Those clever folks at Two Point Studios aren’t content with simply conquering the healthcare and academic scenes, but have now set their sights a little higher. Outer space to be exact. That’s right, the first DLC pack for Two Point Campus brings all sorts of astronomical goodies to the party in an effort to scratch that strategy itch all over again.
Space Academy shifts the focus up to the stars, as Two Point County prepares to defend itself from intergalactic threats as well as welcome more friendly alien life. Not only this, but persistent cheesy space rock showers provide ample opportunity to harvest valuable resources. Sounds wacky? Well that’s because it is.
Your journey starts off in one of three new campuses included in this DLC pack, named Universe City. It’s here where the love affair with space exploration is to be rekindled, one small step at a time. Difficulty curve wise, you’re thrown straight into the action (given this is DLC it’s fair to assume a fair bit of base knowledge on the part of the player) but guidance is supplied in the form of a list of objectives over to the right hand side of your screen.
The gameplay structure remains pretty much the same as the base game given you only need to earn one star to unlock the next location. Of course, you can still choose to play on and earn up to three stars if you wish, by completing an increasingly challenging set of objectives. You’ll also be thrown requests from time to time, which gives you an opportunity to earn bonus cash and Kudosh.
Raking in the Kudosh means you’ll be able to unlock many new items in the Space Academy expansion. Whether it’s eye-catching artwork, swanky new seating or something more functional, there are lots to play around with. This is also the case when it comes to the six new courses available to students, which all require specialised classrooms to teach in and equipment to use.
Astrology, Cosmic Expansion, Space Academy, Space Knight School, Cheese Moongery and Humanities are the new offerings this time around. My personal favourite, Space Knight School, is an evolution of medieval knighthood except with double ended neon staffs. Think of a space age edition of that round from Gladiators where they are trying to batter each other off those platforms, and you are about there.
Each course will become available, alongside all of the regular content, as you play through the three new campuses on offer. Hiring staff with the relevant qualifications remains as important as before, especially as you develop your course offerings with each new academic year.
Talking of expansion, you’ll not only have the opportunity to buy new plots of land, but also unlock some at no cost for meeting certain requirements. These vary, ranging from accommodating a certain number of students to running a set amount of courses. When money is tight, this can prove very handy indeed.
Events were a great addition to Two Point Campus, providing an opportunity to entertain students en masse. Space Academy brings three new ones to the party. Sci-Fi Conventions, Space Battles and an out of this world gig act boost the event roster, and are good enough for you to take a few minutes out to simply sit back and enjoy yourself.
Another shift that came with Two Point Campus was the focus on relationships and building communities. Well, the Time Tourism Club offers students the ability to enjoy a whole school trip in a matter of mere seconds. It’s a shame I never had anything like that at Uni.
Two Point Campus: Space Academy breathes fresh life into the simulation game without a drop in quality. It’s not that the original was short on content, or lacked replay value either, but this new wave of space based content means it’s irresistible to venture back for another spell thanks to its consistent brilliance.
Make no mistake, it’s business as usual as here without any changes to the core gameplay formula, albeit with a new skin. However, that doesn’t really matter as Two Point Campus is so much fun to play. What this also means, is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to future themed expansions.
What’s also apparent is that the trademark Two Point sense of humour is in full swing here, from the wonderful animations to the off-the-wall radio broadcasts. There’s a certain segment around gibbons which is particularly enjoyable. As a result, Two Point Campus: Space Academy is genuinely hilarious, bursting with character and even more “out there” than before.
Two Point Campus: Space Academy adds plenty of fresh content which seamlessly expands an already brilliant game. It shows that the sky really is the limit for the strategy classic.
