Hyperspeed (computer game)
| Hyperspeed | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | MPS Labs |
| Publisher(s) | MicroProse |
| Designer(s) | Andy Hollis, Sandy Petersen |
| Platform(s) | MS-DOS |
| Release | 1991 |
| Genre(s) | space combat, role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| CGW |    |
| Dragon | |
Hyperspeed is a space combat role-playing video game developed by MicroProse Software in 1991 for DOS, and is a sequel to Lightspeed.
The object is to locate a suitable home for mankind after the humans have made Earth nearly uninhabitable. The player pilots a vessel with a wide variety of weapons and encounters a variety of aliens; while some are friendly to the player' cause, the player must eliminate the hostile aliens or arrange peace treaties with them to allow the habitation of new worlds. There are four star clusters to explore, each one with its own difficulty level.
Spaceflight is similar in style to the Wing Commander or X-Wing titles. Most races initially adopt a neutral stance towards the player, unless they ambush the player in between star systems. The player can then choose to attack or hold their fire, which can influence future relations with that species. The player may also choose to launch an unguided probe to initiate communications with neutral or friendly species. The player-controllable vehicles consist of the main Trailblazer-class cruiser (top left screenshot on box back) and small spacecraft chassis that can be quickly reconfigured for three different roles (that of a space superiority fighter, a powerful self-guided kamikaze missile with poor maneuverability or a weak homing missile with excellent maneuverability). The player can also launch an escape pod if the Trailblazer is hopelessly crippled.
In addition, the Trailblazer is also equipped with a fast moving turret with which to shoot down lightly armored fighter craft. While this weapon (along with the weapons equipped on a fighter-variant chassis) cannot penetrate capital ship armor, the Trailblazer is also equipped with a powerful front-mounted main gun to deal with larger threats. Guided missiles and kamikaze craft can also damage capital ships. Some aliens are equipped with shield generators that can negate main gun attacks. However, these generators are vulnerable to fighter and turret fire, as they are attached to the exterior of the ship. The shield component, along with certain weapon turrets, can be targeted by precision fire - a revolutionary feature for the time. This also ensures that no one weapon system becomes redundant at any point during the course of a game.
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