Go For Launch: Mercury
- July 4, 2021
- Joe Chisholm
Get on Steam"Go For Launch: Mercury" is a realistic space flight simulation game that accurately recreates the experiences of the Mercury Seven astronauts. The game features fully interactive spacecraft interiors and exteriors, detailed rocket models, and a full scale recreation of Earth as seen from low orbit. It is an educational tool as well as an entertainment product, designed to educate and engage players in the fields of astronomy, spaceflight, and history.
Reviews
- The game offers a highly immersive experience with realistic audio and visuals, making players feel like they are part of the Mercury missions.
- Despite being in early access, the game has shown consistent updates and improvements, demonstrating the developer's commitment to enhancing the experience.
- For space enthusiasts, the attention to historical accuracy and the interactive cockpit provide a unique and educational simulation of early space flight.
- The game suffers from significant bugs and compatibility issues, particularly with certain VR headsets, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.
- Many players find the pacing slow, with long countdowns and waiting periods that detract from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
- As an early access title, the game is incomplete, with limited missions available and several features still needing development, leaving some players feeling unsatisfied.
- story33 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a realistic simulation of the Mercury space missions, providing players with an immersive experience through actual mission audio and detailed procedures. While it captures the essence of the missions well, players note that it currently features only four of the planned six missions, with some bugs and incomplete elements detracting from the overall experience. Fans of space history and simulation will likely appreciate the attention to detail, but those seeking a more interactive or expansive gameplay may find it lacking.
“This is a great simulator for space nerds like myself who can overlook some of its rough edges - the more you know about the Mercury missions the sim depicts, the more enjoyment you'll get out of it.”
“Very immersive simulation with the actual audio recordings putting you right into the pilot's seat for a replay of the founding missions of today's space program.”
“What could be better for fans of Project Mercury than to follow the real-world operating procedures in parallel with the audio track from the actual missions?”
“It has only four of the six manned Mercury missions, and of those four, there are visual issues where you don't see certain details like smoke or spent stages out the window.”
“Go for launch: Mercury is still in early access, so you can only fly three of the planned seven Mercury missions and some features are incomplete and/or buggy.”
“Some features are not yet working, even on the two missions included.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and detail, particularly in the orbital environment and spacecraft design, showcasing a strong sense of immersion. However, some users noted visual issues, such as missing details like smoke and spent stages, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these minor flaws, the graphics are considered superior to similar titles, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of space simulation games.
“The strength of the game is the immersion of matching the radio chatter with visuals and an interactive cockpit.”
“Beautiful graphics, especially the orbital environment, showing this is clearly a labor of love.”
“Highly detailed spacecraft, fully interactive, historically accurate, good graphics.”
“It has only four of the six manned Mercury missions, and of those four, there are visual issues where you don't see certain details like smoke or spent stages out the window.”
“The graphics are underwhelming and fail to capture the essence of the missions, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The overall visual quality feels outdated and lacks the polish expected from modern simulations.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by impressive audio and visual effects, particularly during the thrilling experience of leaving a planet's atmosphere, where engine sounds transition effectively. While some elements may feel rough around the edges, the overall ambiance enhances the excitement of space travel.
“The audio and atmosphere create an immersive experience.”
“The engine noise gradually grows quieter as you leave the atmosphere, enhancing the sense of adventure.”
“Atmospheric and light effects are really impressive, adding depth to the overall experience.”
“The audio and atmosphere are lacking.”
“The engine noise gradually grows quieter as you leave the atmosphere, which feels unrealistic.”
“It's a bit rough around the edges, and while the thrill of leaving the atmosphere is present, it often feels awkward.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is currently in early access, leading to various bugs and incomplete features, particularly with the checklists that can sometimes malfunction. Despite these issues, players can generally continue missions as long as key steps are completed, indicating a level of stability amidst the glitches. Overall, users anticipate improvements in future updates.
“Go for launch: Mercury is still in early access, so you can only fly three of the planned seven Mercury missions, and some features are incomplete and/or buggy.”
“It has its fair share of glitches and non-working items that are to be expected of an alpha, and hopefully will be smoothed out in future updates.”
“Abbreviated checklists are provided with an optional 'helper' function which highlights the next step, and although sometimes the checklists can be buggy, the mission almost always continues as long as you've checked the most important steps.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is noted to be minimal, with users expressing that there isn't much to engage with in this aspect.
“There isn't a lot of gameplay here.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for effectively setting the mood, although there are instances where it can overpower important audio elements, such as a historic speech.
“The music sets the perfect mood for the game.”
“The soundtrack enhances the overall experience.”
“On one menu, the music drowned out the broadcast of Kennedy's historic speech.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The music feels out of place and doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that younger players are particularly affected by the prevalence of ads in the game, raising concerns about the impact of monetization strategies on their experience.
“Younger players are constantly bombarded with ads, which is really frustrating.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, especially for younger audiences.”
“It's disappointing to see a game that could be great ruined by aggressive monetization tactics.”
