Best of Edge of Chaos

If you can drag yourself away from the physics engine, you still have an immense game to get through. Be warned, it will take you awhile to get through the first 'prologue' chapter of the game (which is still surprisingly hard), and even longer to get a Capsule drive (allowing you to explore the other 15 star systems). But even the first star system is immense. At maximum LDS speeds (EoC's warp drive), it takes minutes to get across the diameter of the system (as it is over 3.5 billion kilometres wide from farthest planet to farthest planet), which may not sound much, but consider that there are over 100 locations in that star system alone, and you have a game with 1500+ locations, ranging from Junkyards to Space Stations, enemy bases to nebulas. A negative point is that the immense size of just one star system makes it a chore to locate planets and stations through the StarMap (it took me 30 minutes to locate the next system on the training mission). However, this problem is easily solved by using the downloadable In-Game StarMap list from edgeofchaos.net (which lists all systems alphabetically), making navigation far easier.

I won't say much about the story, as I don't want to spoil it, but I can give you the basics. It starts off rather predictably; son loves dad, evil guy kills dad, son vows revenge on evil guy. However, after that it takes a surprising turn, drawing you in to the Independence War universe. After running a few missions (you are only 12 years old), you get captured (very unexpectedly) by the evil guy, the heir to the Maas monopoly business, and are sentenced to 80 years in the prison asteroid (for details made clear in the lengthy intro movie). You break out after 17 years, and the real adventure begins. And after that, it's a pirate's life for you. And although it's not vital, playing I-War (the first Independence War game) helps quite a lot, as it explains who Jefferson Clay is (your guide and mentor. Who's a computer simulation), and also better explains the physics and story behind LDS and Capsule drive. But as I said, it's not necessary, and there's little skill benefit to be had from playing it as EoC uses a totally new game engine.

If this game has a failing, it is it's difficulty. If you die, you have to restart from your last save point, and you can only save at your home base. Which is bad for several reasons, as although LDS gets you home in a minute or so, when you have multiple enemies attacking you, preventing you from escaping into LDS for more than a few seconds, home seems a lot further away. It's like trying to walk across the Atlantic. The Power Distribution also adds an element of difficulty, as you constantly have to decide which systems get the most attention, and which systems can go without power for a while. So make sure you save regularly.

And before I sign off, something must be said about the free-form gameplay. Except that you're given very strict rules about how free you are. First off, you are pirates. You are given no choice in the matter. You can trade or pirate, but pirating is essential to the game. Also, you can't be good or evil; you just work for pre-determined bosses. However, you can fully kit out and customise your ship, as well as acquiring new ships throughout the game. And a mission doesn't start until you enter a waypoint, so you can go off exploring without interrupting the storyline. But you are still rigidly stuck to the story. Think about how 'free-form' GTA: Vice City is, and you have a pretty good idea about what to expect.

Overall, an excellent game, with some minor but easily overlookable problems, such as the irritatingly long base exit cutscene, but the helpful people at edgeofchaos.net have solved that problem too, allowing you to bypass it completely with a patch. And the fact that a game this great requires such a low spec PC to run makes it even more attractive. But a piece of advice; don't buy this game if you're expecting either a 1) X-Wing Alliance-esque game or a 2) walk in the park. This game is 1) simmy and 2) hard. So make sure you know what you're in for...


A Stunning Game   July 16, 2002
Steve Nuttall
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

I bought this game when it was in the shops at full price and had tremendous fun battling through to the end. The graphics are amongst the best I've seen in any space based game and the sense of scale is amazing; you really feel like you're flying through outer space, unlike the experience you might find in other games of this type, e.g. X-Wing Alliance. The ship-handling is a touch unusual, and a little difficult to get used to, but the gameplay in general is gripping, with an interesting plot and many diverse missions, not to mention the free-form aspect where you can just go off an play pirate for a few hours. Well worth purchasing, and packed with features. Highly recommended.