Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers is a 1991 graphic adventure game created by Sierra On-Line. It is the fourth game in the Space Quest series. The game was first released on floppy disks in March 1991 and later released on CD-ROM in December 1992, which included full speech support. A version for the Atari ST was announced in Sierra Online’s magazine, Sierra News Magazine, but was canceled. In the game, players take the role of Roger Wilco, who travels through time and space to stop an old enemy trying to get revenge.
The game used 256-color hand-painted graphics, motion capture animation, and a new point-and-click interface instead of a text parser system. The game cost more to make than earlier titles in the series but was a commercial success. Critics gave it good reviews for its humor, voice actors, and presentation. A sequel, Space Quest V, was released in 1993.
Gameplay
Space Quest IV uses a point-and-click interface, similar to the one used in King's Quest V. Players can use this interface to interact with objects by examining them, talking to them, picking them up, or tasting and smelling them (the last two actions are mostly for humor). Objects in the player's inventory can be examined and used in the game environment. Like other Sierra games and earlier Space Quest titles, players must respond quickly to dangerous situations to avoid losing the game.
Scott Murphy wanted to keep the original text-based interface in Space Quest IV, thinking it made the game more interesting. During development, he and his co-designer, Mark Crowe, were asked by president Ken Williams and creative director Bill Davis to consider switching to a point-and-click system. Although they preferred the text-based interface, the company's management decided to use a point-and-click system instead, following their plan to use the same interface in all their newer games.
Ms. Astro Chicken: Flight of the Pullet is a video game found inside the Latex Babes of Estros section of the game, located in a mall arcade. It is a follow-up to Astro Chicken, an arcade game that appeared in Space Quest III. The game's name is a joke based on the real arcade game Ms. Pac-Man. The music in the game is based on the Chicken Reel, a traditional folk song often heard in cartoons.
In the game, the player controls a flying chicken. The chicken's enemies include flying squirrels, windmills, hunters with shotguns, and hunting dogs. Dropping eggs on enemies stops them and gives the player more points. After playing the game for a while, the arcade cabinet explodes, but this event does not affect the player or the main game.
Plot
Space Quest IV is set in a universe that copies elements from famous science-fiction stories. The game's story plays with its own numbering system by including time-travel. Players control Roger Wilco, a janitor who has completed three previous adventures and is trying to return home. Instead, he finds himself traveling between the past and future to stop a new threat.
After the events of Space Quest III, Roger is traveling back to his home planet, Xenon, on the ship Aluminum Mallard. He stops at a bar to share his past adventures with customers when two androids approach him. They reveal they work for Sludge Vohaul, the villain from Space Quest II, who has returned in the future and wants revenge. Before the androids can harm him, two soldiers rescue Roger. One soldier opens a time rift and tells Roger to escape through it. Roger travels through the rift and arrives on Xenon in the near future, where the planet has been destroyed by a disaster (the game calls this event Space Quest XII: Vohaul's Revenge II).
Exploring the ruins of Xenon's main city, Roger finds a recording that explains Xenon built an AI supercomputer to manage the planet. However, the supercomputer was infected with a virus containing Sludge Vohaul's digitized mind, which led to war against the planet's people. Most were killed or enslaved. Determined to stop Vohaul, Roger steals a time-travel ship and journeys back in time. He arrives on Planet Estros during an event called Space Quest X: Latex Babes of Estros (a parody of the game Leather Goddesses of Phobos). There, he meets his future ex-girlfriend. After rescuing her, he joins her on a shopping trip to gather supplies for his mission.
Later, Vohaul's androids track Roger down, but Roger outsmarts them and steals their time-travel ship. He travels to other locations, including a return to Space Quest I, to collect more items. Eventually, he returns to Xenon and infiltrates Vohaul's base. There, Roger discovers the soldier who rescued him earlier is actually his son from the future, who has been captured by Vohaul. Roger resets the supercomputer and confronts Vohaul. He defeats him, rescues his son, and frees Xenon. Roger then asks his son about his future. His son shares limited details, including information about the woman Roger will marry. Roger learns he will not remember much of this adventure. He says goodbye to his son and returns to the present.
Reception
By March 1996, the Space Quest series sold more than 1.2 million copies. In 1991, Dragon magazine gave the game 5 out of 5 stars. In 1992, they also gave the Macintosh version of the game 5 out of 5 stars. In 1993, Computer Gaming World’s Charles Ardai said the CD-ROM version of the game made the game’s best parts even better. He noted that the voice actors did a much better job than in King’s Quest V. Ardai also said the CD-ROM version did not change how short the gameplay was, but he added that while there are better adventure games than Space Quest IV, few are as entertaining. He said few games improved as much when moving to CD-ROM. He concluded that Space Quest IV is the perfect multimedia game because it looks and sounds great and offers an experience that could not be found in a floppy-based game. In April 1994, the magazine said the CD version’s voices helped bring Roger Wilco’s humorous world to life, calling it one of his finest and funniest adventures.
In February 1992, Jim Trunzo reviewed Space Quest IV in White Wolf #30, giving it a 4 out of 5 rating. He said the game’s humor hides the serious conflict between good and bad characters. He noted that the game’s futuristic graphics work well with its simple gameplay, making it a successful sequel.
The Amiga version of the game was not as well received as the original PC version. Some reviewers said the conversion to Amiga had poor quality, and some Amiga magazines gave the game a score as low as 19%.
In 1996, Computer Gaming World named Space Quest IV the funniest game ever made. The editors said the game used Gary Owens’ voice to change common sci-fi time-travel ideas, creating the perfect comedic contrast.
In 2011, Adventure Gamers ranked Space Quest IV as the 48th-best adventure game ever released.