Frontier: First Encounters

Frontier: First Encounters (1995)

by Frontier Developments, GameTek, Inc.
Genres:Strategy, Simulator
Themes:Open world, Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:The third title in the Elite series of space strategic combat games, Frontier was notoriously marred by several bugs which spoiled an otherwise enjoyable game.
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I don't know what to write about this game. It's not as well-known as its ancestor Elite-1/Elite-plus, nor has their magic 8-bit/old/classic feeling. But as soon as I moved from playing Elite on friend's C64 (I had Atari 800xl, no Elite for me :sadface:), to PCs, I felt a real loss of that lost-in-space feeling.. I couldn't find Elite2:Frontier (what a gem!) on PC at that time. And other PC games simply didn't have it. Then one day I got this my hands on this FF:E, and I was lost in space again. It's not that Privateerish-style flat system map and trade routes etc. Space that feels like space. A 3D map that has the systems and galaxies in actual 3D, it's not easy to find a conteporary game that has this. And total freedom of where to fly and what to do, as long as you can afford the fuel or equipment (though to be honest, list of to-do options is a bit limited - track and hunt, mine, deliver, explore, trade, etc, typical contracts/missions.. no base building, no exiting the ship and walking on foot like in 3000ad's Battlecruiser, nothing truly groundbreaking, just right enough to not get bored and to not have to make a PhD learning the rules and mechanics of everything). While I can't say anything about story or plot, I really don't remember if there's any, it has some well-hidden flavors/easter eggs, and just like Elite2:Frontier - it's really not easy to find them on your own, better find a spoiler.
I played this game a lot on my Amiga, it was amazing for it's time. I was hyped when Elite Dangerous came to kickstarter, it's one of the few games i backed. Today still playing Elite Dangerous, which i very much enjoy.
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