Ambrosia: the milk- and honey-based food of the gods. What an apt name for the company that consistently creates many of the best titles in shareware. Their latest release tops even their other masterworks, which include the classic “Maelstrom”. “Escape Velocity” is the easily the most absorbing and complex shareware game I have ever seen. Part arcade-style battle game, part space exploration, part resources management, part capitalism simulation, and part sci-fi geek subreference fest, EV is a truly invigorating game that sucks you back to your computer time and time again.
In the Beginning
You begin as a humble cargo shuttle captain in a universe controlled by the law-abiding but vaguely oppressive Confederation, the ambitious Rebellion, and the ruthless Pirates. Since there is no “object” to the game other than having a whale of a good time, you can do just about anything you want. As in life, however,this requires cash, so you must earn money...lots of it.
Early on, though, when you have pretty minimal firepower and a fairly dull rep, you will have to earn you dough the hard way. The early portion of the game is taken up with completing missions and trading goods: transporting people to various systems,carrying special cargo shipments, and buying commodities low and selling them high. You can also make money by gambling at various space ports. As the game progresses, finding work and completing missions takes on somewhat less importance, but you still must earn your living...even if that involves doing things that are not so legal.
The other early goal is exploring. The EV universe is made of a finite number of systems; some are inhabited some are not, and some are just empty space. Additional systems can be added through EV’s plug-in architecture (more on that later). Most systems consist of one or more objects (planets, moons, man-made satellites) which can contain a variety of facilities: bars, mission computers, gambling machines, ship yards, equipment outfitters, refueling stations, or commodity exchanges. Each of these facilities has it own unique offerings and usefulness; it’s up you to remember where they are.
Since it’s a dangerous universe out there, you will occasionally find yourself under attack. Pirates roam the universe and will attack anything weaker than they are. As you gain money and experience, you can equip yourself to stay safe during these little run-ins. You will also find it necessary to attack other ships. Sometimes a ship will call you to its rescue and you can save it by disabling its attacker. Some planets will require a showing of loyalty before they allow you land and may instruct you to clean out all the pirates from its system. In any event, one of the primary goals is to get the best and most powerful ship for your purposes.
 
In the EV universe, you can be whatever you want to be. If you are a diligent soul, you can work your way up to lead a fleet of trading ships and make your goal to be the richest ex-shuttle captain in the universe. You can join the defence of the Confederacy or the Rebels. Finally, if you build up a bad enough reputation and have the cajones, you can be a Pirate and spend your days sacking the working stiffs. The bottom line in the wide open game is that you can make of it what you want; the choices are designed to be nearly infinite.
So Right
The gameplay is complicated but easy to learn. There are many more controls here than in most Ambrosia titles, but that befits the complexity of the game. Hyperspace navigation among the systems is essentially point and click. Combat is fairly typical of arcade-style top view games (ie. Maelstrom etc.), but is significantly more difficult than most due to the navigation controls. Since this is space, things do not just stop, they will drift infinitely unless redirected. Therefore, a lot of your time will be occupied with going in a certain direction, turning, and thrusting in a different one. While this is a departure from many games, it is much more realistic. And it does make combat difficult; because you cannot stop on a dime, much battle is done while drifting by each other. As you fight more and more and as your equipment advances, you will gain control over your arsenal and, if you choose, become one bad mamajamma.
The open-endedness of the game is but one feature that promises EV a long life; the other is the expandable architecture. Through plug-ins, developers can add systems and enemy ships to the already impressive array of worlds and travellers already built in. Someone has even created a plug-in to add a Borg system (for you Next Generation fans out there) and a nearly undefeatable Borg ship. Even if you do not beat it, it makes for a fun surprise.
A third-party has also developed an editor program to allow do-it yourself gamers to create their own systems and scenarios. Already the Internet is infested with homemade universes and often bizarre missions. Ambrosia deserves high praise for creating a DIY gamer’s paradise and for giving players the potential for years of enjoyment for their shareware fee.
If all of these elements are not enough to demonstrate the joyous complexity of EV, it is also chock full of subtle and pointed wit. All text should be read carefully, as rarely a sentence goes by without some bizarre extended joke, a bad pun, a running gag, or an obscure allusion to science fiction minutia. Fans of Star Trek, Hitchhikers Guide, Star Wars, or Mystery Science Theater 3000 (Torgo Prime indeed) will find endless laughs hidden among the stars.
The Bottom Line
Since its release, Escape Velocity has garnered a number of awards, high critical praise, and a huge and loyal following among gaming aficionados. If you are unsure whether to believe the hype and take the plunge, you can feel safe doing so. Ambrosia has outdone itself in creating an epic truly personal game for just about any taste. While the individual parts are not themselves spectacular (if you want a space battle game, this may not be for you), the combination yields truly addictive and potentially endless fun for just about any game fan.
I’ll be blunt: download this game and pay the fee! I shall say no more.
Pros
•Good visuals
•Rich, complex gameplay
•Expandable architecture allows and open-ended structure allow for infinite playing
