Cosmic Rift
A 2D space shooter from Sony Online Entertainment's Station Pass.
Cosmic Rift was a two-dimensional massively multiplayer online game set in a science fiction universe. Players piloted one of 13 spaceships from an overhead view, each with unique strengths and weapons, across various gaming zones with distinct objectives. The game was notable for being part of Sony Online Entertainment's Station Pass package.
Quick Facts
- Designer
- Jeff Petersen
- Publisher
- Sony Online Entertainment
- Genre
- Action
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- April 17, 2001 (NA)
Facts from the source article.
History
Cosmic Rift was included in the Station Pass package from Sony Online Entertainment, alongside Infantry and Tanarus. Its gameplay resembled Subspace, another two-dimensional space shooter by Jeff Petersen, which later became available as freeware under the name Continuum. The game entered open beta in April 2001 and remained in that state until May 2002, after which a monthly fee was required for full access, though limited play remained for non-subscribers. A 4-on-4 league sustained interest until its sixth and final season ended in August 2004, followed by a Rift Ball league that lasted until August 2005. After that, the player base became essentially nonexistent. In June 2007, all Station Pass games became free, and a map editor for Cosmic Rift and Infantry was developed, but the population remained insubstantial. Cosmic Rift, along with Infantry, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga, and EverQuest Online Adventures, was shut down in March 2012, with Sony citing a need to redirect development resources to newer titles.
Gaming Zones
The game offered a variety of zones. Alpha Zone and Chaos Zone were team or solo free-for-alls with no objective other than destroying enemy ships, the former intended for beginners and the latter for experts. Conquest involved teams defending their own base while attacking opponents' bases. CRPL (Cosmic Rift Players League) organized four-on-four matches with limited lives per player. Rift Ball resembled soccer, with two teams passing a Rift Ball to score goals while combat was permitted. Rogue Trader was an RPG-style zone where players earned money by gathering minerals and destroying ships, using the money for persistent ship upgrades. Seek and Destroy had one player holding a flag; the opposing team had to destroy that ship to take the flag, with victory going to the team holding it for a set time. Speed Zone tasked players with destroying as many enemy ships as possible within a time limit. Super Fortress required a team to gather eight randomly placed flags and hold them for a set period. Total War pitted two teams against each other to destroy the opposing team's base, which had computer-controlled turrets. Gravity Well was not online and involved gravity wells that could destroy ships, with weapons obtainable by destroying other ships.
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