The new campaign features a non-linear story that allows players to continue on to the next mission even if they fail. Fail enough, of course, and you'll have to start over, but being able to move on past your defeats is a nice touch that's sure to add a lot more drama to the game's campaign. The dynamic, open-ended Metaverse mode from the first game will still be included as well.
One of the most requested changes (at least from me) is the addition of the playable races in the campaign. Rather than just sticking with the tired humans, you're now free to pick from among ten different races, each with their own advantages and abilities. Humans are good at diplomacy, for instance, while the Drengin excel at space combat. If you don't like the particular attitude of one race, you're free to tweak them just a bit to bring them more in line with your desires. You can even design your own race, selecting the powers you'd like them to have and uploading graphics to represent the race in the game. The last step in picking a race is to pick the colors that will represent you and highlight your ships throughout the game.
