Gratuitous Space Battles 2, this new title once more does away with all the long winded base building and delays found in other strategy/management/simulation space-based games. Simply construct your ships from modular components, arrange them into fleets, give them orders and then sit back, watch the laser beams fly, hulls explode and hopefully win the day - or is that night, hard to tell in space.

A sequel wouldn’t be a sequel without a heap of new stuff and GSB2 doesn’t disappoint. Head of Positech Games and its lead (only) programmer, Cliff Harris, has been listening to what players of the original game loved and didn’t love so much plus what they would like to see in a follow-up.

GSB2 uses an entirely re-written custom engine, vastly better visual effects, a much-improved GUI, and will feature steam achievements, mod support and some very sexy undisclosed new features. The game is especially targeting gamers with multiple monitor setups who enjoy ridiculously over the top space battles, but the engine should comfortable scale down to much older PC’s too. The aim is to replicate all of the OTT silliness of sci-fi movie user-interfaces.

Here’s what’s been added:

• Designer ships - No two cruisers need ever look the same again thanks to the in-built visual ship-editor; design your ships your way and then show them off in online battles
• Presented in glorious technicolor – Brand new built from scratch purpose built graphics engine makes the action look 100% better
• More ships – Choose from a number of new ship classes
• Expand your horizons – Built-in and easy to use multi monitor support
• Mods rule – Easy to edit text and CSV files readily available
• Keep in line – Pre-set formation orders now retain their shape regardless of number of ships lost
• Give us a lift – Carriers are now required to transport all fighters into the battlefield
• Fill me up – Fighters now have limited fuel and need to refuel at their parent carrier

Gratuitous Space Battles 2’s open beta is available now for PC for 500 Martian Kriptogs or in earth money $24.95USD, that’s about £16.50. Those purchasing now will receive access to the beta plus a Steam key for the full release that will also see Mac and Linux versions plus additional languages added.