IFComp09 reviews: The Duel That Spanned the Ages
This story begins with 3 pages of over-the-top transhuman space opera, and then the scene suddenly shifts and you're some guy in a bar.
And then the bartender gives you an exotic fruit and ruins the mood entirely by saying, "Please accept this as a present from the house, great warrior. It is very yummy and will give you strength."
It's kind of odd to actually write this, but this game would have been better if it were more generic. The frame story is a total distraction and makes the nature of the game itself kind of a letdown. It also, in order to fit the game itself (a straightforward explore-abandoned-base adventure) into the intended broader narrative, it finds itself making the plot proper an exercise in futility so that it can be Part I of a larger story. Not really a good breakpoint.
That said, the main game is quite adequate for the explore-abandoned-base genre, even if it is a bit hoary now. This is one of the only games I've played where pointless random combat encounters not only weren't pointless but actually increased suspense at a couple of points. I'm pretty sure the odds were rigged in those points so that it wasn't just a "you have an x% chance to lose", but if it's not, then it's easy enough to fix. The progression of puzzles also was decent.
If you can get past the beginning and the end, it's not a bad game to visit.