Parents' Guide to

EVE Online

By Carolyn Koh, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Fly starships and destroy enemies in online space game.

Game Mac , Windows 2003
EVE Online Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • EVE Online Game: Screenshot #1
  • EVE Online Game: Screenshot #2
  • EVE Online Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 9 parent reviews

desius
desius Adult
March 27, 2019
age 18+

The most unethical game I have ever played.

I have over 10 years experience in playing MMOs (massively multiplayer online games), and this game is by far the worst one I have played. There are a lot of cool aspects about the game, namely focused around exploration. However, this game is primarily a PvP game. As a generalization, PvP tends to produce more negative in-game interactions than PvE focused games. Children may not care about this, but parents should. What I feel makes Eve Online particularly bad, is that the game design is absolutely terrible with regards to most new players. Most MMOs frown upon camping other players in PvP. What Eve Online players call "ganking" is actually camping. Ganking in other games, usually involves killing a lower level player and then moving on. Leaving the defeated player alone after one kill. Eve Online (company name is CCP and is owned by a Korean parent company) has decided that gate camps and station camps are good places for PvP to occur. As an example, you come out of a gate (load screen) to find someone in a carrier (which takes over a year to obtain) and you get complete blown up. You lose your ship and any time or money you have invested in that ship. New players can do nothing to compete one vs. one, and are forced to join corporations. On top of this, players are continually trying to scam or rip off other players. And, young players would not only be prime targets but will also be learning very personally destructive lessons, in-game. In the end, bad game design coupled with bad game ethics means that this is one game to avoid.
2 people found this helpful.
zackis
zackis Adult
September 24, 2015
age 16+

Long time Adult player

As a long time player I believe that this game could be acceptable for thos 16 and up. Many people experience poor gamesmanship and poor attitudes however this is not always the case. The group of people that the young person ( or adult) plays with is key. Having run several Organizations within this game I can verify that many simply wont accept those under 18 but those that do generally are not evil, mean or even downright nasty. The anonymity of the internet culture can get people to act poorly but there are good people out there who could make this game fun for those 16 and up in age. It is NOT for everyone

This title has:

Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
See all 9 parent reviews

What’s It About?

EVE ONLINE is a space flight and combat game set in a universe far away and eons away from the current time. It is a \"sandbox\" game, meaning that players are provided the \"sandbox\" and can play in it as they wish. Players choose one of four different races and make an avatar, but control ships. Unlike many games which make use of mouse, keyboard, or joystick to control movement, players issue orders by selecting destinations and commands such as orbit, dock, or mine, and the ship will perform that action. Players in EVE Online earn skill points and train skills in real-time - meaning that skills will be training even when the player is offline. Although there are careers that players can choose to follow, they can train in any skill they wish, either specializing in some or spending the time to learn as many as they wish. Players also build and improve their ships with better armor, equipment, and weapon systems. EVE Online is also about power and control. Players battle each other to control star systems and build star bases.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (9 ):
Kids say (9 ):

On the one hand, EVE Online is a great game because of the open sandbox play, where almost literally, anything goes. Players can trade to earn a living, be a mercernary, conduct mining operations, fight the pirates, be a pirate, focus on research or manufacturing, or play the meta-game of space control by participating in a Corporation and fighting other Corporations for control of space and resources. On the other hand, it can be a confusing game because there are no structured or predefined advancement paths.

A mature game with many expansions since launch (all of them free), EVE Online has a volunteer program and one branch specifically helps new players by greeting them and helping them get a good start in the game. For the best experience, players will want to join a Corporation, which are player run groups, because the best way to learn is from other players. Graphics in EVE Online are simply gorgeous and yet computer requirements are quite low. Players who enjoy creative thinking and opportunities afforded in an open-ended game can find EVE Online utterly compelling.

Online interaction: Although there are volunteers that help new players, and other players are generally helpful, a major part of game play is player-versus-player and gamers must expect to lose their ship and have to rebuild. This is a game with open chat so risks are present.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the possibilites and history of space travel. When did manned space flight first occur? Do you think a world like EVE Online could exist in the future?

  • Families can also talk about online interactions, safety, and courtesy. If you wouldn't say or do this in real life, why would you do it online?

  • Online games are compelling and time consuming. Families can talk about setting time limits for online game time.

Game Details

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