DOS

Starflight

All in all, Starflight is one of the best games ever created. It pushed the envelope in gameplay, technology and story depth. Adjusted for technological inflation, Starflight has been unsurpassed until this day in the latter two categories, and only very few games ever managed to match it in gameplay. It belongs to every gamer's collection, and it remains one of the best reasons why you should keep your old DOS computer around.

When Binary Systems' space exploration adventure Starflight hit store shelves in 1986, it boasted some impressive features. I could recruit and train my crew, selecting among five different species. I could explore planets and harvest minerals or capture wild beasts. I could communicate with alien races in friendly, hostile, or obsequious tones, or I could communicate with high-powered weaponry.

The EGA graphics and sound (IBM speaker only) are great for the time the game was released by Electronic Arts in 1989. Control is through an easy keyboard interface. As for the rest, plot, gameplay, and the "Star Trek feel" hold up to the test of time in entertainment value. It is one of my favorite games of all time, and thus I am forced to give it a rating of five.

Audiovisuals aren’t everything however, and StarFlight manages to be a superior game despite some limitations in that department. The game affected me so profoundly because it conveys such a powerful sense of wonder and exploration. Never before had I played a game where I felt so free to go where I wanted, where the game universe was so vast and had so many secrets to uncover. And the storyline is a thing of beauty, revealed as it is through snippets of alien communications and hidden messages found in the ruins of some far-flung planet. Although replay value is low, you may be tempted to play on even after solving the game just to see if there’s any part of this intricate and vibrant universe you may have missed. If you’re not a sci-fi fan, you’ll no doubt find it harder to appreciate. But if you’ve ever longed to travel the stars, to experience the thrill of grand discovery among the timeless void, StarFlight will touch you too.

Starflight ist ein Leckerbissen für alle, die anspruchsvolle Spiele mögen, bei denen Abenteuer und Strategie nicht zu kurz kommen Schade nur, daß keine Versionen für andere Computer vorliegen. Vielleicht erscheinen 1987 noch Umsetzungen – wünschenswert wäre es bei diesem ausgereiften, anspruchsvollen Spiel auf jeden Fall.