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Most Memorable Sci-Fi Universes

Faiyaz Shaikh, Nov 07, 2009 1000 hrs IST

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EXPERT REVIEW

Anachronox

Designed by Tom Hall during his brief but eventful stint at Ion Storm, Anachronox is a roleplaying game set in an alternate universe.
The game plays much like a typical Japanese RPG with turn-based combat and third person perspective camera during exploration. What sets it apart is the interesting roster of characters supported by a very amusing script and some of the best music ever in a video game. The game was rendered using a heavily modified version of the Quake 2 engine with added support for facial expressions-something that was a novelty in those days.

The protagonist of the game is a washed-out detective named Sylvester "Sly Boots" Bucelli, who spends his time in a seedy bar washing down his woes and dodging debt collectors. The game progresses to bring together the most unlikely bunch of people to save the universe from complete destruction. Unlike most other RPG, Anachronox intentionally downplays character stat development to allow players to focus on actual gameplay.

The game was published by Eidos in 2001 and if you can get your hands on this game, you should certainly try it.

Crusader

This series takes us all the way back to mid-90s, to the days of MS-DOS and its fancy SVGA graphics. Designed and developed by Richard Garriott's Origin Systems, the series consists of two games-- Crusader: No Remorse and Crusader: No Regret.
Set in a dystopian future, the game's central character is an elite super-soldier working for the incumbent government, who defects from his employers, the World Economic Consortium (WEC), and joins The Resistance to fight the tyrannical government.

The game was played in an isometric view using an advanced version of Ultima VIII engine for graphics, along with a sound-engine that could deliver quality, which was unprecedented in those days. The game was divided into distinct levels and was interspersed by FMV using live actors. The setting of the levels varied from military bases, factories, to offices and even space stations.

Great sound and visuals apart, what made this game ahead of its time was the depth in gameplay. The game features a wide variety of weapons with upgrades, traps like spider mines along with non-combat features like hacking, stealth and intelligence gathering.
If you can get your hands on this game, you should be able to get it running on modern computers using emulators like DOS Box.

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USER COMMENTS

this author lives in his own sci-fi fantasy universe, so he doesnt mention the most famous ones

by mukesh, chhatisgarh, on Nov 08, 2009 03:01 PM, Report abuse Reply

where is Halo & Oni ?

by chris25, mumbai, on Nov 08, 2009 12:07 PM, Report abuse Reply

Ok.. I wont start the "Where the Hell is this Game?" argument here like others.... :D But I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi world of Deus Ex 1! abandoned Battery Park, Broken Liberty, Area 51! Just awesome and unforgettable

by Samuel, Bangalore, on Nov 07, 2009 11:56 PM, Report abuse Reply

And where is Mass Effect?

by adisal, Pune, on Nov 07, 2009 07:01 PM, Report abuse Reply

hey.... where is DOOM ?

by Deepak MAlik, delhi, on Nov 07, 2009 06:07 PM, Report abuse Reply