Underrated sci-fi video games

[Steempy]

Forgive me for making this video game related and all, but what games do you guys think have excellent sci-fi settings in terms of character designs, worlds, plots, etc?

I'd like to vote for Strangeloop, an arcade adventure for Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64. It had a somewhat similar plot to Paradroid - get on board the out of control spaceship and do something about all the robots running amuck, and get the ship back under control - but the atmosphere of the game was terrific. Move from room to room, not knowing what you're going to find - a comedy police robot saying " 'allo 'allo wot's all this then?" or some evil thing that kills you, or a hole in the side of the ship that sucks you out into space.. I just found the game incredibly engrossing back in the day.

Another excellent example would be Project Firestart on Commodore 64 - a storyline more or less ripped off from Aliens, but a far better game than any of the official Aliens based games. I'd talk about it more, but I'm already talking too much.. check out one of the many C64 sites out there and see what you can find out about it - trust me, you'll be glad you did.

[Cryomancer]

Timesplitters is a pretty decent universe...a little on the cliche side but that's kinda the point anyway.

If yuke yuke troublemakers / mischeif makers counts, that's a rather fun little land as well. Planet Clancer is kinda weird, but the characters are great...and it even has combining robots!

I'd also submit that Megaman X would make a cool tokusatsu movie (japanese live action sfx..check out my thread), and maybe gunstar heroes could be one as well. The idea of a planet without weapons being attacked and managing to fight back is interesting.

I'm also a big sucker for the futuristic 70s/80s kinda land seen in stuff like Space Adventure Cobra, but Cobra's an anime/manga before it's a game. Dirty Pair practically exists in the same universe too, they're very similar, and very awesome. laser discos!

[Archenemy]

Have you ever seen that almost NO big SciFi franchise has been correctly ported to decent games, and almost no SciFi games make good movies?

Like Star Wars (took until now to have some almost decent games) Star Trek (Please. PLEASE, name only one game that deserves my attention) and the list goes on and on and on...

x_x

[Satac]

Have you ever seen that almost NO big SciFi franchise has been correctly ported to decent games, and almost no SciFi games make good movies?

Like Star Wars (took until now to have some almost decent games)


X-Wing? Tie Fighter? X-Wing Alliance? X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter? Dark Forces?



Star Trek (Please. PLEASE, name only one game that deserves my attention) and the list goes on and on and on..

Voyager Elite Force? Judgment Rites?
I'm still waiting for a good Babylon 5 game - there are some promising fangames, but nothing finished :(

[Jorpho]

How about Project Firestart (C64), or Robotrek (aka Slapstick) ?

Star Trek 25th Anniversary (the adventure game predcessor to Judgement Rites) was also pretty good. See also http://www.gamespot.com/features/startrek_hs/index.html .

[Sniderman]

Most underrated sci-fi videogame? Four words:

"Beyond Good And Evil"

USe the search function here on DP and you will read rave reviews on this game. I've played it. It is indeed one of the best games I've ever played - and I do not say things like that lightly.

[geelw]

yup- you got to bg & e before i did, and i recommend it highly, even to someone who says "aren't you too old for these games?"- this has silenced one or two people ('wow, that's really beautiful" ws the last comment i heard).

also, project eden is sort of underrated, but the plot is definitely out there (pretty funny brit humour in spots), the ending is a corker, and the game has a few creepy spots here and there.

also, i'll recommend body harvest and hybrid heaven on the n64. bh for the action and time travel stuff, and hh for the kooky plot, which would make one more of of those goofy sci-fi network saturday movies. plus, the opening scene is a hoot, if surprisingly inappropriate nudity in a game makes you laugh your head off LOL

g.

[Sotenga]

If you want a unique Sci-Fi game with a brilliant plot and excellent cutscenes, I highly advise Breakdown for the XBOX. Basically, you, Derrick, are the only one who has the power to kick the ass of this alien race known as the T'lan, since you have some of their powers. However, the Army considers you a threat and will be attempting to eliminate you as well as the T'lan. Derrick isn't alone, thankfully, and his comrade, Alex, is one of the few useful AI-controlled characters in gaming history. I can't really say much without blowing open some grandiose spoilers, but if Breakdown weren't a game, it could easily pass as a Sci-Fi miniseries. I wanna sequel, darngit!

[Archenemy]

I'm still waiting for a good Babylon 5 game - there are some promising fangames, but nothing finished :(

That's the reason I didn't even mention it. Promised an RPG, nothing yet, B5: Into the Fire has been freezed the past 5 years...

[geelw]

oop- forgot all about that one. i'd pick it up, and nab the chronicles of riddick as well, as both can be had for doit cheep these days, and both do what they do really, really well...

g.

[Jorpho]

Would MDK / MDK 2 count as sci-fi? I imagine so.

[geelw]

yup! and i forgot those as well, lol. i actually prefer bioware's sequel over the original, just because they fleshed out the characters a lot more, and some of the crazier set pieces are just too wild to believe until you play the game. i'd like to see someone do a third game. given that some other developer will probably have to, i'm trying to think up who could do justice to the series... maybe ubisoft montreal and the beyond good and evil team could give it a go... imagine that??? :eek 2:

g.

[Cryomancer]

I second Robotrek/Slapstick, as well as Breakdown, and 50th Beyond Good and Evil.

[smork]

I'd call the Ratchet and Clank games Sci-fi, and they are as good as games get, IMO. I also REALLY enjoy playing the arcade Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon, even though I tend to get pummeled like a pinata at a birthday party.

I gotta mention Paradroid as well -- great stuff!

Don't forget Radiant Silvergun. Great plot, unforgettable design, music, action....

Not to threadjack here, but several have mentioned BG&E, but I have yet to play it. Since it's so good and respected, I should pick it up. Of the systems it plays on, I have the GC and PS2. Normally I prefer the look of games on the GC -- which version do you consider the best?

[Jorpho]

BG & E also has a PC port, y'know. It is currently sitting in my closet, waiting patiently... If you're not sure if it will run on your system, there's a downloadable demo, too.

[geelw]

I'd call the Ratchet and Clank games Sci-fi, and they are as good as games get, IMO. I also REALLY enjoy playing the arcade Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon, even though I tend to get pummeled like a pinata at a birthday party.

I gotta mention Paradroid as well -- great stuff!

Don't forget Radiant Silvergun. Great plot, unforgettable design, music, action....

Not to threadjack here, but several have mentioned BG&E, but I have yet to play it. Since it's so good and respected, I should pick it up. Of the systems it plays on, I have the GC and PS2. Normally I prefer the look of games on the GC -- which version do you consider the best?

visually, PC, Xbox, follwed by cube, and PS2. the games all look very much the same at a glance, but you get sharper visuals overall with the first two consoles. the cube version looks great, a tiny bit smoother in spots, and the ps2 is also stellar, although there's a teeny bit of detail loss over the xbox version texture-wise. ovrall, it reall doesn't matter as long as you buy and enjoy the game- it's just wonderful.

[ubersaurus]

Oni
Jet Force Gemini
Beyond Good & Evil
all good games that were relatively recent.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy for SNES and 32X was pretty sweet, if you ask me. And the NES Star Trek 25th Anniversary game was always one of my favorites.

And of course Starflight is an absolute classic.

[OldSchoolGamer]

The Fifth Element for PS1!!!! That game rocks, man it was like being right in the movie, I........................

hehe, OK, I almost made it, just can't go through with it................

[bargora]

I know we concentrate more on consoles here, but did anybody play the Blade Runner PC game from a few years back? Just wondering if that's worth digging up.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Dune 2000 - still my favorite thing Westwood ever did. Anyone here still boot that game up?

[geelw]

I know we concentrate more on consoles here, but did anybody play the Blade Runner PC game from a few years back? Just wondering if that's worth digging up.


if you're a fan of the movie, you'll probably like it a lot (provided you have an older os to run the game on). it's quite good, but the bit-mapped characters look really icky on the nice prerendered backgrounds. the game apparently took so long to finish that the old-style characters were already dated when the game finally shipped.

in a way, i sort of wish microids would remake this one at some point down the road, as they've been doing some of the most lovely pc adventure games on the market for a few years now (see syberia/syberia II/still life).

g.

[Jorpho]

Managed to pick up Startopia the other day. It's the French version, but alternative language files have been generously made available by the developers. They say it plays like a sequel to Dungeon Keeper.