Choose Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War
Choose Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War if you want the Multi-player side of the pairing. Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War launched in 2014.
Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War vs Space Mercs
Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War and Space Mercs both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War (2014) is 5 years older than Space Mercs (2019). Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War scores higher on Steam reviews (76.6% positive) than Space Mercs (67.4% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Space Mercs
Choose Space Mercs if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 95% cheaper on the Steam Store. Space Mercs launched in 2019.
Both Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War and Space Mercs sit in Action on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War |  Space Mercs | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2014 | 2019 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Indie |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 0.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.6% positive (175 reviews) | 67.4% positive (43 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player | Single-player only |
| Developers | Volition Inc. | Bearded Giant Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War (2014) is 5 years older than Space Mercs (2019).
- Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War scores higher on Steam reviews (76.6% positive) than Space Mercs (67.4% positive).
- Space Mercs is currently ~95% cheaper on Steam than Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War (0.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War vs Space Mercs — FAQ
- Should I play Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War or Space Mercs first?
- If you want chronology, Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War (2014) came out before Space Mercs (2019). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War and Space Mercs similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Space Mercs have multiplayer like Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War?
- No. Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player), while Space Mercs is listed as single-player only.