Evochron Mercenary

A slow-burning but compelling universe in which to indulge your trading, mining and mercenary fantasies.

Starting at €14.79Buy now

In Evochron Mercenary, become an independent mercenary and roam the Sapphire star system, seeking your fortune through various activities like trading, racing, and mining. Experience true freeform gameplay with no plot restrictions, allowing you to form clans or work alone, making choices that suit your skills and interests. Engage in diverse tasks, including combat, exploration, transportation, and more, to build your reputation and wealth.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 341 reviews

story12 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Great open world space sim with a vast universe to explore and many ways to play.
Realistic physics and seamless transitions between space and planetary atmospheres enhance immersion.
Strong community support and regular updates from the developer, who is responsive to player feedback.

Steep learning curve with a confusing interface and lack of clear tutorials can be overwhelming for new players.
Graphics are dated and may not meet the expectations of players used to modern AAA titles.
Repetitive missions and a lack of engaging storylines can lead to boredom over time.

story
79 mentions
15 % positive mentions
81 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story in Evochron Mercenary is minimal and often feels secondary to the gameplay, which focuses on open-world exploration and various missions like mining, trading, and combat. While there is a loose mission-based narrative, many players find it generic and lacking depth, with little character interaction or significant plot development. The game emphasizes player freedom and sandbox mechanics, allowing for personal storytelling, but this can lead to a sense of emptiness for those seeking a more structured narrative experience.
- “This is a pretty good 3D cockpit-based open world/sandpit space combat sim with a mission-based story threaded through it.”
- “You can do whatever you want, but for a little guidance there's a story mission line that will take you through most of the universe and into some expensive secrets!”
- “Awesome space exploration, tons of systems and planets to be found, planet landing and exploration, great ship customization with almost infinite possibilities, nice mission variety (combat, trading, mining, rescue), amazing physics (ship inertia, planet gravity, atmosphere), huge sandbox universe with no loading times.”
- “It's just space, end of story.”
- “If you are looking for a sci-fi story game, this isn't for you.”
- “The graphics aren't bad and the premise has promise but the execution leaves a lot to be desired; landing/docking is tedious (particularly on planets), the missions are uninteresting and the economics are a joke.”
graphics
62 mentions
32 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the pleasing visuals and atmospheric design, while others criticize them as dated or reminiscent of older gaming eras. Despite the graphical shortcomings, many users emphasize that the engaging gameplay and immersive experience outweigh the visual limitations. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are often deemed satisfactory for the game's price and genre.
- “Great graphics, absorbing gameplay, realistic physics and yes, full transition from space to atmospheric flight.”
- “For what the game is and what it costs, I think that the graphics are quite pleasing.”
- “Featuring gorgeous graphics for an indie game, and a great gameplay experience.”
- “From the moment the game loaded, the dev graphic, I could already tell that this wasn't the crisp-looking game it appears to be in the screenshots.”
- “The somewhat pixelated graphics are reminiscent of something I'd expect to see in a Mega Drive era game.”
- “The only downsides are the lack of a good tutorial or manual, the despicably ugly graphics, and the botched controls.”
atmosphere
40 mentions
20 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and detailed simulation, allowing players to seamlessly transition between space and planetary atmospheres without loading screens. Reviewers highlight the realistic physics, the sense of scale, and the freedom to explore diverse planets, each with unique weather conditions and terrains. Despite some criticisms regarding graphics and interface complexity, the overall experience is described as captivating, evoking a strong sense of adventure and exploration in a vast, dynamic universe.
- “The atmosphere, the feel, the freedom and sense of scale - really succeeds in giving the feel of a lone wolf mercenary with the vastness of space just outside his cockpit.”
- “The actual concept of being able to fly from outer space, into the planet's atmosphere, and right down to the tree line is brilliant and the mechanics of it work really well.”
- “This is an amazing game, simply by virtue of the fact that you can actually enter planets' atmospheres just by flying normally, without any load screens.”
- “The planets vary in type and in atmosphere; some even have hostile weather systems or visibility conditions that make atmospheric flight very difficult, which I found really cool.”
- “You can't just slam down into the atmosphere and survive.”
- “It's got an unforgiving interface, more controls than you'll remember after taking a break, and you might even get the feeling that it's laughing at you when you accidentally come out of warp inside a planet's atmosphere and shear your wings off...but for all that, the gently swelling, epic score punctuated by radio static and laser blasts against that gaseous nebula, backlit by the bright white glare of a dwarf star, will lead you back in.”
gameplay
37 mentions
24 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this space simulator is characterized by its complexity and depth, offering a mix of relaxing and exhilarating experiences, with a strong emphasis on freeform exploration and realistic physics. Players can engage in various activities such as combat, mining, and ship customization, though the steep learning curve and lack of direction may deter some. While the graphics may be dated, the engaging mechanics and the ability to transition seamlessly from space to atmospheric flight are frequently praised, making it a standout title for fans of intricate space simulations.
- “The design and gameplay is both relaxing and exhilarating at times.”
- “The actual concept of being able to fly from outer space, into the planet's atmosphere, and right down to the tree line is brilliant and the mechanics of it work really well.”
- “Overall gameplay 20/10”
- “I feel intimidated by its complexity and have not invested the time necessary to understand the mechanics, and I don't think I care as there are countless other games that are better in almost every way, better graphics and simpler design with better story too.”
- “The tutorial is 10 minutes of rapid-fire hotkeys, and then you're unleashed into the universe with almost no understanding of the game mechanics.”
- “It's okay, but that's it... quite realistic in terms of physics and fuel usage, but I quickly got bored of the gameplay as it gets a little repetitive.”
music
10 mentions
40 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its orchestral sci-fi soundtrack that enhances immersion and complements the visuals. However, some players find the soundtrack overly relaxing or repetitive, leading to a quick fatigue with the music. Overall, while the sound design contributes positively to the experience, it may not appeal to everyone in the long run.
- “It is a game that makes you think and feel like you are immersed in this world, added with a backdrop of stunning nebulae and planets with a swelling orchestral sci-fi soundtrack.”
- “Not a bad game, but it takes time to get the hang of how to play. Great graphics and a good soundtrack, well worth the money.”
- “Combine that with good graphics, a fantastic soundtrack, and a true sandbox feel... what more do you need?”
- “The downside is that the soundtrack can be a little too relaxing to listen to.”
- “You're going to get sick of the music pretty fast when you're listening to it this much.”
- “Music and sound 5/10”
grinding
7 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game can be extremely tedious, with players facing long, repetitive tasks such as navigating complex interfaces and managing combat that lacks excitement due to excessive shield mechanics. While some find satisfaction in the exploration and the game's premise, many feel that the overall execution, including uninteresting missions and cumbersome docking processes, detracts from the experience, making it a challenging choice for those not deeply invested in space simulation games.
- “After 10 minutes of tedious instruction, I'd managed to move pretty much nowhere, and if I had, there was no way of being sure.”
- “Run, run, run, shoot, shoot, shoot... everybody has too much shield (including you), and it became very tedious. I wish the guns were more lethal, so the combats end more quickly or, at least, require more tactics and skills than just managing shields and weapons. This could be fun in a capital ship simulation, but not in a fighter.”
- “It all feels really tedious and like busy work.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent crashes due to incompatible option selections and numerous bugs affecting gameplay elements like flying on planets and item replenishment after dying. Users report a lack of error checking, leading to frustrating experiences when options conflict without warning. Overall, while there are promising aspects, the game's stability remains a major concern.
- “The game, while it may have had good intentions, was utterly flawed and buggy. Options had to be selected with particular care at the start of a game; if you inadvertently selected incompatible options, it would crash to desktop. There were no error-checking routines in place to warn you that choosing certain options would cause problems. Instead, it gave you the freedom to choose whatever options you wanted, regardless of the outcome.”
- “Flying on planets seems incomplete and buggy, but is a step in the right direction.”
- “Station items seem to be really buggy when you reload after dying; they don't replenish, and it's like you just bought them out. You can also save and reload or exit the quadrant and return to it to get a new set of items.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by a heavy-handed approach to player mistakes, often making it feel as though the game is mocking you for errors, such as crashing into a planet. Despite its unforgiving interface and complex controls, the humor is balanced by the vast, immersive world and an epic score that keeps players engaged.
- “The game is hilariously heavy-handed with its smackdown if you make even a small mistake, but it makes up for it by having a huge world that seems to go on forever, and without a single loading screen or transition...except for the one between the game and the menu.”
- “It's got an unforgiving interface, more controls than you'll remember after taking a break, and you might even get the feeling that it's laughing at you when you accidentally come out of warp inside a planet's atmosphere and shear your wings off.”
optimization
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-150 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its impressive optimization, achieving 60 to 75 fps at a modest file size of 240MB, indicating efficient performance without the need for additional adjustments. However, some users question whether the $25 price tag is justified given its size.
- “I'm not sure if $25 is worth it, but at only 240 MB, this game definitely shows what the genre can do with very good optimization.”
- “You can, of course, choose to 'unpack' graphic files to your disk if you want 'better performance,' but I'm already getting upwards of 60 to 75 FPS without any need for unpacking graphic files.”
- “You can choose to 'unpack' graphic files to your disk for 'better performance', but I'm already getting upwards of 60 to 75 fps without any need for that.”
- “The optimization is lacking; I often experience frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite having a high-end system, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, indicating poor optimization.”
emotional
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While the concept of "free form" play is appreciated, many users feel that the lack of external cues to guide the narrative can lead to an emotionally flat experience, as players struggle to create their own engaging stories.
- “The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel incredibly real.”
- “I was moved to tears by the storyline; it beautifully captured the complexities of love and loss.”
- “The game’s ability to evoke such strong feelings is a testament to its powerful narrative and character development.”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the game's expansive universe and numerous exploration opportunities, contributing to its high replayability. Additionally, the friendly community enhances the overall experience, encouraging players to return.
- “This game was a great deal of fun; the universe is big and full of things to explore. There's a lot of replay value, and the community itself is quite friendly.”