Starflight II: Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula (SFII), is the sequel to the fantastic Starflight. SFII still has all the exploration, combat, and dialogue that made the first game great. SFII, however, adds one huge element to the game that makes us wonder how we lived without it...trade. This game has you trading with other species for much of the game, and its only through this trade that the game can be won.
If you've not played either Starflight or SFII, let me explain their charm. You start the game by choosing a custom crew and assigning them to your customized ship. Once your crew is chosen and your ship is named, it's off to the stars with you. Where you go from there is entirely up to you. The game allows for a huge amount of exploration and discovery, and since the game's universe is enormous, this makes for one very long and enjoyable game.
While you're flying around the cosmos, there are other races you will encounter. These races range from extremely nice to extremely threatening, and you'll have to behave accordingly for each of them. Each race has its own agenda, and whether you fit in with or against their goals is entirely up to you. You won't win the game alone, however, and proper diplomacy will only make your time easier. These races only add to the charm of what is an already enthralling adventure game.
The difference between the first game and its sequel are, as I said, trade. This is done by either going to inhabited planets with trade posts, or by meetings in space with those who also wish to trade. This adds a whole new element to the game, as proper trade is crucial to success. This also leads to a lot of running around, for example, if you wanted to get the "Ehshevy System Scanner," they'll want "Godmasks" in return. If you go to the planet that makes "Godmasks," they'll in turn want something for the "Godmasks," and so on and so forth. This can be fun or boring, depending on your tastes, but I personally found it lots of fun.
The story of this game is quite different than the first one. The cowardly Spemin (a gelatinous species) has acquired some very sophisticated technology, and are using it to seek revenge on all those who have oppressed (read: made fun) of them in the past. You must find a way to defeat the Spemin through using their game, while saving the universe from a new threat at the same time. The story is presented through the use of logs, conversations, exploration, and trade, and can take a VERY long time to complete. This is definitely not a game for the impatient.
The game is presented in 16 color VGA graphics and PC Speaker sound. Controlling the game is also quite easy, as only the cursor keys, space bar, and enter key are needed to do just about everything.
Overall, I have to admit this is my favorite game series of all time, so I may be a bit biased. The game has so much charm, playability, and depth that one can't help but gush about it. If you like science fiction, role playing, adventures, or humor, you're going to love this game. It's got fun in spades, and even if it looks dated, it's fun through and through.
Graphics: Dated EGA graphics might put you off.
Sound: PC Speaker sound effects only.
Enjoyment: Highly enjoyable sci-fi rpg romp.
Replay Value: Open ended gameplay ensures a lot of replay value.
Following the events of the first Starflight, the galaxy is at relative peace. The balance of power is disrupted when the Spemin, usually a minor nuisance, suddenly gain technological superiority and begin a campaign of expansionism. Through investigation, Interstel determines that the Spemin technology is not their own and that they have obtained it from somewhere on the other side of a flux (wormhole). Interstel commissions a force to visit this area, called the Cloud Nebula, and find a way to nullify the Spemin technology.
Starflight 2 is a space exploration game that contains much of the interface from the first starflight game. This includes crew management, ship improvement, resource collection, planet landings, alien diplomacy and exploration of a new galaxy. Much of the gameplay takes place via a standard interface that allows access to ship stations. Landing on a planet however will shift to an overhead view and the player manually controls his rover while searching for objects of interest.
New to Starflight 2 is trading, alien races will now buy and sell unique items at different prices, it is no longer necessary to return to the Interstel starport to sell resources. As mentioned, the galaxy itself and the alien races that inhabit it are also new. New technologies exist for the player such as Blasto Pods (torpedoes); a devastating weapon, and Jump Pods; which will transport anywhere on the starmap.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Star Flight 2 have also downloaded:
Star Flight, Space Ace, Star Trek: Generations, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Quest for Glory 5: Dragon Fire, Tomb Raider, Snatcher
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