EVE Echoes, CCP and NetEase's ambitious sandbox MMORPG, blasts off on iOS and Android today

CCP and NetEase's much-hyped EVE Echoes has finally landed on iOS and Android today. It's an ambitious sandbox MMORPG that takes place in an alternate version of EVE Online's universe, New Eden.

You can expect dozens of hours of roleplaying goodness to enjoy while venturing across the stars in search of your fortune. What makes Echoes special, much like its big brother, is its sandbox design. You can choose how you want to act within its gargantuan universe, whether that be as a small-time trader or a dastardly space pirate.

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Yes, it's all a little tricky to get your head around initially, but I felt that the team had done a good job of cramming this giant game onto mobile when I played it at EVE Vegas late last year.

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What's perhaps even more impressive is how few concessions have been made to get it all working. Its universe is smaller, coming in at a tiny 8,000 solar systems, but it was clear that Echoes isn't an overly stripped-back experience. The balance seemed mostly right.

I also spoke to CCP's Hilmar Veigar Pétursson and Bing Xi, as well as NetEase's Wei Su and Shicheng Zhou, to discuss this mammoth undertaking. Here's a handy link to the full interview.

If you're eager to jump in and see what all the fuss is about, you'll find EVE Echoes available for download now as a free-to-play game from over on the App Store and Google Play. This one weighs in at around 1.8 GB, which isn't too bad. A full list of compatible devices can be found on the store pages linked above.