Play The Kristal Online

I first played The Kristal back in the 90s, a 1993 release from Fissionchip Software that came bundled on one of those MS-DOS Classic Games collections. It was a time when a lot of developers were experimenting with mixing genres, and this one definitely stood out for its sheer ambition on a limited platform.

You control Dancis Frake, a space pirate who spends as much time in sword fights in dusty taverns as he does piloting through asteroid fields. The main goal is to track down a mysterious crystal, which involves exploring planets screen by screen, talking to characters for clues, and engaging in real-time combat with a basic sword swing. The game shifts perspectives frequently, from top-down exploration to side-scrolling shooter segments, and the difficulty can be unforgiving due to some clunky controls. It feels like a strange, earnest project that never quite smooths out its rough edges, but there's a charm in its unpredictability.

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".