Eterium
- April 15, 2014
- Rogue Earth LLC
Get on SteamEterium is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game, reminiscent of 90's classics like Wing Commander and X-Wing. As a pilot in the United Earth Alliance, battle against the vicious Revi alien race in over 50 story-driven missions with advanced AI, customizable joystick support, and 3D cockpits. Experience intense space combat with dynamic difficulty, ship damage system, and asteroid fields in this modern take on space flight sims.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Eterium successfully captures the nostalgic feel of classic space combat games like Wing Commander, providing enjoyable and addictive gameplay.
- The game features solid controls, especially with a joystick or gamepad, and offers a variety of mission types that keep the combat engaging.
- Despite its low budget, the game has decent graphics and a well-designed cockpit view, enhancing the immersive experience of space battles.
- The missions can be repetitive, often requiring players to fly to empty waypoints or engage in similar combat scenarios, which can lead to monotony.
- The story lacks depth and is conveyed through static anime-style visuals that some players find off-putting, making it hard to connect with the characters.
- There are technical issues, such as bugs and a lack of voice acting, which detract from the overall experience and immersion of the game.
- story100 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in Eterium is described as a standard and straightforward war narrative typical of space combat games, serving primarily as a backdrop for the missions rather than a compelling plot. While some players appreciate the attempt to provide context through character interactions and mission structure, many find the storytelling elements, including the use of static anime-style visuals, to be lackluster and disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the narrative is seen as passable but ultimately forgettable, with a desire for more depth and backstory to enhance the experience.
“Fairly straightforward war story with pretty well-structured missions and a bit of surprises here and there.”
“The story overall is certainly not unique in that it has been told countless times before, in many different forms, but I still think the story is passable and has some very interesting moments - this despite the bland and generic conversations between characters.”
“I'm pleased to say Eterium is not one of those and is a fun game which holds your interest long enough to get through the campaign, which would probably take up at least 8 hours of your time if you go through all the pilot dialogues in between missions.”
“Eterium more or less nails the space fighter sim, but drops the ball completely when it comes to tying the missions together and providing context. Thus, it feels like playing one meaningless but fun simulator mission after another.”
“I also do not like that you are given virtually zero backstory before being thrown into the main story.”
“My only real let down was that near the end the story wraps up too quickly, almost unexpectedly.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the cockpit and ship designs as well as the outer space atmosphere, while others criticize the low-resolution textures and subpar explosion effects. The cartoonish art style is seen as charming by some, but overall, many feel the visuals are basic and could be improved. Despite these criticisms, the game runs smoothly and is considered graphically acceptable for a project developed by a small team.
“Great—> cockpit and exterior ship graphics, along with the outer space atmosphere with planets in the background have great graphics also.”
“Graphically, the game is decent with a slight cartoonish feel, yet this lends itself to the vibe of the game.”
“You don't have that battlefield sun glare or Star Citizen polygon count, but the anime art style is enjoyable and the ships themselves look pretty damn fly (pun intended).”
“The negatives are the visuals; everything has this low resolution texture feel, with explosions looking particularly poor, which is contrasted with the amazing cockpit designs.”
“The graphics are pretty basic; you could argue Starlancer/Freelancer have better graphics than this game, and ship designs are hardly inspiring.”
“Okay, so the simple graphics that make the interludes between missions are excessively basic, and the story is pretty 'blah', but the game picks up as soon as you're ready to fly.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay is highly praised, with many reviewers noting its solid mechanics, controls, and engaging space combat, often drawing comparisons to classic titles like "Wing Commander." While some aspects may feel rough around the edges, the overall experience is described as enjoyable and well worth the time, earning a solid 8/10 rating. The game successfully balances depth and accessibility, making it a standout in its genre.
“Gameplay is like a solid 8/10 and well worth your time.”
“That being said, the overall feel of the game makes it clear that gameplay is the main focus, and damn is it good!”
“I suppose I could be wrong about this, but 'Eterium' bears very strong marks of being a direct homage to 'Wing Commander.' Pretty much every character and ship in the game seems to be an expy for something you might have encountered in adventures involving the Tiger's Claw, and the basic gameplay elements all seem to be the same.”
“The gameplay is very similar to how I remember Wing Commander 1 and 2 playing, which is why I bought it.”
“Gameplay-wise, it is a solid sim with enough depth to keep it interesting without being overly complex or simple.”
- music10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with a dynamic track that adapts to in-game events, reminiscent of classic titles like Wing Commander. However, some players feel it lacks the grand, bombastic quality and engaging voice dialogues that could enhance the overall experience. Overall, while the music serves its purpose, it leaves room for improvement.
“There is a dynamic music track, just like in Wing Commander, which changes based on events during flight.”
“Very good controls, music, sounds, space combat, good story, and gameplay.”
“The only cons or critical remarks I can make is the game really lacks large bombastic music and voice dialogues.”
“Music and dialogues are always difficult to make, and they have to fit into the movies.”
“The music is okay; it does the job, but it doesn't stand out.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive cockpit and exterior ship graphics, as well as the immersive outer space setting with detailed planetary backgrounds. Players appreciate the near-perfect controls, which enhance the experience, though many feel that adding radio chatter during missions could further enrich the atmosphere.
“It would add a lot to the atmosphere if you could get some radio chatter during combat or when you're reading through the various scenes that tell the story.”
“I don't mind so much out of mission, but during one it could really add to the atmosphere and such.”
“The controls are close to perfect, especially with a good flight stick and small things like maximum permitted take-off velocity add to the atmosphere of this game.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game has been reported to have stability issues, with users experiencing bugs that can disrupt gameplay, such as needing to eject after completing main objectives.
“Oh and a bit buggy - completed a main objective, but had to eject on the way back.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely overshadowed by a lackluster narrative, leading players to disengage from the story and instead focus on the gameplay mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like Wing Commander.
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly without lag even at maximum graphics settings, including during streaming. However, players have reported several notable bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“The optimization is impressive; it runs beautifully with no lag, even when streaming at maximum graphics settings.”
“The game performs exceptionally well, maintaining smooth gameplay without any lag, even under heavy graphical loads.”
“Despite a few bugs, the overall optimization allows for a seamless experience, making it enjoyable to play at high settings.”
