Star Cruiser

Summary

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.