An example of the best of what gaming has to offer.
User Rating: 10 | Star Control II PC
1993. I sat in front of the computer in the Fox family TV room and typed starcon2 into the DOS prompt. The sitcom laugh track faded into background noise as I began my exploration of our solar system. I must have played for over an hour, an unheard of measure of time for me to be on the Fox's computer. I remember calling Dustin the next day to ask if I could come play it again. These were heady times and soon to be classic games were being released seemingly every day. Hard drives were small and expensive. As soon as the elder Fox boys were finished with it, Star Control II was removed from the drive and my life. 1997. My 486 was only an SX model and still ran DOS but it was more than enough to handle my newest acquisition: Star Control II. It had been years since I had first experienced the awe filled joy of “just one more solar system” and there, in the age of live action full motion video, I entered a space faring reality that was more real than any Wing Commander III. I was by then an older, more experienced gamer and better able to appreciate the open ended yet tight, story driven game play offered by Star Control II. I was wholly taken in by the quality of the story and cleverly (but not too cleverly) written dialog. I finished the game and for months thereafter held the experience close in my mind. 2003. I had my brand new Pentium 4 gaming rig, the first computer I got specifically for the purpose of playing the latest, most system demanding games. All ready for the impending release of Half-Life 2, I stumbled across a website for something called The Ur-Quan Masters. The memories came rushing across the black expanse of forgotten years and filled my head with joy. By now a veteran gamer, versed in every genre and platform for twenty years, I once again sat down to play Star Control II. Astonished by the sheer quality and elegance of the game's design, I quickly found myself not just reliving old memories but making new ones, writing notes and drawing maps like I hadn't done for a game since the original Baldur's Gate. The key word I use to describe Star Control II is elegance. Every aspect of the design is such that, more than a decade after having first played the game, almost nothing is lost to time. The experience is still fresh and the sense of discovery remains. The graphics have aged considerably when compared to the latest wonders of technology but the nature of the game play in Star Control II is such that it does not matter. The aliens are still interesting or horrifying or even titillating. The space battles are as intense as ever, the different alien ship designs provide for near endless multi player fun once the single player adventure is over. In the end, even after all these years, Star Control II remains what it was when it was first released: A magnificent piece of science fiction adventure gaming with a healthy dose of action to back it up. Every aspect of the game continues to shine. From the music to the humorous dialog options to the detailed background stories for each alien race. Star Control II is a game that is as worthy of being played today as it was in 1992. Those of you who cut your gaming teeth on Halo and Grand Theft Auto 3 and its progeny owe it to yourselves to experience this paragon of your heritage. The graphics may be old school but Star Control II is as vital today as any game that's been released in the last five years and touted as a “classic.” Star Control II is a rare game that truly knows the meaning of the word.
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