Editing Star Control II (section)

== Legacy ==
Long after its release, ''Star Control II'' continues to garner acclaim across the game industry. Responding to film critics who criticized video games as a superficial medium, ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' magazine highlighted ''Star Control II'' as "the scripting was second to none. Don't be fooled by the fantastical setting - the story maturely dealt with wide ranging issues, from genocide to religious extremism, and still remained terrifying, touching, and damn funny in places."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|url=https://archive.org/details/theescapist_201911/TheEscapist_29_final/page/n5/mode/2up|title=Late 1980s and Beyond|date=June 12, 2005|publisher=The Escapist|page=6|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> The magazine would revisit this in a 2014 retrospective, calling it a "must play for space loving gamers", offering "a massive experience filled with exploration, action and some of the funniest aliens you'll run into any video game".<ref name=":13">{{cite web|author=Stew Shearer|date=2014-12-06|title=Star Control 2 - Interstellar Awesome|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/goodoldreviews/12716-Good-Old-Review-Star-Control-2|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|access-date=2020-04-30|archive-date=2018-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121154234/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/goodoldreviews/12716-Good-Old-Review-Star-Control-2}}</ref> ''[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]'' featured the game in 2016, celebrating "some of the most memorable aliens ever put in a game, and still some of the best written."<ref name="RPSretro2">{{cite web|author=Richard Cobbett|date=2016-02-15|title=The RPG Scrollbars: Praise The Ur-Quan Masters|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/02/15/star-control-ii-retrospective/|website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]}}</ref> In a 2018 retrospective of the entire series, ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' notes that "there are aspects of ''Star Control II'' that are rough around the edges..., [b]ut once you surmount those obstacles, it reveals itself as one of the smartest, funniest, most adventure-filled science fiction games ever made".<ref name="HG101series2" /> In a multi-part feature on the [[history of video games]], [[VGChartz]] noted that ''Star Control II'' is "often considered one of the greatest games ever made".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Palola|first=Taneli|date=2016-03-06|title=History of Video Games: The Beginning of the Console War (1989-1993)|url=https://www.vgchartz.com/article/263490/history-of-video-games-the-beginning-of-the-console-war-1989-1993/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=VGChartz|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Kotaku'' referred to it as "one of the early '[[1990s in video games|90s]] most revolutionary sci-fi games",<ref name=":52">{{Cite web|date=2020-07-14|title=Star Control 2 Was Designed And Built Entirely On Hand-Drawn Flowcharts|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/07/star-control-2-was-designed-and-built-entirely-on-hand-drawn-flowcharts/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200720181416/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/07/star-control-2-was-designed-and-built-entirely-on-hand-drawn-flowcharts/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 20, 2020|access-date=2020-07-20|website=Kotaku Australia|language=en-AU}}</ref> and game historian Rusel DeMaria describes it as one of the best games ever written.<ref name="DeMaria2018" /> Additionally, The Dickinson Press called it "one of the best PC games ever",<ref name=":43">{{Cite web|last=Sep 24th 2013 - 9am|first=Dickinson Press Staff {{!}}|title=Patrick Hope: Into the vault with little-known Ur-Quan Masters|url=https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/opinion/1828478-patrick-hope-vault-little-known-ur-quan-masters|access-date=2020-05-28|website=The Dickinson Press|date=24 September 2013|language=en}}</ref> and ''The Completist'' notes it as "one of the greatest games ever made".<ref>{{cite web|author=Dana Smith|date=July 2013|title=The Completist Presents: Star Control 2|url=http://www.1morecastle.com/2013/07/the-completist-presents-star-control-2/|publisher=The Completist}}</ref>

Indeed, ''Star Control II'' is admired and influential amongst notable developers in the [[Video game industry|game industry]]. [[Tim Cain]] credits ''Star Control II'' with inspiring his open-ended design in both ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' and ''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'', calling it his personal favorite RPG of all time and one of the best computer games ever developed.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cain|first=Tim|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLrGxQEACAAJ|title=The CRPG Book: A Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games|date=September 2019|publisher=Bitmap Books|isbn=978-1-9993533-0-8|editor-last=Pepe|editor-first=Felipe|language=en|quote=Since its release in 1992, ''Star Control 2'' has been considered one of the best computer game ever developed, and for me, it remains my favorite CRPG of all time. You can see its influence in the open-endedness of ''Fallout'' and ''Arcanum'', and I will always remember this game fondly.}} [https://crpgbook.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/crpg-book-preview-2-1.pdf Alt URL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200315234922/https://crpgbook.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/crpg-book-preview-2-1.pdf |date=2020-03-15 }}</ref><ref>[https://crpgbook.wordpress.com/review-index/1992-star-control-2/ "The CRPG Book Project - "1992 – Star Control 2" from Tim Cain]</ref> Founder of [[BioWare]] [[Ray Muzyka]] also cites ''Star Control'' as an inspiration, stating that "the uncharted worlds in ''[[Mass Effect]]'' comes from imagining what a freely explorable universe would be like inside a very realistic next-gen game."<ref>{{cite web|author=John Gaudiosi|date=2007-11-20|title=Critically Acclaimed Mass Effect Powered by Unreal Engine 3|url=https://www.unrealengine.com/ko/blog/mass-effect?lang=ko|publisher=Unrealengine.com}}</ref> Indeed, journalists have noted heavy similarities in the story, characters, and overall experience of ''Mass Effect'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Chris Ullery|date=2012-03-13|title=Arcade Arcana: Star Control II–Mass Effect's Estranged, Spiritual Father|url=http://geek.pikimal.com/2012/03/13/arcade-arcana-star-control-iimass-effects-estranged-spiritual-father/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316053519/http://geek.pikimal.com/2012/03/13/arcade-arcana-star-control-iimass-effects-estranged-spiritual-father/|archive-date=2012-03-16|publisher=Pikimal}}</ref><ref name="PCGNHD2">{{cite web|author=Dominic Tarason|title=DOS classics Star Control 1 & 2 hit Steam, but you might want to try this HD fan-remaster|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/Star-Control-Origins/Star-Control-Origins-DOS-Ur-Quan-Masters-HD|website=PC Games N|date=21 October 2017 }}</ref><ref name="bestclassic4">{{Cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Kirk|title=The Game That "Won" Our Classic PC Games List (If It Had A Winner)|language=en-US|work=Kotaku|url=http://kotaku.com/the-game-that-won-our-classic-pc-games-list-if-it-ha-1349952997|access-date=2018-04-03}}</ref> even calling ''Star Control II'' a [[Spiritual successor|spiritual predecessor]].<ref name=":43" /> ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|FACT]]'' notes that ''Star Control II''<nowiki/>'s "galaxy-spanning sci-fi setting whose adventure elements foreshadowed ''Mass Effect'' by a good 15 years".<ref name="FACTmag3"/> ''[[PCGamesN]]'' explains further, that "while ''Star Control II'' is a little clunky and esoteric by modern standards, this was the ''Mass Effect'' of its era, defining many of the elements you might have taken for granted in Bioware's classic sci-fi RPG series. ... ''Star Control''{{'}}s weird and wonderful alien races are far more exciting than anything Bioware gave us."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tarason|first=Dominic|date=October 22, 2017|title=DOS classics Star Control 1 & 2 hit Steam, but you might want to try this HD fan-remaster|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/Star-Control-Origins/Star-Control-Origins-DOS-Ur-Quan-Masters-HD|access-date=2020-06-16|website=PCGamesN|language=en-GB}}</ref> Henrik Fahraeus of [[Paradox Interactive]] credits ''Star Control II'' as a major influence on [[Strategy video game|strategy game]] ''[[Stellaris (video game)|Stellaris]]'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Alex Hamilton|date=2016-06-11|title=Stellaris Interview|url=https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/stellaris-interview/|publisher=GameGrin}}</ref> after expressing disappointment that the ''Mass Effect'' series lacked the exploration and openness of ''Star Control II''.<ref name=":04">{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Adam|date=May 8, 2012|title=Regal Counsel: Crusader Kings II Interview|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/05/08/regal-counsel-crusader-kings-ii-interview/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=[[Rock Paper Shotgun]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Game writer and narrative designer [[Zoë Quinn]] called ''Star Control II'' a childhood obsession, describing how she "filled several notebooks with notes and maps as I constantly explored Fake Space, trying to see everything and uncover all the secrets in the game."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Quinn |first=Zoë |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gpvUDQAAQBAJ&dq=%22filled+several+notebooks+with+notes+and+maps+as+I+constantly+explored+Fake+Space,+trying+to+see+everything+and+uncover+all+the+secrets+in+the+game&pg=PT25 |title=Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate |date=2017-09-05 |publisher=PublicAffairs |isbn=978-1-61039-809-1 |pages=22–23 |language=en}}</ref> Vice President of [[Insomniac Games]] Brian Hastings ranked ''Star Control II'' as one of his top games, and one of "the most original and perfectly executed games ever".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hastings|first=Brian|url=http://archive.org/details/GamefanVolume8Issue01January2000|title=Developer's Top Ten|date=January 2000|publisher=Gamefan - Volume 8 Issue 01|page=10|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref> Alexx Kay of [[Irrational Games]] hailed ''Star Control II'' as the best game "by a mile", noting that it was "one of the first story-based games where your actions had clear consequences".<ref name=":63"/> In Joshua Bycer's book "20 Essential Games to Study", his first chapter is devoted to analyzing ''Star Control II'', as an unprecedented [[open world]] game far ahead of its contemporaries.<ref name="Bycer20183">{{cite book|author=Joshua Bycer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MfZ1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA4|title=20 Essential Games to Study|date=26 October 2018|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-0-429-80208-9|pages=4–}}</ref>

''Star Control II'' is sometimes credited as a spiritual successor to ''Starflight'', inheriting its legacy as a genre-defining space exploration game.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lee Hutchinson|date=2012-09-28|title=Masterpiece: Starflight for PC|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/09/masterpiece-starflight-for-pc/|publisher=Ars Technica}}</ref>

===''The Ur-Quan Masters''===
{{main|The Ur-Quan Masters}}
''The Ur-Quan Masters'' is a modified open-source release of ''Star Control 2'', based on a freely available version of the original [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]] code.<ref name="HG101series2" /><ref name="Tringham2014">{{cite book|author=Tringham|first=Neal Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0o5qBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA428|title=Science Fiction Video Games|date=September 10, 2014|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4822-0388-2|pages=428–|access-date=October 22, 2020}}</ref>

=== Sequel and continuity ===
In 2017, Reiche and Ford announced plans to create a direct sequel to ''The Ur-Quan Masters'',<ref name="UQMTM">{{cite web | url = https://www.dogarandkazon.com/blog/2019/6/11/the-only-way-to-win-is | title = The Only Way To Win Is | author = Reiche & Ford | publisher = Updates from Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III | access-date = 2020-04-28 | archive-date = 2020-08-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200818144639/https://www.dogarandkazon.com/blog/2019/6/11/the-only-way-to-win-is  }}</ref> which would effectively bypass the story from ''[[Star Control 3]]'', created by the now defunct [[Legend Entertainment]].<ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/09/star-control-ii-direct-sequel-ghosts-of-the-precursors-announced | title = Star Control II Direct Sequel Ghosts of the Precursors Announced | author = Jonathon Dornbush | publisher = IGN | date = 2017-10-09 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/10/11/star-control-ii-devs-finally-making-sequel/ | title = Star Control 2 creators finally making sequel | website = [[Rock Paper Shotgun]] | date = 2017-10-11 | author = Alice O'Connor}}</ref> This announcement comes after years of fan requests for a sequel.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/10/16453410/star-control-2-direct-sequel-ghosts-of-the-precursors | publisher = Polygon | title = Star Control creators working on direct sequel to Star Control 2 | date = 2017-10-10 | author = Michael McWhertor }}</ref> Due to disagreements between the trademark owner of ''Star Control'' and the ownership of the intellectual property within the games previously sold under the trademark, the game development was halted. A settlement has been reached, and work resumed in the fall of 2020.<ref>{{ cite web | url = https://www.dogarandkazon.com/blog/2021/6/17/i-seriously-considered-adding-a-cow-to-this-image | title = I Seriously Considered Adding A Cow To This Image | publisher = Dogar And Kazon | date = 2021-06-17 | author = Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III }}</ref>
{{Main|Free Stars: Children of Infinity}}
After leaving [[Toys for Bob]], [[Fred Ford (programmer)|Fred Ford]] and [[Paul Reiche III]] co-founded Pistol Shrimp Games alongside [[Ken Ford (programmer)|Ken Ford]] and [[Dan Gerstein]], under which they are currently developing ''[[Free Stars: Children of Infinity]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yarwood |first=Jack |date=April 23, 2024 |title="We've Finally Sighted Land" - Free Stars, The Star Control Successor 30 Years In The Making |url=https://www.timeextension.com/features/interview-werve-finally-sighted-land-free-stars-the-star-control-successor-30-years-in-the-making |website=Timeextenstion}}</ref> On April 4, 2024, the official trailer for this project was released on the [[GameSpot]] channel on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=April 4, 2024 |title=Free Stars: Children Of Infinity Trailer Debuts, Kickstarter Coming Soon |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/free-stars-children-of-infinity-trailer-debuts-kickstarter-coming-soon/1100-6522370/ |website=GameSpot}}</ref> The campaign to fund the game launched on [[Kickstarter]] on April 16, 2024, and has ended on May 18, 2024, collecting more than $650 000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=April 20, 2024 |title=The long-awaited sequel to The Ur-Quan Masters hits its crowdfunding target in less than four hours, and they're not kidding about that $4.4 million stretch goal |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/the-long-awaited-sequel-to-the-ur-quan-masters-hits-its-crowdfunding-target-in-less-than-four-hours-and-theyre-not-kidding-about-that-dollar44-million-stretch-goal/ |website=PC Gamer}}</ref>