I recently got this on Steam as part of a package deal with all the Wing Commander games, but I had previously bought this game when it firstI recently got this on Steam as part of a package deal with all the Wing Commander games, but I had previously bought this game when it first came out; in fact I can distinctly remember it was only the second PC game I had ever purchased in my life.
I of course did my best to remove the nostalgia goggles, but this game still holds up! It's one of those hidden treasures that never really got any attention, IMO. You know how these days so many video games feel like you are "playing in a movie"? Well for me this was one of the first games to ever give me that feeling.
The cinematic cutscenes use real actors in a real film, including several appearances by Mark Hamill and Thomas F. Wilson (the guy who played "Biff" from back to the future) along with other unknowns. Granted they aren't all Oscar performances, but hey, it's a video game and the acting, directing and storytelling is all pretty good - a lot better than alot of Hollywood flops you see out there.
The gameplay is fun and addicting just like all Wing Commander games, and CHALLENGING! The default difficulty level will kick your ass! Some of the missions feel rinse-and-repeatish of course, as it is a pretty old game. But the system still works for some very fun and addicting arcade-style action tied together with a good story.
Another interesting feature which was relatively novel at its time was how your success or failure could influence the story - don't want to spoil, but there are times when you can save yourself by ejecting and abandoning your mission. This of course incurs the ire of your commanders and can have consequences for the story. Also your fellow wingmen can die, which also has consequences: for one thing, they'll "stay dead" and show up as KIA on the killboard, and you will also get dirty looks in the game's movie from others.
I was going to give it a 10 but then removes my nostalgia goggles at the last second to drop it down to a 9, simply because it is dated and the combat can feel frustrating and repetitive sometimes during certain missions. Like I said, it's very much in the style of an old arcade game where you point and shoot. However many of the missions have specific goals and aren't just mindless shooters.
Overall great fun, great nostalgia, and IMO still holds up as very fun and fun to watch!… Expand
