You have been looking for it for years but with no luck because you did not remember the name.
That obscure game that escapes your clutches.
And after years in a flea market at 1€ there it is, still packed with its original Starforce DRM, you buy it hoping that the latest dvd player in your house still works, you are looking for a crack because on your most recent computer there is no DVD player (and starforce doesn't work on windows 10 anyway so you need a fix).
And finally it starts!
What a pleasure!
For me this game was Chrome SpecForce and the day I found it is today.
Has it happened to you too?

Stellar Explorer The Drosi Encounter (1991). Almost like a 2D top-down Shareware "Budget Alien Breed meets Discount System Shock" game but more adventure, exploration and story than action. For years I couldn't remember the name, but rediscovered it a while ago. One of the lesser known shareware titles that I enjoyed in ye olde DOS era.