Cruise Chaser Blassty

About

Cruise Chaser Blassty is a sci-fi role-playing game where you navigate a war between Earth's ruling Commune and Martian rebels. You lead a group of young recruits, managing resources and piloting transformable fighters that switch between sleek ships and hulking robot forms. Tactical choices matter as you juggle missions, upgrades, and alliances. The game’s branching path lets you determine victory for either side, affecting the final outcome of the conflict. Developed by Square in 1986, this was the studio’s first RPG and a notable early experiment in player agency. Its blend of strategic combat and narrative choice stood out for the time, with a clear influence from mecha and space opera tropes. Though limited to obscure late-80s platforms, it holds a cult reputation among retro gaming circles for paving the way for later Square titles.

Storyline

The game's story focuses on a group of young people from Earth caught up in a war between a group of rebels and a government controlling the solar system. The game is set in the future, where the majority of humanity is ruled by a group, called the Commune, that lives in a giant space station named Ondina orbiting the Earth, which oversees the development and expansion of humanity throughout the solar system. A group of rebels called the Inverse, based on Mars, are rebelling against what they see as an oppressive government The primary weapons in the fight are space fighters called Cruise Chasers, which can transform into giant robots using the "Blassty" system; other types of space fighters are also used. The player may choose whether the Inverse or the Commune win, giving the game two different endings.