Captive

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How to play Captive

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse.

Captive Description

Trill, the main character, is judged guilty and ordered in a space cryogenic prison for 250 years. 248 years later, he awakes, but without the memory of who he is, where he is and why he was imprisoned.

In the corner of his cell, which had doubled as a store-room, the prisoner finds a "briefcase computer" which gives him control over a group of four droids on a space ship. Now he must use these droids to find and free himself.
Gameplay
Game structure

To free Trill, the droids visit a number of bases on several planets. On each base, the droids locate space probes, which provide the locations of subsequent bases. In addition to collecting probes, the droids also have to blow up the generators of the base which power the force field of the prison station, and then find the exit before the base collapses.

Controlled by the prisoner/player, the droids are firstly found in a spaceship in distant space (an interface using vector graphics), until ordered to land with a capsule on a planet. On each planet, the droids have to first locate the entrance to the base, then enter and explore 'dungeons' containing various puzzles and alien and robotic enemies.

A fully completed mission consists of ten bases followed by the space station; there is a room in the space station which houses Trill, and if the droids enter this room, the game gives the player the choice of freeing him and ending the game completely, or allowing the enemy to recapture him, starting another mission.
Shops

There are shops where the droids can buy, sell and repair various weapons, ammunition and body parts. Each droid has of a number of replaceable body parts: a head, chest, arms, hands, legs and feet. These can be upgraded and repaired individually. There are also accessories that can be purchased at the shops such as batteries and remote cameras, and a variety of special utility devices.
Weapons

There are a variety of weapons, both for hand-to-hand combat and projectile weapons. Depending on its type and the position of the droid wielding it, a weapon can have effect on the left, in the middle or on the right, and at one of two different heights. Some weapons can fire multiple shots at different heights and positions. The two front droids can attack on the left- or right-hand flank respectively. The two droids in the back rank can each only fire projectile weapons down the middle.
Devices

The droids can purchase add-on devices from two series: the optics, which either provide extra information or affect the eyesight of the droids, or the devscapes, which affect the droids in other ways. Each droid can only use one such special device at any given time.
Challenge

The movement and fighting is similar to traditional Dungeon Master clones like Eye of the Beholder. It does play in real time, but most of the opponents move relatively slowly, so much of the gameplay relies not so much on reflexes as on the basic strategy of minimizing damage taken, not getting backed into corners or cul-de-sacs, and not running out of ammunition.

Captive - additional information

Platform
DOS
Game year
Cover Art
Captive - Cover Art