Very detailed and informative post as always! This is how video game journalism should be done.

You’ve convinced me to give Death Standing another go. I bounced off of it 30 minutes in after the 20th minute of cut scenes but there seems to be more juice to it further in so I’ll power through another hour or two and see if I can’t find the hooks!

Star Control 2 - it’s a mix of RPG storytelling with zany aliens mixed with Asteroids style PvP arcade gameplay. Like Ham and Cantaloupe, you think the combination wouldn’t work but it just somehow does. The writing and lore of the whole universe is just super rich and really immerses you into the whole universe.