Reviews: Eve Online

Eve Online

I've experience with countless Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, but EVE Online takes the cake in all three definitions of the genre.

With fifteen thousand peak concurrent users, the most ever recorded in one single game world, there is no doubt that it puts the Massive in MMO. While other games attempt to keep the players small and spread out, EVE's creators at CCP seem to be doing the exact opposite, making for an an extremely enjoyable gaming experience.

This is a rock-solid game with low system requirements and dazzling graphics for a game around two years old (or for any game, for that matter). The diverse world of EVE is made for flexibility and freedom. The sound effects are nothing to be scoffed at, but may get repetitive; many players choose to listen to music as they play.

Don't let the fact that the game is two years old scare you off. Content is added frequently, from new ships to new classes of ships and equipment. At the time of writing a patch is brewing and players wait in anticipation as even more diversity is to be added to the game.

There's two ways to play EVE; some run it in the background as they hop through solar systems or strip-mine asteroid fields, looking for easy money. Other, including myself, get into the nitty-gritty as a fighter pilot, bounty hunter or even space pirate. The learning curve on combat is without a doubt impressive. Players must learn to speak a separate language of acronyms and hope to memorize the stats of nearly twenty separate classes of ships, from the tiny frigate to the massive dreadnaught. Large guns and missiles have trouble hitting small ships, while they have no problem shooting one several times its size. None can deny that fans of fast-paced first person shooters might have a hard time getting into the game, but the daunting task is worth it. PvP is not allowed in all systems, and with all the pirates running around, it's a good thing.

Power-gaming is nearly impossible as the game runs on a system of time. The skills to increase damage, fly new ships and change the way you can trade goods have a set amount of time it takes to learn it, anywhere from half an hour to nearly a month. 'Learning skills' increase your attributes, which in turn lower the time it takes you to train.