Continuum

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffOctober 9, 2015Originally developed for the now-defunct Virgin Interactive, this fiendishly difficult online space shooter is now completely free. You begin Continuum (formerly Subspace) by creating a profile, selecting a ship, and entering a zone, each of which has a different map and different rules. The basic object is to rocket around the scrolling 2D space collecting power-ups, upgrading your ship, and blasting your opponents, though many servers play variants that include Capture The Flag and Powerball. Newbies beware: zero-gravity physics, nonconfigurable controls, and merciless veteran players make Continuum's learning curve very steep. Getting the game to run was no picnic either. It crashed our Windows XP test machine so badly we had to reboot, though it ran fine on Windows 2000--well enough for us to curse the lack of a decent help file. The sounds and graphics are fine for a freebie, but the unfriendly interface makes it far too easy to accidentally enter communications mode, leaving you helplessly typing nonsense letters as your opponent swoops in for the kill. We wanted to enjoy Continuum, but frankly we found the whole experience more frustrating than fun.