The description of the game should have started with the last paragraph, because it describes (almost) fully what to expect from it. It IS text heavy (which is not a problem, though I was genuinely surprised how much text I've read through after reloading a save and using the "skip" option). The images it features are drawn nicely, but there are only so many (about seven characters + backgrounds). The story is interesting and brutal, if a bit short (2-3 hours worth). For all those, the game could still have been good. Unfortunately, it is let down by the number and weight of choices the player is allowed to make. I haven't counted, but I would be very surprised it there were more than 20 screens in the game which asked for user input. Not only that, these choices mostly have no consequence, and only affect the next few lines of dialogue. In the end, there are no branches in the storyline (apart from the last choice) and players are unable to influence how the story unfolds in any meaningful fashion. In other words: "visual novel" here doesn't mean a "Choose Your Own Adventure" / "Fighting Fantary"-style experience. Instead, it is as if players could choose between two versions of the very first paragraph of each chapter in a novel. Which does not a good game make.
It has no story, and only four levels. The graphics are hideous: the sprites are huge and seem completely out of place. The controls seem fine, but don't save the game. Just compare it with Tyrian, which has beautiful, lush graphics and a wonderfully witty story with satirical jabs at media or the corporate world. And it came out one and a half years before Stargunner. Not to mention it is also free (just look up OpenTyrian in Google or here on GoG). Heck, even Wing Commander IV predates Stargunner by nine months! There's just no excuse for this game.
(Disclaimer: I played the original, not the version here.) This game had great promise, but unfortunately it did not quite fulfil it. The artwork is unique and very nice, in places beautiful. The 3D dungeons are very ugly in 2016 (or indeed 2 years after the game came out), but have a certain charm to them. The problem lies elsewhere. First, the story starts out great, but soon becomes very scarce. Also, there is this sense of urgency, but there is no timer in the game. Which is good on one side, namely, one can explore the world; on the other, it completely takes the tension out of the game. On second thought though, so far so good, because the game's timekeeping is bugged: while the party can traverse great distances on the world map in an hour, inside buildings it is hardly enough to walk down a corridor. :) The rule system could have been improved as well. Skills / abilities don't seem to improve much, however many skill points are thrown at them, and mana is painfully scarce, forcing one to run out of some dungeons every half a level or so. All in all, it feels as if the game was released too early. It wouldn't have taken much to make it actually good. On the plus side: I don't know how GOG packaged the game, but the original definitely works under DosBox, so Mac/Linux users can play it as well.
Well, no wonder Sierra was the king of this kind of adventure games (as the manual itself rightfully says). This game was a 'nice try', but nothing more. It is not very bad per se, but has quite a few flaws that make for a subpar experience: - All the pixel hunting. Even after the game explicitly tells me where my goblet is, for example, it took me at least a minute to spot it. And that goes with all the other stuff lying around; you never know what is part of the background and what is significant. - Everything has a description (which is nice BTW), so once again, the important stuff do not really stand out. - The gameplay is tedious. It is so boring watching the protagonist move from one end to the screen to the other. At one point, he climbs a cliff for like a minute! And while it is possible to skip these animations with the space key, it is only allowed about 50% of the time. The rest of the time, zzz... - Speaking about tedium: the game with the caliph; the sprite puzzle. Seriously? - The puzzles seem sometimes a bit random, especially those that involve conversation. - The end of the game, if you collect all 250 points. I mean, seriously? Why would a young king do that?! TL;DR it is nice having such a program for free here, but I guess there is a reason for that too...
While Raptor is not bad (I didn't like it back when it came out, because it lagged on my 386, though), you can get OpenTyrian (2000?) for free -- a much better choice.
SC2 is one of the best games of all times: the story, the quirky alien races, the music -- all make for an unforgettable experience. BUT. Toys for Bob have open-sourced the game long ago, and you can actually download a much improved version on any platform for free; just Google 'The Ur-Quan Masters'.
This is probably the best space combat game out there. The gameplay is great, and it has an actual, captivating story (as opposed to, for instance, Tie Fighter), which is also very well executed (unlike e.g. Descent: Freescape), thanks to the excellent video scenes. There is also comic relief in the rivalry of Blair and Maniac. Be sure not to miss the finale of the Terran-Kilrathi War. Don't expect much from the planetary missions, though.
