The Last Mission

The Last Mission is a compact science-fiction action game in which survival depends on flying through dangerous environments, destroying hostile machines, and keeping your spacecraft in one piece. The premise is suitably direct: there is trouble, you have a ship, and apparently nobody else was available to solve the problem. Gameplay combines shooting with navigation and careful movement, requiring more concentration than its basic premise might suggest. Enemies can appear suddenly, while obstacles and tight spaces punish careless flying. The presentation has the distinctive look of late-1980s computer games, relying on simple graphics but making good use of them to create a sense of danger and isolation. There is little unnecessary decoration; the game wants you to concentrate on staying alive. It is the sort of title that can appear simple for the first few minutes, right before the screen becomes crowded with things enthusiastically trying to destroy you.