STAR SAGA: TWO

 STAR SAGA: TWO is the second in MasterPlay's planned trilogy of interactive
novels. As in STAR SAGA: ONE, this game may be played as a self-contained unit,
or as part of the series. Players of STAR SAGA: ONE may transfer their
characters and most of their possessions and items to STAR SAGA: TWO; new
players will be given a decent ship and items with which to begin play. The game
may be played solitaire, or with a group of up to six players. (This review is
based on the IBM-PC version.)

 STAR SAGA: TWO picks up where SS: ONE left off. You are at the fringe of known
space on the planet Outpost where you have found some important clues to the
menace still facing humankind. True to the game's subtitle, there is a race of
beings called the Clathrans, whose goal is the complete eradication of all human
beings. You don't know why this is, or how to stop them. These mysteries and
many others await you as you strive to halt the Clathran menace and save
humanity.

 The STAR SAGA game system combines the character-building aspects of
role-playing and the textual storytelling of an adventure with a liberal (and
literate) helping of good, old-fashioned space opera in the "Star Wars"
tradition. Players assume a character with its own individual history and goals.
Then, they set off to explore a large portion of one arm of the galaxy. As play
proceeds, players accumulate abilities and items through trade and exploration.
They also begin to piece together threads of information concerning the looming
menace to humanity. The ultimate objective is to acquire the proper items and
abilities to deal with this menace -- at least temporarily, as the complete
removal of the threat must await STAR SAGA: THREE.

 The unique feature of STAR SAGA: TWO is the 13 booklets comprising the sections
of text (nearly 1,000 pages in all) telling the lengthy story in which the
players take part. Playing STAR SAGA: TWO is not merely like reading a good
novel: It literally _is_ reading a novel. The only difference is that players
direct the course of the plot's development. The delivery of the story comes in
fragments and pieces, which slowly but definitely coalesce into an exciting,
involving narrative.

 There is a penalty of sorts, though: Players' actions are subtly restricted and
guided by the confines of the story. Players are not able to confront the enemy
until certain items are obtained. And these items may not be obtained until
other items are obtained. Thus, a kind of loose linearity is imposed on game
play. In addition, it is basically impossible to die, or even to pay a serious
penalty for unwise decisions. Nor are there any real puzzles in the game. Much
like a novel, a happy ending is virtually ensured. Players govern how quickly
the story's ending is reached, and the path they take to that ending, but they
can't really change the eventual outcome.

 None of the foregoing is really a criticism. STAR SAGA: TWO is designed to be a
pleasurable journey and an exciting "read," and its designers/writers succeeded
admirably at their task. STAR SAGA: TWO is easily the most literate, engaging,
humorous, and thought-provoking game yet released for the computer. The text
reads as well as much of the science fiction on the shelves of your local
bookstore, and the various characters and alien cultures are developed with more
imagination than most. Multiple plot threads evolve and intertwine, until the
various pieces are brought together in a rousing climax.

 There are some minor flaws. First, if you dislike record-keeping, this may not
be the game for you. STAR SAGA: TWO requires massive amounts of note-taking.
Also, having to search for text sections through the 13 booklets can become
quite tedious. If ever a game begged to be placed on CD-ROM, this is it. The
lack of real danger is mitigated somewhat by a genuine sense of tension conveyed
in the texts. Nonetheless, there really is little for a player to do wrong, with
no substantial penalties for missteps.

 Finally, the game tries to eliminate your drone at least once. Unfortunately,
if you carried an 8-bay drone over from STAR SAGA: ONE, you will find only 5-bay
drones available as replacements. The whole episode is exasperating, and I wound
up invoking the mystical "Alt-Ctl-Del" spell to avoid it.

 Compared to STAR SAGA: ONE, STAR SAGA: TWO is a bit more interesting. The
threat to humanity manifests itself during the game with devastating results,
producing a greater sense of urgency. The climax is far more spectacular, and
more than a little reminiscent of the "Star Wars" films. The Dual Space
phenomenon is imaginative and compelling. The only disappointment is that this
is not quite the end, and more remains to be done before humanity will at last
be safe.

 Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed STAR SAGA: TWO, and anxiously await the finale to
the trilogy. The text is well-written, displaying a wry sense of humor and an
imaginative vision that far surpasses anything produced to date in computer
games. As with the first installment, the only real difficulty is stopping at
the end of each session rather than pushing on to explore "just one more
planet." However, players searching for a challenge or mind-bending puzzles
should look elsewhere.

 STAR SAGA: TWO is character-based, and will run on any graphics display. It
requires 320K and one floppy drive. There is no copy protection of any sort,
although players without the map and voluminous booklets will find the game
impossible to play. Mouse support is provided, but no sound cards are supported.
The game is available in either 5-1/4" or 3-1/2" disk formats.

 STAR SAGA: TWO is published by MasterPlay Publishing Corporation.

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