While it’s undeniable that Star Citizen has spun out of control with scope creep, some of the big building blocks of that vision are starting to come into focus. I explored Area 18 with my friends, and we went clothes shopping, picked up some other goodies, and enjoyed the sights. From there, we boarded a friend’s ship and headed out to the icy slopes of New Babbage to pick up a different friend. My friends and I started out at Area 18, which is a little like Star Wars’ Nar Shaddaa, all neon and vice. It promises to be a forever game by making the normal, real-life parts of a futuristic sci-fi life feel real, so someone can really be a space trucker, notorious bounty hunter, or famous fighter pilot. The result feels a little like the camaraderie inspired by a game like Sea of Thieves Star Citizen is similarly focused on the mundane. One player might take up residence in the med bay, like Star Trek’s Bones, while another might stick in the pilot’s cockpit. A big chunk of the time I’ve already spent in the game so far is just enjoying the scenery - sitting in the mess hall to eat and drink on a long haul, everyone picking out their bunk, a tour of the ship so everyone knows where the weapons are (just in case).
The allure becomes apparent once you board one of these fancy ships, and see the opportunities for roleplay. These range from $30 into the hundreds of dollars it’s very possible to drop thousands of dollars on multiple ships so you have one for every situation. And you can fast-track your way to that goal by going to a real money shop, where a variety of vessels are available. Players want to own a fleet of ships, made for specific purposes. That’s part of the trick to Star Citizen’s success. Roberts Space Industries (RSI) and Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) have together raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the development of Star Citizen, which has gone towards game development, in-game cinematics, voice work and motion-capture for characters in the campaign from celebrities like Mark Hamill (and Gillian Anderson, and Andy Serkis, and on and on), and lavish in-universe commercials showing off how neat certain ships are. Fans and investors bought into Star Citizen’s big promise: it’s a “forever game” consisting of a massive sci-fi universe filled with players, each on their own individual journeys. The game’s fundraising campaign continually breaks records, even as it adds on deep-pocketed investors. Yet the game is not lacking in resources. If you’ve given up - or never boarded the hype train - then you might only know about Star Citizen from snarky headlines like “ CIG reels back Star Citizen’s roadmap because players ‘interpret anything on the release view as a promise’” or “ Star Citizen dev defends missing roadmap feature by 4 years.” It’s easy to doubt whether the game is even playable - after all, even though it’s been nearly a decade, the developers are still discussing features as basic as, er, loot. As the years have passed, the gap between those who are following Star Citizen and those who are disinterested has grown. The game has been infamous for its slow and delayed development cycle for many people, the title has become just a meme, and its harshest critics online have even claimed the game is a “ scam”. It is, in fact, not actually a singular game but a franchise consisting of a persistent universe (PU) and an unreleased single-player campaign game called Squadron 42 that still doesn’t have a release date (and hasn’t since 2016). Many people aren’t aware of how far Star Citizen has come - which makes sense, as it has so far still to go. It is a game that is far more advanced than many people think, despite falling short in many respects. I found myself taking time to just stop and watch advertisements for fictional mercenary companies, or sitting and bathing in the neon glow of a futuristic plaza. Spending a few hours in the world of Star Citizen is intriguing, breathtaking, and frustrating all at once. Despite being a skeptic who has largely been disinterested in the game, I was surprised to find a galaxy I could actually explore. It all started when a friend purchased starter packs for me and my friends. An uninitiated spacefarer might be surprised at how much there is to explore. It’s 2022, and I just got into Star Citizen.
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