StarCrawlers

StarCrawlers for PC is a sci-fi RPG featuring elements of cyberpunk sub-genre. The game pays a tribute to the classics of dungeon crawlers released many years ago, such as Ultima Underworld or Dungeon Master. It bears a strong resemblance to Legend of Grimrock as well - an independent game that brought a refreshment to the genre of dungeon crawlers. In that game, the player leads a group of daredevils exploring dangerous dungeons. In StarCrawlers however, the player explores space stations inhabited by hostile machines. When designing the futuristic world and its inhabitants, the creators were inspired by the Shadowrun universe popular in different kinds of role-playing games. This is the debut of the independent, California-based Juggernaut Games.

Story

In StarCrawlers for PC, the player leads a group of space scavengers doing their dirty work of cleaning abandoned space stations and ships for a profit. The player's main task is to infiltrate an enormous wreck of a spacecraft that was originally heading for an unknown planet with dozens of passengers on-board in order to colonize it. Now, the empty and huge ship is an irresistible lure for the greedy scavengers.

Gameplay

The gameplay mechanics in StarCrawlers for PC are based on the classic first person perspective shared by all the team members. Rotating the view is done always by 90 degrees at a time. The team consists of four members. Their skills have to be developed in such a way that the characters complement each other, which is vital for success. The player explores proceduarlly generated interiors of the colonizers' ship, collects items (weapons, armor, energy shields), avoids traps, and fights rebellious machines, of course. The game has a turn-based combat system that allows for tactical approach and reducing the player's losses.

From time to time, the player has to make a choice whether or not to take a minor job or to help a different group of scavengers. The player's choices will depend on the specialties of their team members. For instance, if the player has an engineer, they can solve a given technical problem.

Technical aspects

The graphics in StarCrawlers are decent. The game has an atmosphere of dark and deserted space stations. The background music was written by Ben Prunty, a composer known for the soundtrack in FTL: Faster Than Light.

Last updated on February 29, 2016