Parkan: The Imperial Chronicles

Though it might sound a bit old-news today, at the time it was a very-very innovative game. It was one of the first if not the first game to merge Elite space experience with FPS combat and Planet colonization. Even today quite a few games can say they do the same thing and to it right. Even with all the limitation and quirks of a very old game it's still a very enjoyable experience. Pros: - A very well-made procedural-crafted hybrid universe with lots of stuff to explore - A reason to explore - though a story line will guide you through all the essential ship upgrades, looking around beyound that may lead to some lucrative finds. Mostly great planets and stuff develop said planets, but there are also some secret upgrades lying around. - Lots of small little details you don't really expect from such an old game - music playing in bars, dynamic lighting, semi-persistent minefields, actual inter-sector economy simulation with no cheating. Reachable and explorable moons (sometimes with pirate stations) - Quite a streamlined experience - though the game may still appeal confusing for some people, as it relies a lot on it's manual to deliver the pre-story (much like most older games), - the game itself doesn't require much of prior knowledge. Cons: - Dumb battle AI that tends to cram all ships into huge "balls" that will blow themself up with friendly fire. But it may still steamroll you in large numbers you very much - Weird story that makes a sudden "twist" near the end and pulls out some space magic for no apparent reason. Prior to that it's a strict sci-fi. - A hardly challenging (except for two boss fights) FPS combat where you may always run back to your ship for repairs. - Some people has real problems with actually discovering the main goal after completing all the prerequisites. That's the only place where game doesn't tell you want to do and for some people it's confusing. ~: - They've changed the original music. Dunno if that one is better or not.