You can take on missions from various characters, or you can just jump into space, bring up the map, and jump to a nearby system where some action is going on, and, if you're a n00b like me, be instantly vaporized. BSG Online players can mine asteroids, establish bases, and otherwise seek to expand their side's territory at the expense of the other. You can also upgrade beyond fighters, to escorts and even larger vessels, all explained via the game's backstory of finding "unknown" ships in this sector of space.

Battlestar Galatica Online still has some rough edges. There are places where item names are bugged, so you will see something like "Weapon_Object_Ranged_5" instead of "Kill-O-Zap Blaster". Humanoid animations are very basic. There's no voiceover from the series characters (at least not so far), which is a real shame when you're in a licensed game like this--I'm sure some of the actors involved could have used the work.

It is often difficult to review an MMO on the basis of limited play, and as the game changes, old reviews become out of date. Battlestar Galactica Online offers a fairly rich experience, especially for a browser-based game, but it will need to add content quickly to avoid becoming stale and repetitive . Space is a pretty dull environment, no matter how many glowing clouds you add to the screen. EVE Online thrives due to its cutthroat PVP and deep, deep, deep, economic and crafting models. BSG Online is probably not trying to clone EVE, but it needs to add similar depth.

Battlestar Galactica Online is free, though, so there's no risk in playing it until you get bored, then diving in again later on. There is a cash store, and while I did not play long enough to need to use it, cash stores and PVP are a dangerous mix, as they can allow victory to go to the deepest pockets, not the fastest guns. This, too, is something to watch. In the meanwhile, hop into your Raider or Viper and go blow someone up.