Progressing through the game should be a varied experience as well due to NetDevil’s attempts to never lock the player into any role. JGE’s zones are dedicated to either PvE or PvP, and as players level up, they can travel to whichever areas they feel like. Additionally, a player isn’t restricted to any class of character – only by what equipment is being piloted at any given time. If a player wants to blow up some pirates, hop in the fighter. After that, they can jump in a bomber to take down a capital ship. Once the big one has bitten the dust, your guild might need some resources to make some more torpedoes, so hop in the mining vessel to score some more rock.

After spending some time with Jumpgate Evolution,  it appears as if all of the pieces are in place for it to become one of the best simple-yet-complex MMOs we have seen thus far. With EVE requiring a master’s degree to play and Star Wars Galaxies being Star Wars Galaxies, JGE has the chance to corner the market with its fast and accessible space combat. The only potential downfalls at this point are the same stumbling blocks that most MMOs face--infrastructure and balance--but since NetDevil has been at this since 2001, I’m confident they have the experience to overcome those problems. All I can do now is wait for the game to come out, so I can call myself Captain Dash Speedex and spend all day in my apartment wearing a flight jacket and motorcycle helmet.

Jumpgate Evolution is scheduled to be released in June.