It was only a matter of time before a show as popular as Battlestar Galactica spawned a spin-off for the gaming world. The series is hugely popular on both sides of the Atlantic and has fans hanging onto their seats regularly each week. The only surprise is that the game comes to us through Xbox Live Marketplace, rather than run the risk of a big budget production with a full release. As a result, what you have here is a solid, if a bit brief, space combat game based on missions from the series.

The campaign mode follows the events of the series from the early encounters with the Cylons, where constant jumps into hyperspace were required to outrun the menacing cyborg army, right up to the habitation of New Caprica. New Caprica is where the humans were forced to live under Cylon rule thanks to their wormy president, Gaius Baltar. Although the game technically follows these events, they are only briefly touched upon in the missions you are tasked with. This is because the game features no real cutscenes or voice acting, which would have made it a little bit more authentic. What it does have, however, is a variety of ship choices, including the standard human interceptor, the Viper II, as well as fan favorites like the Blackbird, the stealth based ship built by the crew in the series.

All of the action takes place in space, from a 2D top-down point of view. Objectives range from defending the Fleet until their FTL drive is ready to safely make a hyperspace jump, to eliminating Scar, the Cylon vessel who has single-handedly caused the loss of so many human fighters. The first thing to master in the game is the flying style, which differs greatly from most other space shooters. Here you'll need to deal with the concept zero gravity momentum. An object will keep moving in any direction you propel it in unless exterior forces affect that course. For example, there's a boost function in the game that can suddenly accelerate you forward. Once used, you can completely release the throttle and just keep moving, allowing you to turn your ship on an axis to defend against enemies trying to tail you.

While the single player isn't all that long, it's still pretty fun.

The gameplay moves at a frenetic pace, so getting the hang of flying will be essential. Each ship differs slightly and although most have some temporary shielding, it won't last long under heavy attack. Using the right trigger fires your main cannons, and the A button deploys the homing missiles made famous by the many dramatic battle scenes in the show. The single player missions are fun and challenging, but the whole experience ends too soon. Just as you're getting the hang of space combat, the campaign is over. Missions aren't very long or complicated, and it is baffling as to why more couldn't have been added. With the whole story taking a skilled player way under an hour to complete, there just isn't enough bang for your buck.

Luckily, Galactica's savior comes in the form of addictive online multiplayer modes. Although there are only three game types to try online, there is a lot of fun to be had in simple death matches, with team events pitting Cylon against man. This means you'll have the opportunity to pilot a Cylon Raider or Scout, which are awesome. The game doesn't score on kills alone, and points for kills are split with reward assists. This is vital, as all hell breaks loose in larger games, with little idea of who shot who first. Another nice touch in multiplayer matches is the pre-game warm up. Instead of sitting in a lobby for five minutes waiting for other players, the game jumps you straight to the map and allows you to practice against one another, even scoring for kills. Of course, all scores are reset once the game starts, but it sure passes time better than a lobby would for an arcade title like this.

Graphically, Galactica is striking in comparison to other similar games in the shooting genre. Although the game is basically a 2D shooting affair, the imagery on display is convincingly 3D. At first you'll struggle with the camera, finding it hard to see what's coming, but in time you learn to look at your mini-map as much as the environment. Most multiplayer maps consist of chunks of asteroid that provide some cover, with different maps offering varying degrees of suitability for different tactics. All in all, the designs look great, and although some blemishes in the detail are noticeable, it still does enough to recreate the look of the TV show. Those responsible for programming the sound have focused on the noises of battle, with missiles and explosions that both sound good and are surprisingly authentic. One of the nicer effects occurs when you pilot a Cylon vessel. You'll notice the oscillating hum of the Cylon mind, and the screen is washed with the red hue that the Cylons view the world in. The lack of any voice work from the show's stars is a shame, but frankly we weren't expecting that in an Arcade title.

Overall, this a decent purchase at 800 points, even if just for the multiplayer. The campaign is fun and challenging, but even for a smaller game like this, falls disappointingly short. Fans of the popular series will lap up the opportunity to pilot the authentic ships and familiar missions from the show, but may be put off by the single player options. The real substance is in the online play though, which is fast and fun, and offers some value to those who are willing to master the mechanics. Still, this is one of the better offerings on Xbox Live Arcade, and a welcome break from most top-down shooters.