Shipped today...

[Hertston]

My UK boxed copy from Clearance Games via Amazon.co.uk. Don't know what this 4th May business is all about.

[LtJamesWatts]

Well as soon as you get your copy would you mind to give us your first impressions after you've played it for a couple of hours?

Thx

[Vestor]

thats an odd one....

I'm registered at amazon.co.uk and i cant see any release date preview, all it sais is that the game is unavailable.

Care to explain it better Hertston?

[Hertston]

Hiya

I can only assume very small stocks have run out. I registered to get the e-mail notification that the game was available months ago, got the email on Tuesday and ordered the game that evening. I assume a few others did the same.

The preferred seller, 'Express Games' was shown as having only two copies, but as they were charging rather more than the only other seller (£17.99 plus an extortionate £4.99 shipping) I went with the latter, 'Clearance Games' (£17.71 including shipping). They emailed me to say it shipped yesterday; I should get it tomorrow, hopefully.

I'm a little worried now that it will turn out to be some imported Far East English 'version' rather than a UK copy. I got caught out like that with Fantasy Wars, there's nothing inherently wrong with a legitimate Far East English language version except that, because of the different DRM and such, nobody ever seems to bother patching them.

I'll keep y'all posted.

[LiveAus]

I think you'll be receiveing a nice dvd filled with Bulgarian porn

[Hertston]

Originally Posted by LiveAus

I think you'll be receiveing a nice dvd filled with Bulgarian porn

Hehe... no, maybe that's a risk with ebay, but not generally amazon.

Anyway, it's here, and seems to be the legit UK distribution version (Crioland). Installing as I type. Let's hope I don't end up wishing I had got a nice DVD filled with Bulgarian porn instead!

[LiveAus]

So what's the veredict?
Are you already doing raponka in that big blue planet?

[LtJamesWatts]

Getting really curious here too but take your time so you can get a good general idea of the game first

Now if it is Bulgarian porn, I'd like to get a review too
J/K lol

[Hertston]

Haven't had time to play too much today, and certainly won't over the next couple of days, so I'll reserve comment on gameplay for a while (nothing bad so far, though)

A few general points, though;

Installed without trouble, and seems stable enough, no crashes and such so far. No Starfarce or similar, or online registration.

The to-be-expected dodgy translations from the Russian and less than stellar voice acting (although with that material you can't really blame them). Exception.. the lass who does the in-ship stuff, who is excellent. And sexy as hell. As voices go.

Graphics are 2006 rather than 2009, but work well enough. The odd nice touch, like the dangly Xmas tree in the cockpit - maybe you get fluffy dice on promotion! UI seems well designed, with keyboard shortcuts for everything.

Ship ('or 'flugger'?!) control and dynamics are nicely done. Three options, arcade, inertial arcade and simulation. The first just does doesn't feel right (compare with X3, equally 'arcadey', which does) and the last seems for the hard-core and/or masochistic so I've plumped for inertial arcade so far. It feels much like Evochron Renegades/Legends or Arvoch Conflict, if anyone has played those.

And in answer to my previous, unanswered, question, joystick support seems OK. No troubles with my Saitek X45, and it even recognises my rudder peddles.

Promising so far.

[LtJamesWatts]

Ok thx mate, looking forward to hear more when you had the time to play for a couple of hours

Should have known about the voice acting :/

Keep us also posted please on how the story is, no spoilers of course