Boldly going: Space Rangers HD due out next week

The rather good cult hit Space Rangers 2: Dominators is set to get an HD remaster on 17 October with the release of Space Rangers HD: A War Apart.

Space Rangers HD, if it follows in its predecessors footsteps, casts you as a starship captain in a galaxy that’s being invaded by the terrifying robotic Dominators. It’s up to you what you want to do, though: you can fly around and trade, or pirate your way to bigger guns, or accept missions to hold off the Dominators. You can take part in RTS battles on planet surfaces, or complete text adventures (no, really) to get yourself some hefty rewards. It’s very freeform and very wide-ranging. Not all of the elements were great, back in Space Rangers 2 – the RTS sections in particular were a bit weak – but as a genuinely huge and open game, there was a lot to do and a lot of options.

Not only that, but Space Rangers HD offers an entirely new storyline focusing on the pirates, who’ve united under a mysterious leader and are trying to seize power in a galaxy already weakened by war against the Dominators. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of new stuff focusing on them – if you choose to battle them rather than the Dominator threat, at least.

No word on pricing, but it’ll be available on Steam next week. The Russian version is already up there (and has been since March; what we’re getting next week is the English translation), so based on that I’d guess at somewhere between £10 and £15. Is this enough new stuff to convince you to buy it again? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.