Space Quest I: Roger Wilco in The Sarien Encounter is a 1991 adventure game, developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It is a remake of Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter, the first game in the semi-popular Space Quest series from Sierra, starring Roger Wilco as the chief protagonist and sole playable character.
Sierra re-released the first chapter in the Space Quest series in a new VGA style with 256-color VGA graphics, a new point-and-click icon style interface, and digital sound supporting all of the major sound card brands of the day. In the early 1990s, Sierra released a number of VGA remakes for several of their adventure game franchises, including Leisure Suit Larry and Police Quest. The story remains exactly the same, however a few puzzles had to be reworked due to the new interface, as opposed to the original text-based parser interface. Another notable difference is that the color of Roger's hair changed from brown to blond.
Those attempting to play the game on modern systems often deal with a number of time bugs caused by processing speeds that obliterate any of the game's original programming. Fortunately, a number of publicly available player-made mods exist to ensure that the game can be played well into the future.
Plot
As the game begins, the Arcada is returning home to Xenon after successfully developing the Star Generator. Unbeknownst to the crew aboard, they have been followed by a sinister craft. The unknown ship, bearing a strong resemblance to a grasshopper, seizes the Arcada in its appendages.
The game then transitions to our hero's entrance, as Roger Wilco is seen loitering in the halls of the Arcada. No sooner are we introduced to the Space Quest star do we hear a female voice announce that the Arcada is 15 minutes from self-destruction - and counting!
Soon, Roger discovers several of his crewmates...lying in a pool of their own blood, brutally murdered. It is not long before those responsible make their presence known. They are the Sariens. Former citizens of Earnon, the Sariens are space pirates who travel the universe, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Should they gain possession of the Star Generator, one cannot begin to fathom the torrent of violence they would unleash upon their former homeworld. However, they first plan to use this weapon of ulimate power on another target - Xenon!
Roger Wilco thus embarks on his heroic journey to rescue his home planet from the vicious onslaught of the Sariens, whether he wants to or not.
Log in to comment