Captive

Captive is a sci-fi RPG created by Antony Crowther and published by Mindscape in 1990 for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS.

The game uses a first-person perspective, with movements in the four directions in a pseudo-3D environment. Very similar to Dungeon Master or Eye of the Beholder, but instead of the fantasy settings, we have space stations. The hero is locked in a prison, but he can lead a group of droids using a remote control. The droids are the "party" that you control in the game. They can buy and use weapons and upgrade their body parts during the game. As long as you advance, you have shops that sell more powerful upgrades. The combat mechanics are pretty interesting because the weapons' effect changes depending on the type and position of the droid in the formation.

Captive received very positive reviews at the time, and it's still one of the most appreciated RPG ever created for the Amiga. The gameplay is perfectly balanced, and the level design is fantastic. Interestingly, Crowther found a way to generate all levels with an algorithm not to occupy space on a disk. This technique allows the game to have thousands of levels, and the player can continue exploring them after completing the main ones. The graphics maybe is not top-notch, but it does its job well. Instead, the music and the sound effects are excellent and contribute to creating an atmosphere that is the real gem of this game. You know what I'm talking about if you have already played it. If not, this is the time to try this fantastic game.