Starflight™ 1+2

For decades, I listed this as my #1 favorite game of all time. This was the very first computer game (IBM PC version) that I ever convinced my mom to buy for me, back in 1986 after seeing an advertisement on the back cover of Compute! magazine. I only had a CGA video card (3 colors + a background color) but I would've given anything to have had a 16-color EGA card to play this game. Alas. I tried to replay it recently, however, and my it has not aged well due to the clunky graphics and interface. I've seen numerous remaster attempts and sequel attempts over the years just all eventually fall to the wayside; I doubt anyone could ever truly recapture the magic of the first in the series... the story was superb and there's never been quite a feeling again like being thrust out into the great black deep with nothing but a paper starmap to guide your way (and a poorly trained navigator to lose it)... the first time your ship is stopped by an alien race out in the middle of nowhere, just wow. This game is a large part of the reason I went into the IT profession.

If I had to name one game that changed my life and made me a lifetime gamer, it is Starflight I. There had been nothing like it, and other than Starflight II there has been nothing close to it. Even Star Control really just didn't have the same feel of an open sand box space exploration game to me. I have always wanted a modern game like this, but they never come close. Managing your crew, expanding your ship, colonizing worlds, Alien diplomacy.

I bought SF1 DOS when it shipped--how time flies when you are playing games!--in either '87-'88, can't recall any closer than that! Where the graphics were of course sparse at the time--utterly basic--my imagination kicked into overdrive and filled in all of the missing graphical information wonderfully...;) (Like what happens when you read a good book, etc.) To this day my wife remembers the *huge* difference in how I described the game to her when playing it originally--and in what she actually saw onscreen when I showed it to her. This game will take you places you've never been before--through nebulae, countless charted star systems, wormholes, and contact with alien life--some benign, some funny and quite stupid, and some as malevolent as you might imagine, etc. I still have the original SF1 star charts and wormhole locator printed and on my wall in my computer room today! The game has really never let go of me. The plot of the game is fantastic--it's a space exploration/detective game-save the galaxy- from a nefarious plot that would destroy it, game--as you move from star system to system uncovering clues. You go only where you want to go when you want to go--no linear path here! You never know what is lurking in the next star system, what native flora and fauna you may uncover. You mine metals and lifeforms for cash, then use that cash to upgrade your ship with engines, armor, and weaponry you may need when hostile lifeforms pull you out of stardrive and want to destroy your ship, etc.! As others have mentioned, the Amiga version of the games are far and away the better versions--mouse interface--proper save-game function via the mouse--ie, no more of the primitive DOS savegame hustle as if you were switching out floppies...;) But I bought the GOG version, too, as I played it first--before I bought Amigas and played the games there. Both SF1/2 *scream* to be remastered--can't believe it has yet to happen!

I didn't care much for Starflight 2 as they tried to go all Wing Commander instead of RPG. SF1 however is the best of the series. I would love to see a modern version of this as I think this game gave us our real first sandbox in PC Gaming. You can go anywhere and do anything as long as you had the fuel to do it. The plot twist at the end was also unexpected. Minor hint: As long as you stay away from Uhlek space, you will have a great time. Uhlek space can be a quick death even if you are decked out in class 5 equipment. Dealing with one or maybe 2? You can probably take them on, but they always like to show up in groups.

I thoroughly enjoyed these games. That said, I think most will struggle to get their heads around them, at least initially. Right from the start I was completely at sea with even the most basic gameplay elements, I had no idea how to do just about anything: start the game, save the game, play the game . . . it took me minutes to many hours to figure out. A few things still leave me clueless now having finished both Starfleet 1 and 2 (e.g. I cannot get the blastpods in SF2 to work for me once activated with F10). So yes, I can fully understand why many might give up on this game and if circumstances had been different (no Covid pandemic) then I probably would not have bothered either. I am so glad I did bother. I finished SF2 earlier and I'm still buzzing -- this happens too rarely with video games (or books) so when it does it's ***jazz hands** AMAZING. The website starflt.com has lots of info on the games should you be stuck at any stage. Earning credits (through mining in SF1 and trading in SF2) is an important aspect in both games but if you don't have the patience for it I would recommend using the cheats mentioned on the Starflt website to get "infinite" credit because imo it is worth taking a small shortcut like that if it will allow you to enjoy the real beating heart of the game: exploring the SF universe and making first contact with different alien races. Gameplay of SF2 is a huge step up from SF1 (especially the save game functionality). Another recommendation I'd make is, if you really struggle with SF1 then use a walkthrough as it will help with getting the hang of the game and it should set you up for playing SF2 (mostly) spoiler-free.