Space Trader: Merchant Marine
- October 23, 2008
- Meridian4
Get on SteamSpace Trader: Merchant Marine is a single-player space trading game set in a futuristic society ruled by a bureaucratic authority. As a Space Trader, you'll buy and sell commodities, complete bounty missions, and engage in combat to earn your way to the rank of Master Trader. The game features a challenging 5-level campaign with varied objectives and the freedom to approach challenges in your own way.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of early 2000s FPS and trading games.
- The trading mechanics are simple and can be addictive, providing a fun way to earn in-game currency.
- Despite its flaws, the game can be entertaining for those who enjoy casual gameplay and quirky humor.
- The graphics and overall presentation are dated and lack polish, making the game feel unrefined.
- The FPS combat is poorly executed, with clunky mechanics and unresponsive AI, detracting from the overall experience.
- The game suffers from repetitive gameplay and a lack of depth in both trading and combat mechanics, leading to a tedious experience.
- story92 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being shallow and poorly executed, with many missions feeling repetitive and lacking depth. Players often find the narrative to be an excuse for gameplay mechanics rather than a compelling adventure, leading to frustration with unclear objectives and a lack of engaging character development. While there are some humorous elements and nostalgic references, the overall experience is marred by a disjointed plot and uninspired mission design.
“Basically a laid-back game with storylines based on trading plus one storyline with several chapters.”
“Building up and getting more places to travel is a lot of fun as each place brings new side quests as well as new people and places to see and visit.”
“The story has me on the edge of my seat every time I play.”
“The story is so bad it seems like it was written on the back of a 6th grader's trapper keeper.”
“The overall story is threadbare and challenges even the most credulous willing suspension of disbelief.”
“It's a game that you play to get out of debt and make a profit, though that being said all you are going to do is run around with boring missions.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been widely criticized for being outdated, often compared to titles from the early 2000s or even the late 80s, with many reviewers noting they resemble early PS2 or Nintendo 64 visuals. While some players acknowledge that the graphics are acceptable for an indie title, the overall consensus is that they detract significantly from the gaming experience, with choppy animations and poor textures being common complaints. Despite the graphical shortcomings, a few players still find the gameplay enjoyable, suggesting that the game's mechanics and ideas could redeem it if modernized.
“The graphics are cutting edge for its time, the market mechanics are easy to understand and make sense, and the FPS element of the game is comparable to several others of its time, like Quake III: Arena.”
“It rivals more prestigious games like Skyrim with its detailed graphics and addictive mechanics while lacking the hefty price tag.”
“The gameplay is timeless, the voice acting flawless, and the graphics represent the state of the art.”
“Graphics feel like an early PS2 game, to be honest, but the idea and mechanics of the game are interesting if only it was modernized and less buggy.”
“The graphics are just awful, reminiscent of the Nintendo 64.”
“I could not get into it because the graphics, physics, and combat were too dated for my liking.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its outdated mechanics, repetitive trading system, and lackluster graphics. While some appreciate the retro charm and find the core trading and shooting mechanics addictive, others feel that the game suffers from poor execution and limited variety, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as simplistic and lacking depth, making it a hit or miss depending on player expectations.
“With stunning voice acting, fascinating character development, in-depth game mechanics, and a turn-based economy that mirrors the complexity of America's, this game is truly stunning.”
“The gameplay in Space Trader is pretty straightforward: you start on a planet and you have to buy commodities that will bring a profit and travel to another planet to sell them at a higher price, keeping a constant watch on the time limit that each mission has, calculating the profit per shipment and the travel time in order to choose the best option.”
“Fun plot, good jokes, and the gameplay itself is quite fun.”
“An interesting idea which starts out very nice, but is let down by shoddy graphics, poor game mechanics, and linear gameplay.”
“The trading aspect is boring, the ship mechanics are nonexistent, 'upgrades' are bought and sold like normal trade goods, trade goods are completely arbitrary, and the first-person movement and gameplay is rubbish that you'd have found 10-15 years ago in a $5 bin at a Walmart.”
“The mechanics are outdated and both the FPS part and the trading part are lacking.”
- music12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance gameplay, particularly during intense moments. However, others find it repetitive or mismatched with the game's overall tone, leading to a lack of engagement. Overall, while the soundtrack has its supporters, it also has detractors who feel it detracts from the experience.
“But the music, while it's repetitive, is good and works with this game.”
“Fps play is fun, functional, and rewarding; the drug wars-style is my favorite kind of fast-paced, strategic trading; and to top it off, it all takes place in space with a kickass atmospheric soundtrack.”
“The sound design is satisfactory, featuring space-themed music and appropriate sound effects.”
“The graphics are shitty, the music sucks balls, and the gameplay is just run around, buy stuff, sell stuff, shoot stuff when you're out of money, repeat.”
“Normally, I have very low standards to play a game (graphics, music, voice acting, story, etc.), but this game managed to sink below even those unchallenging requirements.”
“The music throughout the game is a high-speed techno beat that, while I am sure some of you will love it, made me play with the sound off after a few sessions.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant issue, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, mini-freezes, and overall poor performance that detracts from the gameplay experience. While the mechanics and concept are appreciated, the persistent bugs and low-quality graphics lead to frustration, making it difficult for players to enjoy the game fully.
“I was actually having fun with this game, but when I quit and tried to start it up again, it just freezes and crashes.”
“The game sounds and looks awesome, but when I try to play it, it constantly mini-freezes like a laggy streaming movie.”
“Fun, but buggy and doesn't perform well enough to be enjoyed past its glaring flaws.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its humor, featuring amusing internet references and a quirky plot delivered by a small cast of voice actors. While some consider it a "hilariously bad" experience, many find it entertaining enough to justify its low price, making it a fun way to pass the time.
“This game is hilarious, and while incredibly tiny, does what it does fairly well.”
“It's a nice way to kill time if you like to travel from one planet to another, meeting demand with supply and occasionally finding a funny internet reference or fighting some mean guys with guns.”
“They even have a plot and side missions voiced by a hilariously small cast of actors obviously altering their voice to be different people.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily offering a short main campaign and a challenge mode with three additional missions that are relatively easy. While players can extend their experience by pursuing achievements, the overall replay value is considered modest, with some users estimating up to 18 hours of gameplay for completionists.
“After completing the main campaign, you can also try the challenge mode that offers three extra missions that are pretty easy to complete. The only real challenge comes when you try to get the achievements, and if you're into that, the game can get interesting. It has decent replay value as you can spend up to 18 hours struggling to complete everything.”
“A fun buy at a low price, but don't expect a lot of replayability and longevity.”
“The game offers a limited level of replayability.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with some expressing frustration just minutes into gameplay. Overall, the grinding is seen as a negative element that detracts from the overall experience.
“It's an okay game, but it feels very rushed and extremely tedious.”
“I found the grinding to be tedious within less than 10 minutes of starting the game.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by a dynamic space setting complemented by a compelling soundtrack, creating an engaging backdrop for fast-paced, strategic gameplay. While not revolutionary, the audio elements effectively contribute to the immersive experience of space exploration and combat.
“The FPS gameplay is fun, functional, and rewarding; the drug wars-style is my favorite kind of fast-paced, strategic trading; and to top it off, it all takes place in space with a kickass atmospheric soundtrack.”
“While not groundbreaking, the audio elements contribute to the overall atmosphere of space exploration and combat.”
“The environments feel empty and lifeless, failing to immerse players in the game's world.”
“The lighting effects are inconsistent, which detracts from the intended mood and tension.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and quality, highlighted by impressive voice acting and intricate mechanics. However, some players feel it falls short compared to classics like Privateer, citing a lack of engaging story and freedom in character progression.
“With stunning voice acting, fascinating character development, in-depth game mechanics, and a turn-based economy that mirrors the complexity of America's, this game is truly stunning.”
“Not a bad attempt to recapture the awesomeness that was Privateer, but the game lacks character development, engaging story, and the ability to just do what you want, when you want, like Privateer did.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is generally acceptable, though some players report experiencing bugs and performance issues that may affect their overall experience.
“The technical aspects of the game are passable, but some players may encounter bugs or performance issues.”
“The game suffers from significant optimization problems, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
“Despite its potential, the game feels unpolished due to poor optimization, making it frustrating to play.”
