In space, no one can hear you clean
With the release of Telltale Games' Walking Dead series, the point and click-style graphic adventure has seen something of a resurgence in recent years. Space Quest takes us back to the early days of the genre and shows that it really is the gameplay that counts. Born out of the designers' wish to break out of the overly serious conventions of adventure games, Space Quest is a gloriously ridiculous sci-fi romp that is a must-play. Players control the hapless Roger Wilco, a space janitor, who wakes up from a nap to find space pirates have killed his crew mates and are threatening to destroy his homeworld. A mixture of truly testing puzzles follows as Wilco finds himself in one unbelievable situation after another, all laced with the series' trademark humour. This updated version of the game vastly improves the graphics and sound from the original, and changes the text-based input to an icon interface, but keeps the core gameplay intact, with puzzles that are challenging enough to provide a real sense of achievement when solved. While the humour might not be to everyone's taste, unsophisticated as it is, it is refreshing to see a game which doesn't take itself too seriously and which does not rely on violence to win the day. Fans of adventures like Monkey Island, Grim Fandango and Sam and Max are sure to be in heaven.
