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Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso Review

Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso is a unique free-to-play MMORPG that throws you in a world full of possibilities. Make no mistake as this game will draw you in as you play with each little new thing you discover. It is fair to say that Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso looks and feels more as an exploration simulator rather than a standard MMO, since you have no restrictions on where you want to go, reaching as far as traveling between the Planets in your solar system.

entropia universe character creationVisuals and sounds

Keep in mind that Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso (aka PE, for short) has its own personal flavor when it comes to visual aspects. It is a very futuristic game and embraces the tech look to the max, yet for performance purposes the game will download the content as you explore, so it will take a bit of time to adjust and display everything in the game correctly. The art work and textures are very well done, especially when it comes to creature, NPC and character models or other various items.

If detailed graphics make the game easy on the eyes, the same can’t be said the same for the model animations. Considering this game is vast and the game engine is adapted to cope with performance and resource balance, the animations are a bit off-track and don’t look as fluid and well developed as other MMOs.

The user interface is strange and unfriendly at first, but as you play you will discover that PE is very organized and has very well defined sets of options and flexibility when it comes to creating your personalized interface-shortcuts to meet your in-game needs.

Background music is a delight, since it makes exploration a beautiful experience by keeping you curios to see what is on the other side of the hills near you. Though most of the items and consoles you use and even mobs have sound effects, but there is a lack of voice acting which could greatly improve the immersive experience the game has to offer.

entropia universe reviewPlaying for real

PE is vast and weird for a new player and aside from a few NPC missions you will have to learn and explore the game on your own. There is a steep learning-curve that each player has to forgo before they can make a name for themselves and being well-known here can have many great advantages.

Your new life on Planet Calypso begins in a revival facility at Genesis Station where you have the opportunity to customize your avatar’s appearance and learn the basic controls while you wait for the rest of Planet Calypso to be downloaded. You shockingly discover that aside from the yellow pajamas you are wearing you have absolutely nothing in your inventory to make your life easy, transforming your gameplay journey a tough one.

The stating tutorial and quests help you understand some of the basics but in order to progress your existence in becoming a successful citizen of Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso you will have to hunt, mine and craft like a professional. Every action you take counts in this game as it is player driven together with the economic system that pumps the living experience of the player’s activity.

screenshot plant calypsoSince you are penniless and you will need the in-game currency to buy at least something to defend yourself, you will have to resort to one of the 3 gathering skills that stand at the base of the economy system. The easiest way to make PED (Project Entropian Dollars) is to pick up fruits and small mineral rocks that spawn randomly anywhere across the land, or you can follow the quest line and reach a point where you will do an activity called Sweating, which literally means that you will be collecting animal sweat from wild creatures. These are safe activities which will bring you a nice small profit and are also a great mean of socializing and making new friends with people who frequent the same gathering spots.

The economic system is complex and can be even rewarding after a while, since you can develop your own trading/auction system with items you mined, crafted. PED is the main currency and though it can be acquired with real cash or it can also become a source of revenue if you earn it through your in-game activities, therefore PED can be also converted into real cash and transferred into your real bank-account. Yes, this is a game can earn you real money, but don’t think that you will do a fortune overnight.

Aside from the use of your own skills, you can also produce PED by owning capital such as a piece of land from a planet or a space station which will yield a certain percentage of PED every week from taxes and revenues.

In the game you can travel outside a planet’s atmosphere and explore new worlds with new opportunities, or you can just float in space and have space fights or just land on orbital platforms. There are no restrictions to where you want to go and explore new places that will always be rewarding. Don’t forget to get yourself a land and/or flying vehicle to travel more efficiently.

entropia planet calypsoKeep in mind that PE is developed to simulate activities as they would be in real life. This means that in order to mine, hunt or craft you will need equipment that you can either buy, trade or make it by yourself. Everything has durability in the game, so the more you use an item or a piece of great the faster it will wear of and break, but ultimately they can be restore by repairing them for a small amount of PED.

This MMORPG aims for players to interact and become part of the society model together with other on-line gamers. For this, PVP and other social events help people to work together and have a nicer gameplay experience, but that doesn’t stop you from playing solo if you like to have your privacy.

And just when you think you knew everything about this game, then you discover the Mindforce, which is obtained through Sweating and psionic chip implants. To put it in simple words, Mindforce gives you the ability to have “magical” powers and bend space and time to teleport, run faster or do other crazy things that a normal character can’t do.

The last frontier

Entropia Universe: Planet Calypso is a very unique and versatile MMORPG, where you are in control of the game. With every action you perform you will become better known and expand your skill range that will make you a valuable model citizen. Visually and audio the game looks and feels stunning and has a good performance rate, yet the model animation could be improved.

The game is driven by the economy and trade between players, so there are many activities to keep people invested in the game making it a very complex and socially interactive MMO. Becoming the best takes time and there is a steep learning-curve, but it is very rewarding since the PED (Project Entropian Dollars – in-game currency) can be converted into real cash and transferred to your own bank account.

PE grows on you the further you explore and discover new lands and planets and even take part in PVP and PVE combats on the way, making this MMO special and worth checking out.

andrei

4 Comments

  1. I have been playing for 1 year and a couple months and this game is so much fun and challenging. The only thing I would say is that it does require some money. I did the non depositer thing for a year and I made some ped, but one hour of my wages makes the game so much better

  2. I’ve been playing for about 10 years now. The game has changed so much in that time,mostly for the better. While you can play for free, forever, if you enjoy it after a week, you should consider depositing a small amount. Even $10 or $20 will change how you play the game substantially. $20 will get you a fair suite of armor and a gun that will last you for quite a while. From there, you can decide if you want to move up (spend more money) or keep playing as is. There are so many new starter guides (and now starter packs available from EU) to help you get started. In the past, you had to rely on other players for information and the learning curve was much more intense. Players are still more than willing to help new people — just ask, but there are plenty of resources available now to help you get on your way. Also, if you are new, be sure to check out the mentor system. You can find an existing player and he’ll help you get a good foundation of knowledge. There are also rewards for both parties once you complete your mentorship.

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