The important thing is this: this is a game made not just by a fan of the genre, but by somebody who understands when something is fun... and when it needs to be cut entirely.
The graphics may be a bit dusty, but very few titles made me feel more "space explorer" like this one. In the mean time, I'll just keep on drifting through space with an unmatched feeling that I'm in a real spacecraft.
This game will not suit everybody. But if, like me, you've been waiting and dreaming for a near-perfect, sandbox space sim, then Evochron Mercenary should satisfy you! With no loading screens and a completely open universe, you can literally sweep through some planetary rings and harvest water, dock at the nearby station and sell it -- and then fly down to the planet, harvest some materials while you go, switch over to your Terrain Walker (like a 'mech) and walk over the surface of the planet to collect a cargo crate from an ancient, wrecked spaceship, then dock at one of the planet's cities to trade and refuel. You can do all this with no loading screens or stop to the gameplay. Very impressive for a game made by 1 man!
It's not perfect -- the planets, although generated nicely, lack detail (no forests, for example). The combat is hard at first (although this isn't a bad thing). But really, the game is a lot of fun. I believe you can even get a demo which restricts you to the first star system, so you can try the game out before you buy it! Fantastic. It's available on Steam, as well as direct from the programmer (Starwraith 3D Games I think).
I have already had 20 hours of fun in the last 4 days just having new experiences - fighting to land on a stormy planet with rain, wind and lightning; drifting (with newtonian physics) through an asteroid field which is inside a haunting purple nebula; skimming over the upper layers **** giant; dog fighting pirates; making the first of many millions of credits; and enjoying the scenery of the different systems as I explore, seek out trade routes and upgrade my ship -- this game has a lot more gameplay than you would think. Recomended!
A real gem ****, really fantastic and well produced. I didn't experience any of the bugs or crashes that some have had but I'm running the absolute latest version 2.x so maybe they are all fixed now, on Windows 7 64bit with all the settings ramped to max at 1920x1200 on a GTX295.
It's clear the developer really gets the genre and a lot of love has gone into the game. If you loved freelancer you'll probably love this game.
That said, there are a couple of legitimate issues such as the second quest mission; the race. It is pretty difficult for a second mission and the opponent's shields seem to push you out the way a lot. You'll probably have to take a few goes at it to get it completed. My advice is to save at the station BEFORE you accept the mission so you can at least start back with fuel etc.
The graphics look pretty nice to me, but as a programmer and game engine author, I can appreciate the beauty in the code that perhaps regular gamers are not so forgiving on. $25 is absolutely NOTHING for this game the dev isn't gonna be a millionaire from it and if you care about supporting creative talent and good gameplay, this is definitely worth buying. If you're looking for a triple-A HD graphics bonanza that doesn't care about the playability or control system at all, buy X3 instead.
On the technical side Evochron Mercenary is outdated and the narration is really poor, but surely the fanatics of space free roaming will appreciate the opportunity to explore the universe without any limitation and a well-rounded multiplayer.
Life in space is probably not easy, so it's no surprise that there is a distinctly tough learning curve in Evochron Mercenary. Those with enough interest and diligence to stick with it, though, will be rewarded with deep, unfettered space sandbox game play.
I’m a massive fan of space-based games and this game has hit the top of my favourite Space games lists because of the following reasons. 1. Completely open-ended the game is what you make of it. 2. Not too simple, not too hard once you get over the learning curve the payoff is a great gaming experience. 3. Multiplayer the other players are very friendly, there’s no trolling and everyone is online to have a good time.
I’ve played many space-sims (EVE, X-series, etc) but this one has held my attention the longest. Also, the game is made by one guy I mean how cool is that. At $25, it's pretty much a steal, especially for the hours of enjoyment you'll get out of it. Just download the demo first to see if it's the kind of game you'd like to play.
Evochron Mercenary is an incredibly hard game, particularly on racing and combat missions. It can get very frustrating, very fast. And the universe as a whole struck me as quite empty and lacking definition. Single player campagins are a succession of random missions, and there is little more incentive to explore the universe and generally have fun than what you get the first time you start up the game. Menus are kinda messy and unintuitive, too.
That said, this is probably the best-looking, best playing space flight sim I've played in a long time. It's incredibly easy to mod, and I've had tons of fun playing it with my Thrustmaster HOTAS-X. Outstanding game.
This is a pretty neat little project, albeit with a thin atmosphere. I greatly enjoyed the newtonian physics, and mastering combat with this type of flight was an entertaining challenge. The graphics have a very dated look, but it doesnt detract too much from the game's fun. Alas, not long after you have mastered the game's steep learning curve, you realize you have already experienced all the game's content. For any readers familiar with it, X3 is harder to learn, but will keep you coming back for much longer than Evochron will. In Evochron, once you've been to one planet, one carrier, and one station, and flown most all the ships, you will already being to feel like you've seen it all. The game advertises how diverse its missions are, but each mission type is so straightfoward it very rapidly feels more like a series of errands, rather than missions. There is almost nothing to make you feel attached to any location or planet or faction. However, the newtonian space battles, as well as the always-fun element of getting to upgrade to shinier, faster, bigger ships, keep this game fun for a notable length of time. I would recommend nabbing this one for $10-$15 depending on the size of your wallet, $20-$25 if you love space combat sims.
Didn't get too far into the training, so don't take my opinion too strongly. My biggest problem is that controlling the ship it too realistic and not intuitive or fun. I want to be able to move easily without thinking of the physics of it all. Too many controls to map or use for my taste.
I disagree with the other posts complaints that the learning curve is too steep for this game. The game delivers pretty much what it states. I found the flight physics pretty refreshing from the typical 'point and shoot' simulators. Also, the seamless flow from system to system of from space to planet surface was a pretty neat change from most games of the genre. The graphics are pretty blah, even though I have all the settings on their highest. That alone doesn't bother me, but I have found some of the screenshots and trailer vids to be misleading. My largest and greatest complaint is the amount of bugs and crashes I experienced. Most would counter with, "what do you expect with a privately developed indie game," blah blah. Unless a game is free, I expect it to at least work. The problem is that a lot of the bugs you may not even realize you're experiencing. A lot of the rendered objects and menu options flip out on me, and unless you know there supposed to be there, you don't miss them. I also experience frequent crashes, which is extrememly uncharacteristic for my system. This game gets an A+ for imagination and creativity, but a D- on execution. If you don't mind donating $20 to support the indie industry, this game is for you. Otherwise, go take your grandma out for a burger.
SummaryTrading commodities while sneaking past hostile forces, racing the best pilots in the area, mining for diamonds, negotiating for survival, spying for a curious energy company, cleaning dirty solar arrays, transporting an impatient passenger... and that's just on a Monday. The life of an independent mercenary is rarely without excitement....