ACE Online Client

When the term MMO is mentioned, everyone’s mind quickly settles on World of Warcraft, or any of the other fantasy RPGs out there. However, the genre is not at all tied to elves and orcs, since there are countless other worlds one can explore and enjoy. As an example, EVE Online is definitely in the top with the best of them, and it’s a space trading MMO with an emphasis on exploration.

ACE Online is a massively multiplayer space shooter with a few RPG elements thrown into the mix, which allows you to engage in action-packed confrontations with many other players from all over the world. However, instead of endlessly clicking on the target to attack it like in a regular MMORPG, you have the option of jumping into the first-person view and taking matters into your own hands.

The game has a pretty blurry backstory, but it all comes down to the two factions that happen to be disputing control over the galaxy. Hence, you can either choose to play as the government military force called B.C.U., or join with a slightly more rebellious faction that tries to undermine the oppressive government, called A.N.I. Depending on the choice, a number of different characters are available for you to pick as well.

To make the effort feel like it’s worth your while, the ships you pilot (called ‘gears’) can be customized with special components and upgraded as you go along. In essence, this means that you can buy more powerful guns using the money you make by completing missions. Not only that, but it is also possible to change the appearance of your gear, because it is quite important to be unique in a game that doesn’t feature too many different characters or ship designs.

Speaking of which, the visual quality of the title is not exactly top notch, especially when you consider the fact that it was released quite a few years ago. However, the game still looks decent and you can at least appreciate the environments designed to make you feel like you really are in the future. The same goes for the music, which is not too memorable, but it gets the job done in most cases.

All things being equal, ACE Online has the advantage of being rather alone in this niche, because everyone went for the WoW/EverQuest model instead. Hence, if you enjoy space but EVE Online is too complicated for you, then this may very well prove to be a worthy alternative.