Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The immediate hook is choice. Instead of asking you to settle into a single game, The Story So Far: Vol 1 gives you four separate games to try: Battleships, Beyond the Ice Palace, Buggy Boy, and Ikari Warriors. That makes it easy to dip in, change pace, and find the entry that holds your attention.

It is important to judge this as a compilation, not as one unified game. The package does not build momentum from one selection to the next; each title has to earn its own playtime. If one game does not land for you, the collection at least gives you three other chances to find something worth returning to.

That structure is both the strength and the limitation. You get breadth, but not a single focused experience with a developing arc. Buy into the idea of a four-game sampler and it makes sense; go in wanting one substantial, cohesive game and the constant reset between entries may feel thin.

Graphics

The concrete visual promise here is variety by way of four separate games rather than one shared world. Battleships, Beyond the Ice Palace, Buggy Boy, and Ikari Warriors retain their own identities inside the same compilation, so you are not staring at one repeated cast or location across the whole package.

Story

Despite the title, this is not a new story assembled across four chapters. The Story So Far: Vol 1 is a collection, and its “story” is really the selection of games gathered by Elite Systems.

That can be a relief if you want something you can pick up without following a larger plot. There is no need to treat the games as connected or play them in a prescribed order; choose the one that interests you and move on whenever you feel like it.

On the other hand, the name may suggest a stronger through-line than the package offers. The payoff is archival rather than narrative: four titles from the same late-1980s release gathered under one banner.

Overall Experience

The Story So Far: Vol 1 is worthwhile on the strength of its lineup, not because it transforms those games into something new. Four complete selections in one release is a solid proposition if you enjoy switching games frequently and like the specific mix on offer.

Its biggest virtue is that it does not trap you in a bad first impression. Try one game, then another; the collection invites comparison and casual revisits more than a single all-consuming session. That is a good fit for retro sessions where you want options close at hand.

I would recommend it to gamers who want an Elite Systems compilation and recognize at least a couple of these titles. Everyone else should treat the names as the deciding factor. There is a follow-up in the series, The Story So Far: Vol 2, but Vol 1 stands or falls on whether its four-game roster already appeals to you.

Retro Replay Score

6/10