The universe is your oyster – prove your space flight skills, be a respected bounty hunter or even become the most dangerous pirate in the galaxy. Adventure awaits among the stars. You are a freelancer who just survived an assassination attempt on your client and yourself. Discover the universe, make new friends and new enemies, unravel interstellar plots, and fight in intense space battles. Follow the story, or explore the open galaxy at your own pace. As a pilot, you can travel star systems, fight hostiles, mine and trade resources, upgrade and customize your ship...

Engage in a journey through Lloyd's dreams.

Stellar Wanderer DX is an old-school space combat simulation set in a vast open-world universe. Choose between four different classes – Fighter, Trader, Tank or Engineer, each with its own special ability and bonuses. Follow the story, or explore the galaxy and complete side missions at your own pace. Fight and intercept space pirates, mine and trade resources, upgrade and customize your ship, and more.

I fondly remember, back in the '80s spending many hours playing Elite on the ZX Spectrum and being totally blown away with the sheer scope of the game's ambition. Then, in the '90s I was introduced to the Wing Commander series when I bought Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger for the Playstation. I felt a similar vibe with Stellar Wanderer DX. Even though it's a retro-style game, it puts all its resources into world building. So the slightly rough around the edges graphics don't really present as an issue.

I loved the fact that so much of the game was geared around allowing the player to customise elements to suit their play style. This includes aspects like the ship view - you can play in third-person, first-person or cockpit view. But it also extends to upgrading weapons, shields and engine, to become the most dangerous fighter in the galaxy. Or, if you prefer to go the smuggler route, you can also incorporate trading devices such as tractor beams, hidden compartments or passenger cabins to help you hide your goods as you trade goods across the galaxy.

Since those halcyon days of Elite, there have been many games released in a similar vein. And whilst I really enjoyed my time with Stellar Wanderer DX, and will continue to play it in the future, I did find that it had a tendency to start to feel a little repetitive.

7

Nick Smithson