Dark Side is the second Freescape game from Major Developments and was published by Incentive Software (Microprose in the US).
Freescape was one of the earliest (if not THE earliest) 3D game engine and was used to make a series of significant games in the mid Eighties.
The Commodore 64 version of Incentive‘s classic Driller is surprisingly good, considering that the machine isn’t particularly suited to this kind of game.
American publisher Epyx released UK hit game Driller onto US PC markets under the title of Space Station Oblivion in 1988.
There was no need for a title change really. Driller says it all.
Driller and Freescape started life on the ZX Spectrum in 1987 – performing miracles on Sir Clive’s humble little machine. Creating 3D worlds where previously there were none…
And, being more than just a graphics engine, Freescape (and Driller) lived on into the 16-bit realm, and beyond.
Driller first appeared on the ZX Spectrum in 1987. This version is where it all began.
Driller‘s engine – called Freescape – was to go down in history as one of the first to make 3D gaming a real possibility.
Driller was the very first Freescape game. A very important game for its time. It first came out in 1987.
It was one of the first ever games that allowed you to explore a full 3D environment, and Freescape was the engine that made it possible.
Dark Side is the 1988 sequel to Driller is a very early example of a first-person, full 3D, explorable world, that can be viewed from almost any angle.
The game engine – Freescape – has gone on to become famous as one of the earliest examples of its type, and one that was hugely influential on every 3D exploration game that followed.
The King of Grabs 