Starcross

Starcross is yet another masterpiece from Infocom, this time one of their earliest sci-fi releases. In the game, you play a black-hole miner who is captured by a drifting alien vessel. Your task is to figure out weird alien gadgets in order to find your way home.

The game's hallmarks lie in top-notch writing and very well-designed puzzles. Alien artifacts and locations are described so vividly they spark your interest in exploration. As one of Infocom's earliest games, the parser is limited and does not allow shortcuts that IF fans would consider indispensable. The game's only weakness is the NPCs, who are not as well fleshed out as Infocom's other games. Your ship's computer is still amusing, though.

Starcross is one of the best text adventures I have played. The only other “Expert” level sci-fi game from Infocom, it is not as difficult as Suspended, but it is still very difficult. It is a good kind of difficult, though - a game that will captivate and challenge you for hours on end. It requires a lot of time and patience, but you will be well rewarded with an outstanding and unique adventure when you do.