EVE: The Second Decade Collector’s Edition: Product Review

EVE Symphony Soundtrack CD And In-Game Item Codes

For most people, the smaller box inside the box holds the real meat and potatoes of this collector’s edition. Inside is a snazzy fold-out case that contains the EVE Symphony Sountrack performed by the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, as well as a trio of code cards.

Going clockwise from the left in the picture above, the first card has a code good for over 40 in-game “EVE Online” items. Many are collectables or cosmetic items (for male and female avatars, no favoritism here), but there’s functional stuff too, like the “Tash-Murkon Magnate” Amarr frigate, several implants, and a cool golden capsule for those times you end up shipless. The standout swag has to be the five-run blueprint for the “Gnosis” Battlecruiser, a versatile Jovian ship created for the anniversary that even new players can pilot early on.

The black card up top has the excitingly named Mystery Code that keeps on granting rewards to the owner as time goes on. It’s already good for one PLEX and a cybernetic arm, and we already know it will grant a special fighter for “EVE: Valkyrie” upon that game’s release in 2014. The third card has a code good for “DUST 514” weapons and gear, and I can’t judge the usefulness of any of them since I’ve never played that game.

Last but not least is a code on the back of the included booklet that can be redeemed for 60 days of game time, but there’s a pretty significant catch: it only works on new accounts. This struck me as a strange move since it’s unlikely too many brand new players would choose to jump into “EVE Online” with such an elaborate version of the game, and it would have been nice if existing accounts could use it too. Maybe CCP intended it to have veterans get their friends to play.