Space Rogue

Space Rogue is a 3D space flight RPG developed and published by Origin Systems in 1989 for the Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, and Mac. It was ported in 1990 to the Amiga, PC-98, and a few others. This title paved the way for Origins Systems’ later Wing Commander series. The game was designed by Paul Neurath (author of the Ultima Underworld series).

As a crew member onboard a merchant's vessel, your ship follows a distress signal to what appears to be an abandoned ship. You are sent off to explore the craft alone. While there you see dangerous raiders destroy your merchant ship, leaving you stranded. You now have to find a way to survive and exact vengeance. From this point on your destiny is yours. You can become a pirate, a political cohort, a bounty hunter, or just revert to your original job as a merchant trader. Space Rogue mixes different play styles in that it is a part flight simulator and part RPG. There are two types of space flight. The first is viewed from the inside of the ship out of the cockpit viewport and the second is a birds-eye perspective from the outside of the vessel. You can fly about aimlessly using the cockpit view if you wish. However, it is probably best to use the “Chart” to plot a course. It is also possible to dock your ship and walk your character around different outposts, speaking to people, gaining information, purchasing cargo, or ship parts. You can also engage in a little sticky-fingered thievery if you like. Combat also comes into play during your space exploration. Defend your ship, save other ships, or just take them out and plunder their hold.

Space Rogue was released to generally positive reviews, though there were a few critics who felt somewhat differently on the subject. Have your own opinion about Space Rogue? Let us know in the comments.