Best online games about space

Soon April 12 is the date on which the whole world celebrates the Day of Cosmonautics. It was on this day in the spring of 1961 that Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit the Earth. Many people would like to repeat his feat, but not everyone is destined to rise so high. Today, such dreamers are helped by space games. We have chosen the best multiplayer action, RPG and simulation games in which anyone can visit distant worlds, fight on alien planets with monsters, reveal the secrets of the universe and send his starship to where no man has set foot.

Let's start with a game about space, which has everything for a good adventure: flying across the galaxy, solving alien mysteries and destroying monsters, and with both shooting and carving - here you are allowed to swing a katana, like a real ninja. The plot in Warframe is truly epic. After the collapse of the Orokin Empire, which once ruled the solar system, chaos reigned on the planets. This led to the awakening of the Tenno, telepathic warriors capable of controlling cybernetic bodies, or warframes. Gamers play the role of such heroes. At the same time you are given an Orbiter ship, where you can rest between battles, pump up your character and his equipment.

The advantages of the action game are the high dynamics of battles, where hand-to-hand combat, fencing, shooting and acrobatics are mixed, as well as the excitement of the collector (all warframes must be opened gradually) and the conditionally free status. That is, you can break into this universe without a penny of money - it would only be suitable for the system requirements of the computer. After the release of update Empyrean to the fights on solid ground added to the showdown in open space, and in them, as in other missions, there is work for the whole squad. For example, while one of them shoots turrets, the other one steers the bridge and boards the enemy's ship. Special note for aesthetes: the views from the porthole in the game are gorgeous.

This project looks a lot like the previous one, only the view is from the first person, not from the third, and the emphasis is more on the shooting. And since Destiny 2 is developed by Bungie, familiar from Halo series, this game has one advantage, which outweighs any of the disadvantages. The shooting is made just amazingly: whether it's a revolver, shotgun, grenade launcher, sniper rifle or pulse rifle - the handling of any kind of weapon will please the fan of the genre. And the graphics are probably the best among all the MMO shooters about space. Add the free distribution model and you'll understand why there are so many people on the servers.

The events of the second part of Destiny, like the first, unfold in the solar system after the war between the forces of good and evil. The former are led by the Wanderer, a spherical machine the size of the moon that has come to Earth to protect humans. The latter exist in various forms, from an army of possessed men led by King Oryx to the warlike Cabal race, but they are all united by their worship of the Darkness. For the remnants of humanity are fought by Guardians - heroes who wander the planets together with their partner Ghosts. They will show you the way and help to revive the character after his death. However, the epic story of the main campaign we shouldn't expect: there is only a number of exploratory missions and a set of group activities of PvP and PvE formats. And to participate in the full story should buy add-ons - they, in contrast to the game itself, cost money.

Any story about space games would be incomplete without EVE Online, the creation of the Icelandic company CCP Games. Here you not only control a starship, but also visit thousands of planets in the vast galaxy, trading, mining, constructing, fighting with other pilots, participating in the activities of their faction and the passage of the story missions. Everything is so intricately organized that fans often refer to the game as an "Excel spreadsheet simulator. But at the same time, it is so large-scale that a rare hero is able to explore all the systems, and the battles of hundreds and thousands of ships are commonplace here. And although the genre has never known a more ambitious project, and you will not be charged for participation, every gamer is required to have the stamina and willingness to delve into the match.

The virtual universe is called New Eden. It is divided into spheres of influence of several states - you can choose the side of the conflict according to your personal beliefs. Who can not imagine life without the vertical of power, are free to join the Empire of Amarr, if life is not nice without democratic governance, you're welcome in the Federation of Gallente, and who likes the corporate way of life, you will find a place in Caldari. There are other options to suit all tastes. And there's plenty to do, including treasure hunts, ship modules, and battles against asteroids, nebulae, and planets. In general, if you respect science fiction and have tried your hand in the Elite simulators, EVE Online will give you a vivid experience.

Speaking of classics, we can't ignore the Elite series. Together with Wing Commander, the games of this series sparked a wide interest in space sims. The first part of Elite was released back in 1984, but even then it offered visits to hundreds of planets, an open world, and innovative for that time three-dimensional graphics. And the MMO version with the subtitle Dangerous became the fourth one and was released in 2014. What is interesting about it? First of all, the endless space, which is generated procedurally, that is, it is simply impossible to explore it to the end. Although here, as in EVE Online, there are factions, no one forces you to join any guild - unless you like the ship associated with it.

Second, the developers from Frontier Development were meticulous about everything to do with starships, although the controls are not easy. Not only do you have to steer, but you also have to keep an eye on the fuel and the engine temperature, as well as distribute energy to the units. Finally, the simulation of social life in the galactic community deserves attention. You can do anything here. Since there are no role-playing conventions, you choose your own path: if you want, become a scientist or a merchant, and if not - go pirate. Instead of the usual RPG skills in the game system of ships. In other words, a merchant can use a bigger hold, and a robber can use shields and cannons.

Another multiplayer space game with procedural universe generation, and also paid. But flying alone in No Man's Sky is not enough. Here you can arrive at any planet, get out of the ship, equip a base, start mining minerals, study the flora and fauna, and then find an alien artifact and go in search of the same objects. Being stuck on either world for dozens of hours is commonplace. And few people remember now what a scandal marked the release of the game in 2016. First of all, the public was outraged by the fact that the promised multiplayer in the release version was not added, as well as a bunch of other mechanics.

But over time, the developers, we must give them credit, have corrected all their mistakes. And what's more, they constantly release interesting updates - for example, with the development of underwater bases and with story quests, which are allowed to pass alone or with friends. After all, here you can create a personal universe or join someone else's session. No Man's Sky has changed the gaming industry twice: first, it showed how false advertising can be, and then revealed to the world a truly heroic story of work on mistakes. Today it is just an adventure in a vast galaxy, waiting for new discoverers and friendly teams of pilots.

MMORPG in the "Star Wars" universe immediately won the public attention, because the George Lucas epic is still loved by millions, and the game was made by the authors of Dragon Age and Mass Effect from BioWare studio. In 2011, this combination was doomed to success, in addition The Old Republic was widely advertised - up to the fact that it was played by the heroes of the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory". There are still plenty of Jedi, Sith, bounty hunters, and smugglers like Han Solo in a galaxy far, far away. And since the entertainment is free, anyone can join the ranks of heroes.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is set 3000 years before the events of the Lucas series of films. The story, in which players take part, depends on the class they choose - for example, the Jedi begins his adventure on the planet Tython, and the bounty hunter passes the first exams on the Hutt. But these are not all the features of the space MMORPG. Here, as in the movie epic, there is a struggle of light and dark sides of the Force, so there is a full wagering heroes and villains. And, of course, a rare fan of sci-fi will pass by the opportunity to fight on Tatooine, Alderaan and other familiar locations with blasters and lightsabers.

No multiplayer space simulator had such a budget, which is at the disposal of Cloud Imperium Games staff - last year the bar passed half a billion dollars, and fundraising for Star Citizen continues. At the same time, the game, announced in 2012, has not been released. It exists in the form of an alpha version, which is regularly updated with patches, but does not move even into beta status. And the most surprising - wanting to play in such a crude project even more than enough: videos with shootouts on different planets, reviews of new ships and equipment, and just walking around the locations or flying in space appear on YouTube constantly. Where does the public's interest come from?

The answer is simple: the developers take fanatical care in making each starship so that the buyer (and ships in Star Citizen are sold for real money) has the feeling of owning a premium item. Every door, compartment, and porthole is detailed, and everything from the cup holder to the captain's deck chair is interactive. You can buy a single-seater fighter jet, a Nostromo-style truck from the movie Alien, or a luxury ship with a pool and disco deck for in-flight entertainment with friends. You can also complete cargo missions, fight mercenaries and pirates, navigate the complex ship's controls, and endure the challenges of the alpha version.

MMO-shooter studio Rogue Planet Games is not called in the full sense of the word space, although there are enough soldiers in fantastic suits and robots, and flying ships, and the scenery in the style of Star Trek universe. And the action takes place in the future on the planet Auraxis. Only here we can't scurry between the stars with superluminal velocity and cross laser beams with some bandits. Unless you can fight against the asteroidal field. After all, on its principles PlanetSide 2 - is a classic multiplayer actioner, where two squads are fighting to win on the same map. But there are a number of nuances that make the game special.

First of all, its scale is impressive. A thousand people can take part in the battle, and the firefights take place on the ground, underwater and in the air. You can act as infantrymen, take control of an armored vehicle, or sit at the controls of a fighter or bomber. The choice of classes and equipment in such a massively impressive. And it's not limited to just gunfights - there's also resource extraction and equipment production. Finally, despite the high entry threshold, the game is available for free - nothing prevents you from downloading the game and trying your hand at it.

It's not uncommon for gamers sitting at the controls of a ship for the first time in Star Citizen, EVE Online or Elite Dangerous to ask themselves one question: is there something similar, but a little easier? There is, and the free Star Conflict is living proof of that. In fact, it's an MMO-action movie where you don't need to delve into anything, but you need to shoot accurately, unlock new ships and improve them through different modules. But for those who are interested in the history of virtual universe the developers wrote epic story about the space after the war with aliens who wanted to conquer humanity and lost in the middle of nowhere. Here you can look for artifacts of the lost civilization, fight as part of one of the factions for resources and fly around the galaxy in search of adventures.

Star Conflict offers both PvE modes, where pilots fight against AI-controlled ships, and PvP battles. Tasks are better solved by the group, uniting with friends to receive rewards. The team will support you both in small events, designed for several participants, and in large-scale "battles for sectors", when squadrons of huge dreadnoughts collide with each other. It's impossible for just one player to build such a starship - the whole corporations create them. And the distribution of roles in any of the modes depends on your equipment: while some pilots are comfortable to engage in reconnaissance or sabotage, others take the brunt of the strike.

Completes the selection MMORPG Entropia Universe, subtly reminiscent of the style of the TV series Star Trek. It could be called a classic representative of the genre, only instead of the sword and magic here blasters and science. But you explore the locations, acquire resources, slaying monsters in certain areas, joining units and guilds to increase the bonuses from the victories, and gradually improve your character. In general, familiar with role-playing games users are not confused. And the project is available for free - just go to the official website and download the client.

The Entropia Universe is set on six planets, but newcomers start with Calypso. Since no one sets global goals for gamers, the activity of all inhabitants of the universe is reduced to fulfilling different social roles. The simulation of society is built in such a way that people are engaged in useful professions, whether it's mining ore in the mine or creating some items. The main reward for labor is a currency called PED (Project Entropia Dollars), which can be exchanged for real dollars and then transferred to a bank card. Of course, you won't earn much, but where else would you be offered such a substantial bonus for your entertainment?