Star Cruiser

Star Cruiser is a space shooter/adventure game with many distinct elements from a number of different genres. It focuses on exploration and is very story-driven, as the game takes the players through various star systems and planets to solve the mystery of the VOID attacks. On their way, the players will meet many peculiar characters, learn their stories and try to help with their problems whenever an opportunity presents itself. Additionally, this port is somewhat more ‘mature’ if such a term could be used, due to its sense of humor and the depiction of alcohol. This version of the game is quite different from the Mega Drive port that is already available in English, but it’s similar to the original PC-88 release as far the mechanics are concerned (except for the character portraits and some other minor details). An interesting aspect of the game are the shops, which were not present in the MD port. There, just the equipment can be found, as the entire money system was scrapped. In the PC versions the players would get money for the missions instead, which in turn would allow them to buy better gear and additional resources. The main story beats are the same, but there are many differences as far as the characters and events go, which gives this version its own identity. In fact, this is what makes the game quite different from the MD port in particular. For example, the final area in this version is massive, whereas in the MD port it was much smaller. What is more, some major characters have different roles in this version of the game, and some others only appear in the MD port.

The Odysseus Project is a follow-up to Star Cruiser. Gameplay concept and visual style are very similar to that of the predecessor: it is a first-person 3D shooter with extensive exploration and customization elements, which grants it a light role-playing angle. Much of the game is spent on planet surfaces, in populated or hostile areas. Combat is action-based by default, but there is an option for a menu-based combat as well. There is a variety of weapons, armor, gadgets, and items to find or purchase. It is also possible to physically navigate a spaceship. Combat in space plays similarly to on-foot battles, with the additional of a freely rotatable camera.

An early first-person role-playing shooter released by Arysis Software for the PC-88 and PC-98 in 1988, and later ported to the Sharp X68000 and Mega Drive/Genesis. Ahead of its time, it had 3D polygon graphics, FPS gameplay, strafing controls, open-world space exploration, and an epic sci-fi space opera plot.

An early role-playing shooter released by Arsys Software for the PC-88, PC-98 and FM-7 computers in 1986 and ported to MS-DOS by Brøderbund. An early RPG-shooter hybrid, it was one of the first computer games with polygonal 3D environments, along with full 360-degree third-person exploration for indoor environments.

The Odysseus Project is a follow-up to Star Cruiser. Gameplay concept and visual style are very similar to that of the predecessor: it is a first-person 3D shooter with extensive exploration and customization elements, which grants it a light role-playing angle. Much of the game is spent on planet surfaces, in populated or hostile areas. Combat is action-based by default, but there is an option for a menu-based combat as well. There is a variety of weapons, armor, gadgets, and items to find or purchase. It is also possible to physically navigate a spaceship. Combat in space plays similarly to on-foot battles, with the additional of a freely rotatable camera.

Infinite Space, a role playing game exclusively for the Nintendo DS portable handheld system, takes place in outer space and gives players the ability to control, build, outfit and customize more than 150 spaceships. Infinite Space stretches the DS hardware to the limit, offering over 200 characters and the ability to control multiple spaceships at any one time. Releasing in 2009 and currently being produced by Atsushi Inaba and directed by Hifumi Kouno (from developer Nude Maker), Infinite Space is one of the most complex RPG titles developed for the DS to date, and shows PlatinumGames commitment to teaming up with the most creative minds in gaming.

FTL: Faster Than Light is a single-player strategy game with roguelike design. The player commands a spaceship from a top-down view, managing systems such as weapons, engines, shields, and life support while recruiting crew and upgrading the vessel. The ship travels across procedurally generated sectors, jumping between beacons that present random events, stores, and enemy encounters. Combat plays out in real time with the option to pause and issue orders. Losing the ship or its crew ends the run and requires starting over, giving each playthrough a different layout and set of challenges.

Metroid Fusion is a side-scrolling action-adventure game that combines exploration, combat, and progression within a structured environment. Players navigate distinct sectors, acquire new abilities, and unlock access to previously restricted areas as they advance. The game emphasizes guided objectives alongside ability-based traversal, with a focus on atmospheric tension, evolving threats, and progression through upgrades.

An early role-playing shooter released by Arsys Software for the PC-88, PC-98 and FM-7 computers in 1986 and ported to MS-DOS by Brøderbund. An early RPG-shooter hybrid, it was one of the first computer games with polygonal 3D environments, along with full 360-degree third-person exploration for indoor environments.

The trilogy closes as corruption creeps over the universe… and into Samus Aran. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players control Samus as she partners with other bounty hunters, shoots down enemies, and explores alien worlds in a harrowing mission to stop the mutagenic Phazon from spreading across the galaxy.

Choose Your Path! Set 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire, you are the last hope for the Jedi Order and the Republic - can you master the ways of the Force to become their savior? Or will you fall to the dark side and achieve ultimate power? Hero, villain, peacekeeper, or chaos-bringer... you and your party will determine the fate of the galaxy! Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing video game. Players will be able to create their own characters and be able to choose what gender, appearance, class, skills, attributes, and feats they have throughout the game - no two characters will be the same!

Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platform-adventure game featuring the protagonists Ratchet, a furry alien creature, and Clank, a small robot. The two travel across the galaxy in search of Captain Qwark and ultimately become involved in an effort to prevent a threat to the galaxy. The game follows conventions established by earlier 3D platform games such as Rayman, Sonic, and Mario while introducing its own mechanics and structure. Its levels consist of large environments with detailed buildings and distant areas that can often be reached and explored. The game also includes several gameplay sequences outside its standard platforming, including space combat and first-person turret sections resembling Missile Command. The game contains more than twenty levels, each set on a different planet, along with numerous real-time cutscenes that develop the story. Progression is partly non-linear, requiring the player to revisit previous planets to complete objectives and offering multiple routes through portions of the game. Ratchet can also acquire or purchase a range of weapons, gadgets, and accessories, each providing different functions in combat, exploration, or puzzle-solving.

You are Sam Gideon – an American soldier armed with state-of-the-art combat armor known as an Augmented Reaction Suit. Battle for the fate of your nation in a shooting action game like none ever seen! In addition to an arsenal of firearms and considerable hand-to-hand combat skills, Sam has a few tricks at his disposal thanks to the power of ARS: Tricks like AR mode, which shows him surrounding enemies in slow motion, and Boost, which lets him slide around the battlefield at breakneck speed. Mastering these abilities and more is critical to surviving the no-holds-barred action! Vanquish combines precise shooting and fast-paced combat action in dazzling new ways. From superpowered battle armor to space colonies; space battlecruisers to giant, autonomous transforming battle robots – Vanquish brings you a sci-fi future loaded with wonder, rooted in the geopolitical and technological realities of the present, to create a compelling, believable setting that will capture your heart and mind.

Exile is a single-player action-adventure video game originally published for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro in 1988 by Superior Software and later ported to the Commodore 64, Amiga, CD32 and Atari ST, all published by Audiogenic. Exile's game physics engine qualifies it to be the first game to have a complete Newtonian motion model. At the time of its release it was considered to push the boundaries of what was possible on home computers, particularly on the 8-bit platforms. It remains probably the most complex game available for the BBC Micro. The game was designed and programmed by Peter Irvin (author of Starship Command, a space shoot-em-up with an innovative control system) and Jeremy Smith (author of Thrust, a game based on cave exploration with a simpler physics model).