What a great game with a very intriguing story line. There are not too many Sci-Fi role playing games, but this is definitely one of the best out there. The graphics leave little to be desired, but the game play is very fun and has a very good storyline. For instance, your “characters” are dots on the screen that you move around through a small map. There are tons of weapons that can be found or bought, which brings me to the secret stashes around the game.
If one of your characters has a high enough perception you may be able to see “hidden” foot lockers, but there are single weapons/items/ammo that you must walk over to find.
So, there is a benefit to searching the many different areas well, but it is not necessary to complete the game. Another great thing about this game is the open endedness. There are certain things that will advance the storyline, but you can pretty much go anywhere at any time. Another fine aspect of this game is the space combat. It is easy enough to not be frustrating, but still challenging due to the sheer number of enemies that can be found at one time. You gain experience through defeating enemies in either
ground or space combat, but you only get money for the space combat.
The best way to earn money is to find different useless items through out the game that can be sold at stores. The third way to earn money is to accept science missions. This will require you to travel to different planets, drop down to the surface at a specific location and place the equipment and your account will be automatically credited. The only downside here is that you have to be mindful of your fuel. So, you have to subtract the amount of fuel it takes for the mission from the amount of money you receive so you can purchase more fuel.
The ground combat is automatic, but if you are not careful, your weaker characters may die before you even know you are being attacked. You, can save anywhere and saving fairly often is recommended. You also have to watch your ammo so you don’t run out n the middle of a big battle deep in some caves or building. As you gain experience, you “level” up which enables you to raise curtain skills. You can also visit different training rooms to advance your characters attributes. Again, a very good game with a lot to do and explore. I highly recommend this game. The only downside is you need to have the paragraph book that goes along with the game to truly be able to follow the story line.
It is very possible to play and finish the game without the paragraph book, but it makes the game much more interesting to read the details.
