"There is no better Sci fi game for your laptop / mac"

I arrived late to the Escape Velocity Nova party. I found the demo on the Mac Downloads page of apple.com and I haven't stop playing it since. I've completed every mission, played expansions and new missions written by the games' extensive and very friendly plug-in community. This is a game with a lot of love and attention poured into it. It has a character few games can match and the sheer depth is staggering.

It is the third game in the Escape Velocity series but you don't need to have played the first two. If you feel the need to after the months it will take you to complete all the mission strands and stories inside this sprawling RPG then there is the option to download a free plug-in that will allow you to play the earlier versions.

The demo is free and a fully playable game in its' own right but I would urge you to buy the full version if you like it, the demo, though deep enough, is merely a taster of one of the best games available on any system.

The core game play is a mixture of top down space combat with Asteroids type physics and and trading. You run missions, make deliveries, make your own trade runs or even pirate other ships to make money. You use the money to buy better ships, of which there are lots. You can also buy upgrades from an impressive collection of items, or buy more cargo, to then sell on and make more money; it is all up to you.

Once again there are plug-ins to extend the large selection of ships and upgrades to essentially build the game you prefer but I suggest playing the game as it was originally intended first.

There are a number of narratives to play through from becoming ruthless Earth Federation Agent trying to control the galaxy to becoming a Rebel hero, from being a Mighty Warrior to being a Messiah. The stories are rich, very detailed and give access to very different technologies, ships and playing styles.

My only gripe is that once you get into one particular story strand you can't change to another. There are plenty of minor stories, some very funny, all engrossing in their own ways but get yourself into one of the main story arcs and you can't change it. Of course you don't have to complete the story at all. It's just as fun haring about the galaxy making a nuisance of yourself. Infact it is even possible to hold a planet to ransom if you can survive the waves of attack ships they send at you.

It can be played as an open ended shooter but it is an RPG at heart. The levelling up is not thrown in your face too often but you become very aware of how each planetary system views you. Shoot down too many of their ships or play a mission against them and they become increasingly unfriendly. Of course you can still bribe your way into port most of the time.

The story is told through a series of text popups at the various starbases and planets. They are usually well written and far better than most games. The stories borrow from Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon Five and a host of other familiar stories but it pays homage rather than steals it's ideas. There are a few missions that are told with the games' tongue firmly in its' cheek, keeping things from getting too dark. You could have your kids play this without fear of them coming across anything more violent than you might find in an Episode of Star Trek.

The graphics are simple, pseudo 3D with the ships given their own distinctive animations and light effects. The weapons and missile are also all well designed. The Ships especially are real characters. Each is very different in the way it plays and feels. The designs are all beautifully thought out and put many big budget sci-fi TV shows and films to shame.

The game map is enormous but full of interesting side stories and trades to discover. You will not uncover everything in one play-through either, making this a game that will last. Even if you complete it you are likely to play a favourite story arc differently again just to get your hands on a different ship or tech.

The only reason I can't give a 10 for this game is the way the game locks the player into a story arc. A few plays will eventually allow you to learn when you are about to be trapped but the game does need a more obvious "If you take this mission you will be stuck with it," sign post but their forum will help you avoid such pitfalls. Another failing is that the game doesn't always tell the player what they are supposed to be doing next.

In the Federation and the Rebel story there comes a point where the objective is to run smuggling missions in order to prove loyalty. It isn't clear how many of these missions you must complete leading the player to begin thinking they've missed something on their 30th mission. Play it again and they'll trust you in just two.

There are other occasions where the player is asked to 'relax' or 'go and rest a while.' The player might get into a side story and, thanks to the size of the map, might forget where they were were told to 'come back later.' The game won't tell and to make matters worse you can't just go from planet to planet landing and going to the bar. They might not want them on the day they land.

Characters sometimes say 'come back to the bar in an hour. That means click on the bar before taking off but the player isn't told that going out of the bar and going back in takes one hour. Come back tomorrow in the game means take off and land again immediately without jumping out of the system but again, this isn't made clear.

It is also possible to trap yourself too. Taking on one of the hardest missions in the game with the wrong type of ship, something too slow or something too fragile means certain death. The game auto-saves and reloading the game just has you taking off from the last planet you visited. There are no multiple saves. That means dumping you back in the same fire-fight that killed you last time.

You can of course buy an escape pod but then you lose your ship. It also means buying said pod so, though it is very difficult to trap yourself it is possible. (Okay I admit I had to try really hard to do this.)

Aside from that the game is faultless. Learn the mission language or use the forum and its' perfect. There is no difficultly level, the player makes it as hard or easy as they choose. It brings to mind GTA in space, mixed with a bit of elite and shaken with a little bit of Babylon Five.

The Escape Velocity galaxy is a simple but exciting place. It's full of surprises but no blood and gore shocks. It wasn't programmed or written, it was crafted and sculpted. Few have heard of it but try it. You might get hooked as I did.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/27/09

Game Release: Escape Velocity Nova (US, 2002)