Space Rangers: Quest Review

Space Rangers: Quest is a text-based RPG that is a nostalgic blast from the past. Explore the farthest reaches of each galaxy as you explore worlds some have never seen before filled with strange aliens and outlaws galore. Jump in your ship and explore the galaxy and all its wonders. Choose which song plays during gameplay with the complete OST provided in-game.

Space Rangers: Quest Review

INTRODUCTION

Space Rangers: Quest is a text-based Strategy RPG that reeks of nostalgia. Its roots go back to text-based adventures and MUDs of ye’ old times. The success of Space Rangers HD gave SNK and 1C Company the chance to create this title for PC and Tablets. It was then converted to a text-based RPG for Steam. Easy to read, filled with action, and good humor encompass this title. Hop on board and upgrade your ship for your journey out on the Range. Robots, Intelligent beings, and A.I. all wait for you to make the wrong move.

Space Rangers: Quest is available on Steam for $9.99.

Story

The player is represented by a lone Space Ranger defending the “Coalition” in the known universe. Organic life is threatened by some unknown, powerful force, and it's up to the player and their wit to find out the source of the threat and find a way to eliminate it. Unfortunately, the ranger will encounter plenty of danger and excitement as they travel from galaxy to galaxy, doing harsh and sometimes dirty work. Outlaws, dangerous aliens, and corrupt A.I. will try to steal everything the player owns and leave them for dead. Earn a few credits doing dirty work and buy some galaxy maps, it's the only way to survive out here in the Range. Learning more about the threat to come and other species that exist require travel and lots of reading as the game is story-rich. That almost goes without saying since it is a text-based RPG. 

Space Rangers: Quest Menu Screen

Gameplay

The gameplay is fun but gets tiring quickly as each event doesn't have as many options most text-based adventures offer. Usually, in a text-based adventure, there are diverse options to choose from that have certain repercussions later in game; such as loss of crew, or equipment and upgrades. Unfortunately, Space Rangers: Quest doesn't have these options and thus lacks real character development and doesn't give as much incentive to finish the adventure. The Ranger goes from system to system solving small issues and finding quests to partake in to earn a few extra credits. While there are a wide variety of missions to choose from the choices the characters made always are limited to 3-4 answers making it difficult to grow attached to the Ranger's personality.

The lore within Space Rangers: Quest is filled with different creatures, clans, and societies to explore. Some rich and lavish while others are run-down and dirty. Completing each quest brings up more story and information about the random species around the galaxy along with growing affinity for the creatures you meet. There can be lots to read at times but the information you gather helps flesh out why the Ranger is there and what force is trying to destroy all organic life.

Each event and encounter; whether it be combat or just regular conversation are fun, but the choices given are always low and sometimes not what the player would actually respond with. The responses can be generic or overtly hostile; there are not many in between. Sadly, with only having so few options to select per event doesn't allow the player to flesh out their character to give it more personality. The choices that are made don't matter as much as you don't see them affect much in the later game which takes away the player's ability to grow with the Ranger they are playing as. Upgrading the ship is fun but battles lack intensity and challenge which does not bring any action to the title. Overall, Space Rangers: Quest has lackluster gameplay in a title that is filled with story-rich RPG elements.

Battles and Events require long reads - Space Rangers: Quest

Sound and Graphics

One of the better parts of Space Rangers: Quest is that the player gets the entire game's OST right off the bat. The playlist is ready to go and choosing the right song for a battle or exploring is a breeze as the music player is integrated right into the game's layout. It's not often that the developer of a title or series hands over the entire soundtrack with the release, especially in-game which is almost unheard of. There are exploration tunes, battle ballads, and ambient conversation music that fill the soundtrack and makes traveling from galaxy to galaxy quite enjoyable.

Titles like Space Rangers: Quest do not require fantastic graphics to push the better aspects of the game, like plot or character development. The overlays that were created for Space Rangers: Quest are of basic aesthetic and are intuitive with the gameplay. Navigating through each menu takes time to learn the pattern of clicks required to go from battle to quests to exploration. Although learning the menu navigation wasn't hard, its plain-ness stood out, especially when reading the plain text that comes up for conversations, quests and battles.

There did not seem to be variation from one menu to another so getting lost in the menus would happen to gamers not familiar with the genre or game type. Every menu is almost identical; the only difference being the header. Some gamers prefer simplistic menus and overlays but with what was created with Space Rangers HD, gamers think that 1C Company and SNK are capable of making more variation in the menus.The galaxy maps look pretty, but in all honestly making star charts isn't too difficult. When each new galaxy is unlocked, it looks practically the same to the previous ones except with a different colored constellation that the ship navigates on. Opening up each new area is bland, but the promise of more story and information about the galaxy and its inhabitants gives the player enough initiative to collect enough credits to get more star charts.

Graphics and Music are incredible - Space Rangers: Quest

The verdict

It hits the correct spots for a nostalgic adventure but fails to bring forth what was provided in previous titles, which was content. The action and battle sequences end up being vapid, and the overlays created for the game, although easy to learn, seem bland. As for the story, it's fun, involved, rich, and humorous even with the drawback of no real character personalization. The lack of actual choices is a drawback as one would think there would be a wider selection of actions that could lead to more events. The soundtrack is really enjoyable and gives great atmosphere while playing. Overall a fun experience for a decent price, Space Rangers: Quest is definitely worth a purchase on Steam if you have the money and time. Great music, story-rich gameplay, and space exploration will encompass all of the gamer's time. Enjoy.

PROS CONS
 + Full OST provided adds great atmosphere to adventure  – Lackluster choice system
 + Story-rich RPG with great lore  – No real character development
 + Easy controls  – No repercussions in later game situations
 + Lots of missions and galaxies to explore  – Repetitive menus
6.5
Fair

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