Starport: Galactic Empires

What do you get if you mix eve online with asteroids? Starport !

Starport: Galactic Empires (or Starport: GE) is a top down space exploration game controlled much like asteroids. You can do pretty much anything you'ld expect from a space exploration/trading game. Wether you want to be a peaceful merchant, evil space pirate or lawman, its all up to you. The goal of the game is to be the most famous captain in the galaxy by the end of the game.

Starport is played entirely online and a game usually lasts 2 weeks (some servers differ). You start out with a pretty decent ship with half shields and so many cargo holds in the sol system (you can even visit earth!). Any nearby systems are under u.n. protection, meaning no combat is allowed, and anyone staying there for so long, will have to pay taxes. Best way to begin making money is true merchant runs, buying supplies and selling them somewhere else at a profit. you can increase your cargo space by buying more cargo holds for your ship, different ships allow different numbers of max holds. There is lots to do to make money and gain fame. But the majority of success stories involve colonizing planets. Your colonies can mine materials for you to either sell, build or transport to other colonies for construction, they can also produce weapons, or just give you experience.

You are obviously not going to get much done with your default ship, so your gonna want a new one as soon as possible, but what do you want; speed, space or firepower? Well it depends on how you plan to make your success of course! want to be a space pirate? You might need a speedy ship to outrun a colonies defences and steal it! Or how about a merchant? The more cargo holds the better and make as much money in a single run as possible! Or a lawman, firepower to keep those pirates at bay! All ships have a different secondary weapon but you have to buy the primary weapon, which could be a laser, rockets, the guns vary nicely.

Your character stays in game while you log out so you have to log out somewhere safe (un control or a hotel) or just hide and hope no one finds you. Also moving from one system to another takes fuel, fuel is generated automatically, this is probably done to give players a break as you will eventually have to leave the game to gather up some fuel before playing some more. Anyway theres alot more to say, but i've already said alot, just try this game, its great fun.

Pros:

Lots to do
Awesome pvp
Nice graphics and sound effects.

Cons:

Considered mmo, but games only last 2 weeks
Fuel can be annoying.

Review by KrazyKain