The developers of Miner Wars 2081 describe it as a "first-person action-survival space simulation game set in the year 2081," but there's a lot more going on than that. For starters, the developers are working on two versions of the game, both set to release later this year: a small-scale multiplayer version and an MMO.
Oh, and its custom-built game engine makes everything in the entire persistent game world completely destructible. Take a look at the E3 trailer for the game with high aspirations and some awesome destruction tech below.
According to the game's official site , everything in the open-world solar system of both versions of the game (Miner Wars 2081 is the non-MMO version with competitive and co-operative multiplayer) is completely destructible, and the destruction you cause is persistent. Those with more productive impulses can instead carve their way into asteroids to build permanent bases inside, or just toss their buildings and defenses out on top for everyone to see.
Where the simulation part of that lengthy descriptor at the start of the article comes into play is in managing resources: fuel, ammunition, oxygen, ore, and weapons will all have to be managed carefully because you'll be surrounded by warring factions most of the time.
Combat will take place in open space and also in interior environments, such as inside that asteroid base I mentioned. Players will be able to drill their way through objects to bypass your defenses, build a rival city inside your asteroid, or just nuke the whole thing from orbit. There is support for both WASD movement and joystick controls and, like EVE Online, players will able to spend their days mining or exploring the cosmos instead of fighting.
There are over 20 different ships in-game now and each can be upgraded with new equipments, plating, and weapons.
All of this sounds very promising, but I'll wait until I see the game live up to these bold ideas before I let myself get too excited. In the meantime, you can find more info on their official site . The singleplayer/co-op version of the game is due out this year, with the MMO coming out approximately 6 months later. Both games will use the traditional buy-the-box-and-no-monthly-fees business model.
