Recent reviews by Der Vampir

I don't review stuff often let alone at this length but I have to say I dig Marauders and I think Small Impact games has done a great job on it so far. It's an easy drop in drop out game I don't have to dedicate a lot of time too but still I find myself always going back for 'one more run' after I said I'd get off. It's pretty accessible too despite being a hardcore shooter as it's not hard to gain or loose loot, you can literally go in with the pistol you always find spawned on your starter ship and make it out stacked as hell. And this sort of looting/fighting gameplay cycle on it's own is plenty enough for me to have payed for but with the added quests and contracts I find myself going on runs to complete them which is usually something I don't care about in games.

It has plenty of flaws and there are bugs persisting from the alpha and beta, as well as some new ones even; but they have fixed plenty and are still working on it constantly so despite this I would say it's pretty polished for an early access title and it knows what it wants to be, either way if you can get past that sort of stuff it is a lot of fun.

To go over a few of the main aspects people will ask about I'll start with combat. I'd say the fighting at times can be a bit janky and some of the movement can feel a bit floaty but I still find most all the fights I have quite satisfying or intense, even the jank ones. There is a nice weight to everything and it feels pretty good all in all, with some adjustments over time and response for the community I believe it will shape up very nicely. Also in combat keep in mind armor is a pretty big deal even though for now it isn't that fleshed out, though don't think that a nice helmet will always stop a headshot from a high powered rifle or even a few headshots from a dinky pistol, your items degrade in combat and its effectiveness with it.

Speaking of combat, the AI can be anything from quite a challenge to outright nonsensical. At times it will have you wondering if you're fighting a real player and then other times they will act insane and run around like the Benny Hill theme is playing. Even worse, some will just sit there and Blair Witch in a corner only to turn to gun you down or just look at you a moment before you end their suffering. So all in all, they could use some work but they're nice to have in the game in my opinion.

As for groups, I have done it solo and with friends, both of which I find enjoyable though from what I know there are still bugs persisting with making lobbies so keep that in mind but it does work. I personally have played solo like 90% of my time in this game so far from alpha to now so if you like solo or you prefer playing in a group it's good for either.

To start closing this long winded review I'll be honest the bugs can be annoying and every so often even ruin a run. Not to mention I find some design choices not to my liking among other things. But in the end I find that you simply can't take things at face value, especially these days where a lot of stuff is half baked or seemingly derivative or uninspired or whatever. We as a people tend to easily give up on things since we have so much in front of us to be able to experience and that is your choice to make as not only a individual but a consumer as well. But I believe if you get caught up on every rough edge of something you're likely to tear apart your own view on it before you really get to experience it as a whole, let alone seeing it come to fruition. In so saying, I believe this game will be some thing truly great in the future after some much needed updates. It's true potential might be a far off from now but for seeing where it is at I find it more than copacetic when it comes to content and a lot of fun in general.

And as for the price aspect, I got this game for 25 bucks on preorder from their website ages ago; which is literally the price of a pizza here in the US. And as much as I like pizza I find me being able to enjoy this more than once is a pretty good deal. I say this because I see a lot of people complaining about the price and I am sure it is more expensive in other countries but if you just shop around you can get it at a more affordable price, from CD keys, to discounts/sales, to simply waiting and saving some money. It really isn't that much so give it a try and do a refund if it isn't your thing or you don't think it's up to snuff yet, you won't regret it. And considering most people are perfectly fine with dishing out 20 bucks on a game to play with friends because it's the new big thing or whatever and they only end up playing it a few hours only to return it or forget about it, I find this isn't a bad investment at all.

(TL;DR) It's an easy going hop in hop out sort of game with just the right amount of tedium and intensity to get you coming back for more. It's sure to be enjoyable for those who like more hardcore games and casual players alike without taking up too much of your time, money, or sanity.
Give it a shot and I'll see you out there space cowboy

It's ok. I play it every now and then.