Get your tiles drawn out
SNEG is soon releasing an absolute buffet of classic Strategic Simulations Inc. DOS games onto GOG and Steam. Four, to be specific. Do you remember when GOG was all about preserving retro PC games? They still do. It just isn’t as much of a focus anymore. It’s always exciting to see when classic games get ported over.
The first is Veil of Darkness. Originally released in 1991 by Strategic Simulations Inc., it’s not a strategic simulation. It’s actually an isometric adventure game with RPG elements. It’s exploration-heavy, which kind of makes it feel like a pioneer of the survival horror genre, just without most of the survival horror hallmarks.
Next is Star General, which is part of the 5-Star General series that Strategic Simulations Inc. published. Catware developed this one and released it in 1996. Star General features hexagonal, turn-based combat that takes place both in the horrific vacuum of space, as well as on the horrific terrain of alien planets.
Then we have The Summoning, which is a fantasy RPG with multiple endings. Developed by Event Horizon Software, The Summoning originally released in 1992. It’s rather narrative-heavy, and the graphics and audio just scream MSDOS.
Finally, we have Dark Legions. This was a 1994 title by none other than Silicon Knights, who would later release cult classics such as Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. This one is an action-strategy game that has battles taking place in a board game format. This one was a bit more well-received than the others back in the day.
New audiences for old games
Personally, I haven’t played any of these Strategic Simulations Inc. games, but I always get excited when a publisher brings back retro titles. While none of these are certifiable classics, they deserve the chance to live on and potentially find new audiences. Maybe I’ll even play and enjoy them, who knows?
All the games listed above will be available on GOG and Steam. The only listed release date is “May 2023,” so it could be any day now.
