First and foremost, I have to say: this is not a bad game. The one star rating only indicates, that you can make a much better deal, than buying thing game from GOG. What you should do instead, is buying the awesome sequel: Space Rangers 2 - The Dominators. I played that game first, and became addicted in an instant. Everything about it was pure joy. Great AI, a living, breathing gameworld, fun quests, quirky humour, etc. The first installment of the series, on the other hand seems to be a half-assed version of the sequel. Practically, there is little difference in the game's style, and everything this game does well, Space Rangers 2 does a thousand times better. And everything this game fails to accomplish, the sequels succeds with. In short: leave this one, buy the sequel.
Sorry to say this, but it is possible that you're not gonna be able to play these awesome classics at all without browsing through the forums. I see, this is a VERY old series, but there must be a way around these problems which are basically make the games impossible to start up. If there is, then I have no clue why GOG haven't fixed them, if there isn't I'd kindly ask to please include an official troubleshoot guide by GOG itself, and next time please do a bit more extensive testing.
As I begin, I shall state, that this is one of the most captivating games I'v ever played. The story is gripping, and - unlike many other adventure games - you have decisions to make which can change the outcome of the plot! Add some incredibly well built atmosphere (the music, the writing and the artwork just comes together as a match made in heaven), ad you have the most amazing game experience ever. But why stop there? There should be some action in the game as well! Action sequences reqire concentration, focus bulids tension, tension makes the experiense even deeper. And let's make all action sequences quick time events! Yeah...! No. That was a petty bad idea. It's quite disapponting, that during the dialogue sections, your choices have very serious, plot changing conclusions, while the action (supposed to be the most interactive part of any game) is reduced to a "You're doin' it right, or yer done for!" mechanic. All in all, a highly recommended game, but be sure to read the manual, since even the on screen aid for the quick time events are optimized for consoles. So without any clues how to get the corresponding keys, you cannot play at all.
Don't get me wrong, Angel of dead is a good game. As other said, it is a solid entry in the broken sword series. The puzzles are way better than they were in the third installment, as well as the controls (this game is PC only). However, this game reads CHEAP all over it. I'm sorry to say that, and I still like the game, but compared to the production values of earlier episodes, this is a huge step back. To be honest, it looks somewhat worse then Broken Sword 3. I would nit mind it from a smaller company, or from a series, which came right out of nowhere, but this is BROKEN SWORD! This should be epic, every possible way, but it isn't. There are less places to visit, a shorter gameplay, less characters to meet or see, and a very anticlimatic ending. The game has been written by the developers of the first two games, and in the end it hints, that it might be jut the first part of a series of adventures (a' la telltale games). But is isn't. It's just a "good" adventure, and a surprisingly "meh" end to the series.
When the first two games came to GOG, I decided not to review them. Don't get me wrong, they are good games on their own, and I have fond memories playing them back in the days. However, when Wing Commander 3 came along it literally destroyed the competition. This game was way better than anything that ever came out of the genre before. IN SOME WAYS. The gameplay itself is your typical spaceshooting gallery, like it was in the first two games. The missions are not very varied unfortunately, Privateer, or even the Star Wars space sims had a more fleshed out, and colorful game flow. Yet still, this is the game I would recommend over those. You see, this has a plot. A well thought out, cinematic plot. As cinematic, as it gets: WC3 is an FMV title, and one of the very few good ones of this short lived genre. And you play as Mark Hammil. Let me emphasise that. YOU ARE MARK HAMMIL IN A SCI-FI EPIC! Really, can anything get any cooler than this ever? Even if you don't dig the game mechanics (and the much improved graphic engine), or the plot, you're still Mark Hammil, and the fate of the universe is in your hands!
