Starflight 2: Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula

The Good
An awesome game. Trading with the various races was a lot of fun! You couldn't help having a sense of irony about the two very religious races of the Tandelou. If they learned that you had traded with the other group, they wouldn't even talk to you, let alone trade with you! I wonder where they got that idea from? :)

One race (can't recall the name right at the moment), I never did get to talk to me...

So, eventually in this game, if you don't get killed first... you get to time-travel! when you first start out, most of the starmap is covered by the cloud nebula. After you time-travel, you go back in time before the cloud nebula formed, and can see where the stars are at. Very nice touch!

The Bad
Unlike the first game, I wasn't able to put the clues together, solve the puzzles and finish the game. Got lost after going back in time.

The Bottom Line
A fun and refreshing twist on the original. Again, very open game-play, where you can move as slow or fast as you please, and in any direction you want to go.

The Good
Starflight I successfully combined elements of adventure, light role-playing, diplomacy, and resource management to create an entire open-ended universe that teemed with secrets.

Starflight II doesn't change this foruma. But that's not bad thing. In addition, Starflight II sports better graphics, more alien races, and cooler technologies.

Like Starflight I, there's also a fascinting and intriguing plot that slowly builds to an edge-of-your-seat climax.

I particularly liked that the aliens seemed to have more character depth than they did in SF1. I also thought the humor in SF2 is a lot less subtle than in SF1 but (thank goodness) it's actually really funny.

Binary Systems has also developed the alien personalities with a lot more depth than they did in SF1. Whereas SF1's universe had a huge, dark, empty feeling (and rightly so) - SF2 is full of life, color, and excitement.

The Bad
There's really nothing to dislike about SF2. The only negative point I can think of is that those who've never played SF1 may be somewhat confused near the end.

The Bottom Line
Starflight II is a cross-genre game that does nothing more than build upon the plot developed by Starflight I and give the universe a VGA palette of colors. But this works, and unlike most sequels, Starflight II succesfully carries the banner of being one of the best computer games of all time.

The Good
This game, and its predecessor, had it all. You flew around in a large universe, with a custom ship AND a custom crew. This game succesfully combined action, strategy, tactics, and a bit of role playing, into what is one of the best science fiction games to date.

There are few games that bring a gleam to my eye and a song to my heart, but the Starflight games accomplish just that. With it's brilliant mix of playability, ease of use, story, humor, and great graphics, this is one game that begs for a sequel.

This is a game to which others like it have been judged, including Star Control 2, a very similar game. :) I can't gush enough about what this series of games means to me. :)

The Bad
Nothing, really. It didn't need any patches like games today. ;)

The Bottom Line
I would describe this game as mix of role playing, science fiction storytelling, and space exploration. It's funny, tense, and though provoking all at the same time. :)

The Good
This game took the premise of Starflight and added to it. I liked the fact that your ship could become more powerful, especially after you acquire technology from the past! The new alien species were nice and an explanation of the "terminally-grumpy" race (who's name eludes me at present) from Starflight was very interesting. As before, the story for Starflight II was engrossing and that made gameplay all that much better. The graphics (for its time) were awesome but since I didn't have a sound card, I don't know how the sound was.

Another welcome addition were populated planets. Now you could hook up with aliens on planet surfaces to learn information as well as to establish much needed trade routes.

The Bad
I really don't recall anything I didn't like about the game. I'm sure if I still had a 5 1/4" drive, I'd play again.

The Bottom Line
Bottom line: EA and Binary Systems took an excellent game and improved it. Now if we could only get a Starflight III...grin

The Good
Starflight 2 is a fantastic game. It takes the non-linear gameplay of the original and somehow manages to create a more interesting universe to travel through.

I love the game, but the original still holds that special place in my heart.

The graphics make use of the MCGA/VGA palette, so the game looks fantastic. 256 colors really bring out the best in the game, and Binary Systems did a top-notch job with them. The planets look more real than in the first one - the ability to determine mountains from water is easier in this game.

The sound... well to be honest, I can't remember if it utilized the AdLib/SoundBlaster at the time so I can't give a thumbs up/down on this one.

But where this game really shines is the gameplay.

Instead of wandering around the galaxy mining planets and collecting creatures, you actually have planets colonized by other alien races, some from the first game and others that are completely original. This is where "Trade Routes" come into play. Each colonized system has a specialty Item for sale, and a specialty Item they will pay through the nose for (or other body part if the alien's don't have noses). Figuring out which planets want what is part of the gameplay. After you figure it out, trading routes will appear on the map, so you can plot your course dependig on what you have to sell and get the most profit (If I'm starting to sound to much like a Ferengi, let me know).

Another interesting aspect of the game is the Bartering system. In the original, if you need materials, you either must mine them or purchase them at Starport. In SF2's case, when you visit planets, you can buy items and haggle over the price. You can usually knock 10+ credits per unit off the price of an item. But, be warned! Some races will haggle, but will get offended and refuse to haggle with you if you offer what they think is an unfair price. Other races won't haggle at all, so you'll need to keep your wits about you.

The Bad
The game is a classic. Their isn't much I don't like :)

The Bottom Line
If you enjoyed the original, the sequel is right up your alley. It's not as non-linear as the first one, but the similarities are so strong that it'll be like riding a bike. You really never forget how.

Bottom Line: A must buy for space exploration buffs and non-scifi fans alike.

The Good
Virtually roaming among the stars, can increase my powers. Dangers. Simple but complicated...

The Bad
In StarFlight2, I cannot sell minerals but only artifacts, so it takes longer to build up... Also, is there any walkthrough available?

The Bottom Line
Role game, adventures among the universe with lots of stars to visit and races to cope with...