After Starfield, I thought I was done with large-scale space travel, but Star Citizen's spectacular latest trailer has pulled me right back in
I never fully wrote off Star Citizen as a scam to sell expensive fake ships to credulous fans of Wing Commander, but neither have I ever been convinced that it will actually achieve a 1.0 release someday. I don't think this latest trailer has changed my mind on that point, but it has made me glad that Star Citizen exists as an idea, purely because it is so mesmerising to watch.
To be honest, «trailer» doesn't really do this video justice. It's a 25-minute showcase of the game's bespoke Star Engine tech, and by proxy a chance for Roberts Space Industries to exhibit the scale of the game. And it's the most I've been interested in Star Citizen for ages, despite recent events demonstrating that exploring simulated universes is never as exciting as it seems.
The trailer kicks off with a crucial note: «Everything you are about to see has been captured in engine as one continuous shot without loading screens. Distance between planets has been compressed for the sake of brevity.» Then there's a performative orchestral tune-up, before the trailer's soaring soundtrack kicks in.
Instantly, we're off, barrelling through the cosmos. After a few seconds, we arrive at the first planet, microTech Stanton IV, where the Star Engine shows off those most coveted of features, fully explorable planets and seamless transition from space to ground without a loading screen in sight. Take that, Starfield! Right between the eyes.
The trailer spends a while floating around Stanton IV, showing off an incredibly detailed city complete with fully operating rail system, glistening icy mountains, and lush forests. Then we're off again, arriving at a silhouetted ring planet, where the trailer dives into those icy halos to showcase the engine's «real-time
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