8.6 /10 1 Votes
68% Metacritic Series Space Rangers Developer Elemental Games Mode Single-player video game | 10/10 Steam 4.5/5 GOG Initial release date 20 December 2002 Publisher 1C Company Platform Microsoft Windows | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genre(s) Turn-based Space trading and combat simulator Similar 1C Company games, Space flight simulators, Other games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Space Rangers (Russian: Космические рейнджеры) is a multi-genre computer game by the Russian company Elemental Games, released by 1C Company in 2002. It is critically acclaimed and popular in its home country, Finland and parts of Eastern Europe, although not so popular elsewhere due to lack of marketing. In 2004, 1C Company published a sequel, Space Rangers 2: Dominators.
Contents
The game is dynamic and open-ended in a fashion that has been compared to Elite and Star Control 2. Trade prices on planets follow supply and demand, the wars are ongoing non-scripted conflicts, computer-controlled ships have individual capabilities, goals and relations, etc. There are even several ways to complete the storyline. The games have turn-based space travel and combat, optional shoot 'em up sequences and occasional bits of text adventure. This game was not released in America in its own box, but in some special edition containers of Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators.
Plot
In Space Rangers, a relatively peaceful interstellar coalition is invaded by a powerful enemy; the organic warships of the Klissans. The player is a Ranger, one of a group of non-military volunteers who are given small ships, free rein and the task of helping to battle, understand and ultimately defeat the menace.
Background
Long ago, the now wise and peaceful Gaal race was very aggressive and was creating a huge number of colonies. Due to large space distances it created a hyperjumper which could make holes in the galaxy. Soon one of the colonies met with the Klissan fleet. Although Gaal colony ships tried to communicate with these Klissan ships they failed to do so and were destroyed. Soon Makhpella, the mothership of all Klissans and Klissan fleet, invaded all outer Gaal colonies. The Gaal colony fleet was completely helpless and in order to save the original Gaal territories and the Gaal motherland itself from invasion, they decided not to jump back which would have given the Makhpella an opportunity to trace their route, but to blow up the remaining other colonies using the hyperjumper instead.
Not very long ago, everything was started by a Peleng captain called Rachekhan, one of the commanders of the Peleng fleet. He was thrown out of the fleet and became a pirate. Since he had access to secret documents and weaponry he stole a hyperjumper. While travelling with it he met Makhpella. It considered Rachekhan's pirate fleet an enemy and started chasing it. During this chase, Rachekhan and the Klissan fleets went through sectors colonized by the interstellar coalition which enabled Makhpella to spot the IC sectors, gaining knowledge of its locations, and identify all IC races as foes. So the war started.
Races
Space Rangers features 6 races in total: the Interstellar Coalition races and the Klissans. The Interstellar Coalition consists of 5 races: Maloqs, Pelengs, Humans, Faeyans and Gaals. The Klissans are the new and unresearched form of life.
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