Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters

The Ur-Quan Masters is an prime example of peak PC gaming from the early 1990s. A vast, rich setting with focus on exploration and the emergent narrative of discovering the galaxy in the midst of its wide-spanning story, this is a deep well that deserved plumbing its depths for everything it had to offer. The very idea of taking notes about the goings on of the setting at large; the constant save-scumming to prevent yourself soft-locking from lack of fuel or landers; the threat of unceremonious game over at the hands of a random encounter: these deserved to be phased out of today's video games, but boy they were exhilarating back in 1992, making every missed clue and every botched dogfight a motivation to try again. The world(s)-building is still top-notch, even by today's standards. Alien races are eclectic and varied, and the galactic politics is engaging and novel. The gameplay is antiquated but satisfying, space battles and landing expeditions are well-balanced and fun. The music is incredible, the writing is campy and fun, and the whole experience shines despite its age.

This is a game I was introduced to by my father. I was quite young at the time, and didn't even know how to progress the story. But returning to this game as an adult, I can confidently say, "I still don't know how to progress the story." Nonetheless, I always enjoyed the many different types of planets you can explore. The planet lander section is for gathering minerals to upgrade your ship, and add to your fleet. But the wide range of different worlds in the game offer a very unique experience. Ranging from the glittering ruby and sapphire worlds, to the molten shattered worlds, and alien filled jungle worlds. Their charming old school pixel graphics still holds up quite well to this day. Combat in this game is like no other space game I've ever played. If i had to describe it, its sorta like the old asteroid game on the Atari, but adapted for actual ship combat. You keep your momentum after letting go of the control key, and your momentum is highly altered by random asteroids, or a planets gravitational pull. More than that there are over a dozen unique space ships all with their own combat abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Though some are clearly better than others... (Cough, Avatar, Cough) Overall this game will forever sit as a hidden gem with a whole galaxy at your fingertips for those brave enough to face the depths of space.

The best game of all time! Be sure to look at community posts on how to install the MegaMod for a more modern look. Or just play the game as is, both are great!

RECOMMENDED WITH A GUIDE. Because of the semi-strict time limit, you should use a walkthrough the first time through or you are doomed to fail. You have to know what to do and when or you won't stand a chance at beating it. It takes maybe 12 hours to beat the game even if you know what you are doing if you listen to the dialogue scenes. The planetary mining clearly inspired similar mechanics in Mass Effect 2 and No Man's Sky to the extreme extent. It has a lot of decent, voiced alien dialogue. The world-building is strong with this one. Every single alien race has its own intricate backstory. This game is the fan port of Star Control 2 and adds the dialogue scenes from the 3DO version among many other things AFAIK. It sets up the stage for the sequels so well that it is all downhill from here. The space battles are kind of annoying because the enemy plays a lot of giveaway and shoots with an insane accuracy. The capital ship upgrades largely trivialize the battles as the enemies go down in a couple of spammable volleys.

A classic that should have been far more influential than it was. Includes work by Erol Otus.

With an expansive galaxy, silly alien species, and timeless humor. The Ur-Quan Masters has become one of the most unique and memorable gaming experiences to date. You take control of a flagship and are on a journey around the galaxy to gain allies and fight back against the oppressive Ur-Quan. The gameplay loop is simple. Explore a new star systems, gather resources and alien data, build up your flagship, and meet up with all kinds of quirky alien races in hopes that you'll build a grand alliance. However, as it is with most older games, you absolutely cannot expect this game to hold your hand. I recommend using Steam's notepad feature to keep track of coordinates and events. You should also understand that this game is on a time limit, before the Ur-Quan start their galactic killing spree. I wouldn't fault you for checking a guide or wiki page every once in a while. I've only done one playthrough so far and lost, but using all the foresight I have now, I am sure I'll win the next playthrough. The writing and aliens species dynamics are surprisingly good. You can use devices and information from other worlds or aliens to influence other alien races to act on something. Whether it be tricking the Ilwrath to attack the Thraddash, or saving the Umgah from psychic frogs. (Spoilers): Throughout the game you learn a lot about the history of this galaxy, particularly the Ur-Quan. How they were once slaves themselves, but broke free and use that as justification of their horrible actions. And also how they've been split into 2 sub-species, which are in a civil war with eachother. It adds another greatly appreciated layer to the story, especially as you see the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za feel remorse for you as the Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah are on their killing spree. All in all, the great story, soundtrack, and easy-to-learn but hard-to-master gameplay makes for a vintage, but epic experience that does nothing but suck you in from start to finish.

Completely unplayable by 95% of the user base. Game launches and runs, but the moment you get to your first combat everything is so fast you can't react to it, leading to loss-after-loss. Don't believe me? Try it, it's free. Online solutions to the issue are "avoid combat" and "fiddle with the source code". No thanks.

Star Control II, now known as The Ur-Quan Masters, is one of my favorite games of all time, and I'm glad to see it available here on Steam. The community has done remarkable work bringing this classic into the modern era, and I'm currently enjoying the MegaMod and its enhanced graphics that bring to mind the CRT experience I once enjoyed playing the original version of this game. There is no better-written video game--the dialog is not just top-notch, it reigns supreme. The story is phenomenal, the sense of wonder and exploration unparalleled. If the game has a downside, it's the combat... I do not care for it myself, and tend to focus on upgrading my capital ship to the point it can fairly easily annihilate enemy ship types. Combat can largely be avoided, however, and the game ranks among my top 3 of all time.