Star Citizen is a multiplayer computer game in the space simulator genre, created by Cloud Imperium Games Corporation under the leadership of the great Chris Roberts – the creator of many renowned projects in the "space sim" format. Development of Star Citizen began back in 2011, and the official announcement took place in 2012, when the fundraising campaign launched on Kickstarter and the official website. Initially, Chris Roberts planned to raise just over two million dollars, but the game captivated gamers so much that by the end of the campaign, the creators of Star Citizen collected not two, but all six million, thus leaving Obsidian Entertainment with its game Project Eternity empty-handed, which had long held the top spot for voluntary donations from the gaming masses. But money continued to flow in, and about a year later, this amount more than doubled. And that was far from the end.
As mentioned, Star Citizen is a space simulator, somewhat similar to EVE Online, but Chris Roberts' creation significantly differs from the CCP Games product in many parameters: from ship leveling and combat to the approach to exploring space. Thus, the action of Star Citizen takes place within a single universe, but the game itself is divided into two equal parts: a "sandbox" and a mode called Squadron 42. Yes, CCP Games has Dust 514, in addition to EVE Online (again in one universe), but these are completely different projects, while Star Citizen + Squadron 42 is one game. But what is hidden behind the term Squadron 42? In simple terms, it’s a single-player mode plus multiplayer session-based battles. The "sandbox" part of Star Citizen, in turn, offers players unlimited freedom to engage in activities. Want to trade? Wish to mine asteroids? Or do you prefer the pirate life? Go ahead! An open world with a plethora of activities lies before you. More precisely, it floats in a vacuum.
Speaking of the world. The story of Star Citizen tells us that humanity, as soon as it ventured beyond the solar system and set out to explore the galaxy, encountered several intelligent races, whether they be the reptilians Xi'An, the cat-like Vanduul, as well as the Kr'Tak, Banu, and some others. Naturally, humanity did not manage to establish friendly relations with all of them – the Vanduul, for instance, attack human ships time and again, constantly aggravating the conflict. To somehow counter the enemies, humans maintain huge fleets of combat ships, which include both light fighters and massive, unwieldy "aircraft carriers." And all this splendor is available to players – not right away, of course. Initially, you have to fly small, weak "locusts," but there is an advantage to this – you can hone your combat skills to perfection. Yes, Star Citizen features ship leveling, which is diverse and deep, but it is by no means a guarantee of victory. The most important thing in the creation of Cloud Imperium Games Corporation is skilled hands and the know-how acquired through numerous confrontations. Another important feature of the game is that it is very, very hardcore. For instance, if a player's ship is destroyed or boarded, it will be lost forever. Sad, but interesting and realistic.