Independence War: The Starship Simulator

The Good
It's an intriguing idea - command a corvette-sized space vessel through a series of 'X-Wing' esque missions - and the graphics, although three years old, are still very attractive. Space is a wash of colours, and the sequences in which you zoom through asteroid fields are alarming. The attempt at making accurate, but playable space physics is commendably effective, much better than the ultra-anal 'Frontier'.

The Bad
On the other hand, it doesn't really gel. Your corvette flies like a bulkier Y-wing, and it only has one gun, so you don't get the impression you're in charge of a death-dealing arsenal. You can switch between multiple command stations, but there's no real point in doing so. The gameplay itself falls down hardest - space combat is a jousting match, in which the slightest damage results in you drifting off, out of control. The missions are very tightly scripted, too, and you get the feeling that you're just a cog in a giant FMV. Maybe as a 'Frontier'-style epic space trading game it would have worked better.

As for FMV, this was probably the most extravagant use of an intro movie ever. The entire first disc contains a long, dull sci-fi epic that most people will skip past after the first thirty seconds, and never see again.

The Bottom Line
An interesting idea marred by ill-thought-out execution.