Space Quest Collection
- July 23, 2009
- Sierra
- 20h median play time
Get on SteamSpace Quest Collection is a compilation of six classic Space Quest games, remastered for improved gameplay and graphics. The games follow the adventures of Roger Wilco, a janitor in space, as he battles aliens, saves the universe, and tries to secure his place in galactic history. This collection offers a nostalgic trip through the golden age of adventure gaming with updated features for modern players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The Space Quest series is a nostalgic classic that combines humor and clever puzzles, making it a must-play for fans of retro gaming.
- The games feature a unique blend of sci-fi references and slapstick comedy, providing a fun and engaging experience.
- Despite some technical issues, the collection offers a comprehensive look at the evolution of adventure games from the 80s to the 90s.
- Many players experience technical difficulties, including issues with graphics, sound, and game stability, particularly on modern systems.
- The puzzles can be frustratingly obtuse and often require trial-and-error, which may deter new players unfamiliar with the genre.
- The collection lacks the original EGA version of Space Quest I and has been criticized for its poor packaging and configuration of DOSBox.
- story544 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The "Space Quest" series is celebrated for its humorous and engaging storytelling, featuring the misadventures of the hapless janitor Roger Wilco as he navigates various sci-fi scenarios. Each installment builds on the comedic and often absurd narrative, with highlights including the clever parodies of popular culture and the evolution of Roger's character from a bumbling janitor to a more heroic figure. While some entries are noted for their convoluted plots and frustrating puzzles, the overall charm and wit of the series have left a lasting impression on fans, making it a beloved classic in the adventure game genre.
“The story is as follows: in Vohaul's Revenge, it is revealed the leader of the Sariens, Vohaul, is mad Roger foiled his plans to destroy the universe.”
“The story is a lot of fun though; in Pirates of Pestulon, you escape a robot-run trash ship and find you're being chased down by a Terminator. He wants to track you down for some mail fraud you did in Space Quest II.”
“This game has a simple but legitimate save-the-galaxy storyline with some intense moments, a few decent puzzles, some laughs, and just a very nice package.”
“Let me say this plainly just in case you don’t want to read a long review: with slight variations throughout the franchise, Space Quest games are frustrating, repetitive, and have aged poorly. Almost anyone who doesn’t have nostalgic childhood memories of playing them from start to finish will probably hate them.”
“The story is garbage and a bit silly compared to the original.”
“To beat Space Quest 6 without an online walkthrough, you require some extra manual (used as a form of copy protection) that was forgotten to include in this collection!”
- humor118 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the Space Quest series is widely praised for its clever, slapstick style and witty dialogue, often featuring absurd scenarios and pop culture references that resonate with fans of sci-fi. Players enjoy the comedic elements tied to the game's mechanics, such as humorous death messages and the absurdity of the puzzles, making the experience both entertaining and nostalgic. Despite some frustrations with gameplay, the humor remains a standout feature that keeps players engaged and laughing, even decades after the games' original release.
“It's the only game series I know where it's worth killing yourself in the game just to see what hilarious, mocking, sometimes condescending remarks the game makes in reaction to your screw-ups.”
“The space quest series is a wonderful, funny sci-fi game.”
“The space quest collection takes you on hilarious adventures in outer space.”
- graphics98 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 85 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have seen notable improvements compared to earlier titles, featuring a charming art style that blends gritty realism with toony sci-fi aesthetics. However, many players feel that while the visuals are crisper, they miss the design sensibilities of previous installments, and some still find the graphics dated or flawed, particularly in earlier games. Overall, the nostalgic appeal of retro graphics is appreciated, but there are calls for remakes to enhance the visual experience further.
“This game establishes a unique art style that seamlessly marries gritty realism with toony sci-fi, creating a unique and wonderful aesthetic.”
“The graphics are significantly better than the first two; there's now music and a really cute art style, consistent with its contemporaries like Secret of Monkey Island.”
“Despite their flaws, I feel like the games hold up fantastically, and with the rise of retro style graphics and aesthetics, these games will fit right into any adventure game player's library.”
“The graphics for the first 4(?) are frankly atrocious.”
“The graphics are nothing but huge pixels.”
“I'm particularly not interested in dying the same way over and over again because the hit detection is so poor and/or the perspective is so odd and/or the graphics are so terribly out of date.”
- gameplay38 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mix of nostalgic, vintage mechanics and humorous narrative elements, appealing to fans of classic adventure games. However, it is criticized for its trial-and-error approach, which can lead to frustration and repetitiveness, especially for those unfamiliar with older gameplay conventions. While some players appreciate the humor and story-driven puzzles, others find the controls and navigation challenging without proper guidance.
“There's so much amazing gameplay and humor in this package!”
“True vintage immersive gameplay filled with incredible nostalgia vibes and hilarious sci-fi adventures.”
“If you are interested in the history of video games, and want to experience older graphics and gameplay conventions, then you’ll find a lot to appreciate.”
“You can have all the sharp-witted satire you want, but if the puzzles and core gameplay suck (in the Space Quest series, the puzzles are at the heart of the gameplay), then your overall game is pretty much going to suck too.”
“This game has some funny, sarcastic dialogue boxes in it (particularly when you die), but they’re hidden in a morass of frustrating trial-and-error gameplay that could give Demon's Forge (the 1981 version) some good competition in terms of providing an overall sense of obtuse frustration.”
“I had to look up a gameplay video because an exit from one screen to another was impossible to spot early in the game.”
- music26 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game series has received high praise for its masterful composition, enhancing the overall experience and nostalgia for players. Reviewers noted improvements in the sound quality compared to earlier titles, with specific mentions of the use of advanced music modules like the Roland MT-32 and SoundCanvas. Overall, the soundtracks are described as enjoyable and well-integrated into the gameplay, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“I would spend hours solving the puzzles and rocking out to the masterfully composed beeps and boops that comprised the music. This game series made me the pop culture nerd I am today, taught me to spell, and showed me that every choice has a consequence.”
“Wowzers, I love the music in this game.”
“Space Quest IV: this game has some very good music as well, and the full mouse support is so nice.”
“Music gets a bit trickier to do 'right'.”
“General MIDI/soundfont can be chosen to taste, but most games created at the time targeted two top-tier music modules: the Roland MT-32 and later the Roland SoundCanvas.”
“They even fixed the previous music problems.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and frustrating, often requiring significant time investment to navigate poorly designed mazes and solve obscure puzzles. Despite the humor and charm of the games, the execution leads to a laborious experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“All things considered, the games are funny and worth playing even decades after their inception, but this collection is so badly executed that it means you buy tedious work.”
“It has dead ends, deaths, having to navigate through mazes with pixel accuracy or die, having to guess with no big hints what to do, obscure puzzles, tedious walking, barely any characters, boring locations, and a huge maze where you can see only a small area around your character. Oh my.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Overall, the collection is reported to run smoothly; however, "Space Quest V" experiences random freezes when sitting in the command chair, and the VGA version of "Space Quest I" suffers from significant graphics glitches.
“The collection runs great.”
“Space Quest V freezes up randomly when you sit in your command chair.”
“Even the VGA SQ1 has severe graphics glitches.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Users express significant dissatisfaction with the game's replayability, noting that not all games are playable in their current state and that overall, there is a lack of replay value.
“There is no replayability.”
“This is my biggest gripe: not all the games are playable as-is.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users express dissatisfaction with the monetization strategy, citing that the advertisements for the game are misleading.
“The advertisement for this is misleading.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Space Quest 6 suffers from poor performance issues that require players to download a patch from Sierra's website to optimize the game and ensure it runs correctly on DOSBox.
“Lastly, Space Quest 6 (they didn't use Roman numerals...go figure) has awful performance unless you go to Sierra's site to download a patch for it, which updates the DOSBox to the correct version to run the game correctly, among other fixes.”
