Commodore User


Koronis Rift

Author: Mike Pattenden
Publisher: Activision
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Commodore User #29

Koronis Rift

When I tell you this is one of those Epyx/Lucasfilm titles mentioned in Gan Gutman's article, you might sit up and take notice. You'd be right to as well; this game comes packed with all the stylish attributes of its stablemates.

You are a space scavenger travelling from galaxy to galaxy searching for abandoned gear. This time round, you've struck lucky and stumbled upon the fabled Koronis Rift a treasure trove of abandoned technology. All you have to do is explore the planet's surface in your scoutcraft and loot the mass of hulks littered around the planet's surface.

It's not as easy as that of course. The rifts are protected by the Guardian saucers, who appear just as you're about to loot one of those ships. You have to use your weapons systems to shoot them down. Your use of shields is important, because different shields have different capabilities when hit by the variety of saucers that attack you. Use looted modules to update your own defence systems.

Koronis Rift

The screen displays a view of the planet through your surface rover's window. Above that six panels provide information on shield strength, direction of hulks, power reserves and other useful facts. Some of the information isn't that clearly displayed to my mind though, particularly if you're not using a hi-res screen.

Graphics are reminiscent of the fractal kind generated in Rescue On Fractalus. The landscape is impressive and exciting to explore. The animation inside the surface rover of your robot Psytete as he examines the looted modules is great. The gameplay is varied and challenging. There's zapping strategy, and simulation here, and with twenty progressive tough rifts to explore this game's got staying power.

I've really only scratched the surface so far, but I think you've got a good enough idea, so now go out and buy it.

Mike Pattenden

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