A Space-Age Thriller

Return to Sector 9 is one of the top space shooters ever made using Game Maker. It boasts impressive graphics, solid gameplay, and a huge amount of items to unlock like levels, ships, and special attacks. You take control of a ship and must destroy what appear to be aliens that come in clusters from outside the screen. Breakdown:

Graphics:
The graphics are excellent. There is a nice soft look to the lazers that you and your enemies shoot and the explosions are realistic. Everything feels very "space-age" and fits nicely together to make the game's atmosphere truly enjoyable. Why only 5 stars? How could it possibly be better? See Varia.
***** 5/6

Sound:
The music in Return to Sector 9 is great for an endless space shooter. The tunes are catchy and don't get on your nerves, which much game music fails to accomplish. The sound effects are solid and also remain part of the background, not interfering with the game's enjoyment.
***** 5/6

Gameplay:
Shooting aliens is fun, but after a while it can get a bit repetitive. Return to Sector 9 adds some other gameplay aspects to mix things up like the windmill stage, but unfortunately they are not as much fun. Nevertheless, the game redeems itself by being just plain huge. There are many levels and ships to unlock, but they can be done so in different orders, giving the game less linearity. It almost takes on a sort of RPG feel, as everytime you play a level you can upgrade the ship you used. A really well-made gaming experience.
***** 5/6

Story:
There is no plot, although you do feel connected to Pug Fugly's space world. Each ship has a short bio about its history, and each stage has a brief description, giving the game a background setting and story.
*** 3/6

Interface:
Though the controls take a few minutes to get used to, they are overall fluid and easy to use. The menu screens are outstanding and match the space-mission setting perfectly, making you feel as if you are in the command center of a lunar base. Everything about the interface is nothing short of excellence.
****** 6/6

Overall:
Return to Sector 9 looks, plays, and feels like a professional game. There are few weaknesses to the experience and everything in the game is polished to perfection--no glitches whatsoever. While there are tons of levels and ships to unlock, the general gameplay can get a bit repetitive after a while, and the windmill stage doesn't redeem anything unless you are a huge fan of the retro game "Flack Attack". I doubt this fully completed game will be changed though, so don't wait around for a new version. A must play for all gamers!
***** 5/6