Immersive yet controversial, space MMO Eve Frontier is free to try right now

Why does humanity always look to the stars for more? Why are we not content with the plethora of opportunity here on Earth? Why must we strive further and further in pursuit of the unknown? These are the questions that good sci-fi always asks. When it comes to games, however, these questions are often pushed aside in favor of showing us the thrill of exploration without ever leaving our gaming chairs. Eve Frontier is an MMO that mixes exploration with resource harvesting and high-stakes combat, allowing us to experience the highs and lows of space travel in its constantly evolving universe. Right now, you can give it a spin for free as part of a rather generous trial period.

A spin-off from hugely popular space sim Eve Online, Eve Frontier offers a more survival-based take on proceedings. Whether it can challenge its progenitor as one of the best MMOs available remains to be seen, but you can see for yourself this month.

Eve Frontier is still in active development, but you can get into the game early if you sign up as a 'founder' for a fee starting at $39.99 and rising to as much as $99.99. However, you can waive that fee this month, as the game is kicking off another free trial to give you a taste of what it has to offer.

This ten-day trial gives players an insight at the game's second 'cycle,' which has fixed bugs and made numerous quality of life improvements. You'll be able to take on missions, join a tribe, and get stuck into the harvesting and fighting gameplay loop that has already brought players on board.

It's worth noting that Eve Frontier has a blockchain backbone, which has made players justifiably wary. To sustain its constantly evolving but persistent universe, the whole game is built on the blockchain, and resources can either be bought with in-game currency called LUX, or Frontier's own crypto token, $EVE. This is a controversial move that has already put a lot of players off the game, and even though the use of the crypto token is optional, it's important to go in with that knowledge so you're prepared.

If you're still interested in trying it, the Eve Frontier free trial is available from Friday, September 5, until Monday, September 15. You can take part by creating an account here.

If you're not a fan of Eve Frontier's controversial web3 elements, or just want to play something else, we'd recommend checking out some of the best space games for a similar experience. Alternatively, our list of the best survival games has plenty of crypto-free options.

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