and events that helps to explain your current scenario. While the writing style is a bit melodramatic, the story does add to the game.

But then a funny thing happened. They must have felt pressure to appease the Command & Conquer types out there. For some reason they added combat units to the game, almost as an afterthought. While combat does fit into the storyline, it still seems a little bolted on in the gameplay. Worse, the units are lacking in execution. Basically, all combat units are the civilian chassis retrofitted with armaments. This stands to reason – the first tank was an artillery gun mounted on a car. Still, the units lack polish: The weapons have an early beta look and sound. The whole combat thing in general feels amateurish. No neato sound effects. No neato explosions. No smooth rotating sprites that actually look like they are pointing at their target.

This is where the illusion fell apart. For all of its promises, the game fails to deliver at critical moments. In many ways this game is polished and ready for prime time, but in other ways it still feels like a beta product."

Perhaps it was released too early, but Outpost 2 is still very enjoyable game. Thumbs up!