Is it still worth diving into Start Citizen? That seems to be one of the many questions gamers ask. Ever since its haphazard start with release announcements from 2011, the game did pretty well for a start. But in due course, most games (if not all) tend to reach a dead end with no updates and improvements. So is that Star Citizen worth it? Well, to answer some of your questions, here are some things to know about the game before you start to invest your time in it.
Also read: 7 Best Games Like Dangaronpa
What is Star Citizen?
Star Citizen is a multiplayer space combat simulation game developed for Microsoft Windows. Chris Roberts launched it as an in-development game in 2012 after doing some pre-production rounds in 2010. However, the initial plans for release dates did not go as planned. As a result, parts of the game called ‘modules’ were released by Cloud Emporium in 2013 so that people can get the opportunity to experience the game first hand.
Star Citizen Gameplay
Star Citizen initially started as a single-player game. But eventually, that changed, and it soon became a massively multiplayer online FPS (First Person Shooter) game. It has four modes, Hangar Module, Star Marine, Arena Commander, and Persistent Universe. Each mode offers a different gaming experience.
What to expect from the game? Is Star Citizen good?
Star Citizen is a game built around a universe of its own with some fantastic artwork and animation. The Star System project is all about creating a universe complete with stars, moons, aliens, different languages, etc. The details are stunning, and you can expect some fantastic visuals. After all, the whole idea behind the creator’s mind was building a universe, not a game. Since its inception in 2012, the game had no competitors in the business, which made the game one of the top FPS multiplayer games.
If you are a new gamer, Star Citizen is not as intimidating as you might think because the game’s design is for both hardcore and casual gamers. That is why, unlike most MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game), Star Citizen does not overwhelm you when you try the game. The game gives you the options for short play sessions, which is fantastic to get to know the basics. However, to progress further, you will need to step up your game and join the hardcore players. After all, as an MMO, Star Citizen also caters more towards the hardcore players. Nonetheless, the options given are fantastic.
Another thing that sets Star Citizen apart from the other MMO games is the subscription fee. You don’t have to pay a monthly fee because you will spend only on the game’s purchase. Isn’t that great? Once you purchase the game, the servers are yours to use. It also has massive organizations with over 10,000 members each, enabling you to connect with others quickly and build your stations, capitals, ships, etc.
If you start playing Star Citizen, you will also notice that it is different from other MMO games in many ways. For example, the concept of ‘winning’ is different in the game. Instead, your progress in the game depends on how much you upgrade your ship. You also get many activities and tasks in the game, which are goal-oriented. To put it in short, it’s a game of endless possibilities, and it will keep surprising you as you continue playing. That is one of the reasons why people love the game.
What’s not good about the game?
Although the game is commendable on many grounds, there are still some issues that you need to know about. One of the biggest problems that people have with the game is the release date. Even after about eight years, there is still no definite date on the game’s release, which is absurd.
It is fantastic news that you don’t have to pay for monthly subscriptions. However, the ships you need to purchase and upgrade to progress in the game come at a hefty price. The bottom line, they are expensive.
As much as the visuals and animation are stunning, it also lacks realism based on physics. Granted, it’s a game, so most casuals will not make a fuss about it, but if you are a hardcore gamer, it can bother you because it takes away some part of the realistic gaming experience.
If you want to reach the expert level, that won’t because the learning curve is very steep. Also, your character will not level up because you performed some tasks or made some kills. The game does not have a character leveling up feature, and it’s the same thing for flying your ship. Previous flight experience is not going to help you at all.
And if that’s not enough, Star Citizen is known for the constant backlash it receives from the gaming community because of delays in updates and release dates. There is a lot of trolling going on for the game on different social media platforms, including their Reddit page.
Some controversies
To put it into a sentence, Star Citizen is a game that never became ready to play even after raising 300 million from crowdfunding. That is perhaps the most significant controversy about the game because that is a considerable amount of money. Many discontent users also continuously complain about the game’s lack of concentration on finishing the main gameplay and focusing too much on new mechanics to add to the game. Looking at all these, it does look like it’s an unsettled game for sure. Nonetheless, people still enjoy the game for all its other quality features.
Should I play Star Citizen?
Well, that is entirely up to you. But after looking at some of the facts, it does look like trying out the game purely from a casual’s perspective is worth a try. The game visuals, the concept, and the imagination of the game are highly commendable. But if you are not comfortable with some of the other aspects of it, maybe it won’t appeal to you.