The work of a marauder is quite special, as developer Small Impact Games engages power with their FPS title Marauders. An entire journey consists of looting, raiding, and escaping, sometimes not even in that order. Threats loom across the galaxy as the spoils of the Great War continue to hinder humanity in the 20th century. But just how far can a marauder go in order to achieve ultimate survival? More so, how long can I survive in Marauders before I’m ready to dock my rustbucket for an undetermined time? This is my 5-hour experience of playing Marauders, developed by Small Impact Games, with publishing being handled by Team17.
Into the Outer Reaches of Space: The Life of a Marauder
In truth, I didn’t know what to expect when I received a code for Marauders at an initial glance. Off the bat, it seemed like your run-of-the-mill sci-fi shooter with a few tricks. But it quickly morphed into an intense trek through space as I scavenged for supplies and escape pods. The Great War has not come to an end, with the 1990s enduring its violence even decades after its inception. Corporations and individual factions fend for themselves, while we marauders go to seek treasures for our own survival. Space isn’t a pretty place, but neither is complete survivability.

After diving more than five hours into Marauders, I found myself craving more adventure. In a nutshell, a single game generates with you inside of your spaceship, awaiting orders for a raid. Whether it’s on my own or with three other players, the next task is to invade a starship. We then fly on over, shoot away at any oncoming targets, then enter a yellow-tinted hangar for landing. From there, the tactical survival aspects come into play with careful looting in mind.
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Marauders offers peeking mechanics for space pirates to utilize, but it only really comes in handy if you know how to take down your target. I say this because more than 80% of my violent encounters resulted in enemies rushing up to me for an attack. No defense, no cowering behind walls; the majority of my foes merely ran up to me to attack without a combative trick, triggering the uncontrolled rage on my end to take them down. It is satisfying to wipe out foes in space, yet I didn’t expect to literally be on my toes for this intergalactic adventure.
As an amateur marauder, leveling up will take some time to develop. As a lone wolf geek, I tend to dive into games on my own due to time constraints, interest, and player availability. Marauders welcomed the concept of having pirates link up through private or public parties. With up to four fighters within a starship, the issues in space can quickly be resolved by teamwork. However, as a one-man army, you’re better off taking advantage of the tactical mechanics of Marauders.
Footsteps are essential here. Even when Marauders gives you the option to walk slowly, you can still hear a hint of a footstep. This can come from either you or another player, forcing me to raise my cognizance to a higher degree. I never really know who is within my vicinity, and I can’t tell if they’re friendly or hostile. In the end, I am a marauder – I ought to fend for myself and my teammates. That’s only if the teammates were more thoughtful in nature; half of my online encounters resulted in getting kicked from a party within seconds or getting shot down due to my low level or “audacity to join a crew just because the invite is open”. I think I’m better off finding my own crew of pirates or, at the very least, prepping myself intensely for future moronic halts.
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As a total result, I see myself piloting my rustbucket even more as Marauders continues down its Early Access development from Small Impact Games and Team17. Changes and improvements shall arrive at some point, but it’s quite certain that I need to build myself up to a higher standard than the other pirates in the galaxy. As a mercenary, you can never tell and know who to completely trust. Therefore, it’s best to look after myself within a hostile environment where other players aren’t afraid to gun down their own comrades. Lock and load to the brim, baby.
Marauders is a space trek that requires caution and timing, as crummy circumstances can quickly come into play. Additional hours will provide players with other spaceships to pilot and gear to wear, but this all comes with dedication. Do you have the willpower to take space by the throat, or will you succumb to its never-forgiving cold void? The former definitely applies to me, as I’m looking to upgrade my mercenary with more tools to utilize.
I recommend checking out Marauders if you’re looking for a game where noise plays a big factor. If footsteps are eerie in horror games, you can expect to feel something similar while raiding a ship or station. Just be sure to travel with a buddy or two – you never know who can be lurking around a dark corridor.