14 DAY TRIAL // The reimagined Battlestar Galactica has been one of the biggest science fiction based hits of the last decade and its end has left a battlestar shaped hole in the hearts of many fans, which the Caprica series has not managed to fill.
But now fans of the series can log into a site, fill in some personal details and, within a few minutes, can choose a side in the great Human versus Cylon conflict and begin floating around space, piloting a Raider or a Viper and blowing up enemies in a star system populated by the iconic capital ships of the two opposing fleets.
The opening, with soaring music, quick action and seemingly significant objectives is very good fan service but soon after Battlestar Galactica Online then moves back to a more traditional MMO structure, with players able to talk to quest givers about linear missions that are close to traditional Players versus Environment while a system map is available to show gamers where the enemy is and where the battle for control of systems is in full swing.
The flight controls, the meat of the game, are easy to understand and can be operated entirely by using the mouse.
It's pretty ease to take out the first few levels of enemies without resorting to any complex tactics and it makes for some fun engagements, although initially they are not particularly deep.
As always when going into a new multiplayer online game be warned that the Player versus Players zones can quickly become valleys of tears for less experienced gamers.
The really important achievement for Battlestar Galactica Online might be to show how the Unity engine can be used to deliver gaming experiences that, on some levels, are close to the medium quality stuff launched on home gaming consoles.
Be warned that despite running in a browser window the game can consume a significant amount of resources and significantly slow down the browser, making multitasking a bit more difficult than normally.
Here's how the game looks and plays: