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Light of Altair (PC)

Light of Altair is a sci-fi colony building game with a deep plot. Grow colonies from landing pod to metropolis, while s more »ending off new spaceships to expand your territory to other worlds. You are not alone in space, 8 factions from different parts of the world are all following their own agendas in the solar system; diplomacy and orbital-combat are essential to learn.Light of Altair is based on a custom built 3D engine that enables easy zooming from galaxies all the way down to individual moons and asteroids covered in the colonies with their glass domes, mines and launch pads. Advanced shader technology is used to add rich details and lighting to surfaces. * Build colonies on planets and asteroids throughout a system. * Manage industries and colonists to grow from a tiny landing unit into a towering city. * Detailed storyline based on a future-history of Earth. * Rich single player campaign traced across the galaxy. * Play out important plot events from different sides taking on the role of one of 8 different factions. * Detailed tech-tree with over 30 weapons, buildings, and ship-mods to discover. * Design ships: Pick a ship schematic and equip weapons, armour and mods to hardpoints. Then command shipyards to build a fleet from the design. « less

SpaceStation Sim (PC)

SpaceStationSim puts the player in the middle of the action at NASA, controlling the International Space Station, making more » both long-term strategic decisions as well as short-term moment-to-moment mission critical decisions. It provides entertaining game play based on management of resources, project planning, and research and development. It lets the player control individual Astronaut characters (Pilots, Mission Specialists, Scientists, and Engineers) each with their own unique abilities and personalities. It does so with a real-time simulation that cleverly incorporates the first non-tile based 3-D engine, and is based on a design intended to appeal to a wide range of ages and both sexes. Stealth Training encourages the player to enhance his/her skill through free discovery of the science and psychology of life in space. « less

Star Wars: Tie Fighter (PC)

Space flight simulators began to boom in the late '80s and early '90s, but LucasArts arguably stole the crown with its 1 more »994 space hit, TIE Fighter. A sequel to the well received X-Wing, this follow-up enlisted players into the galactic Empire and assigned them missions to help suppress the mutinous Rebel uprising. Playing the devil's advocate was -- and still is -- a brilliant spin on the Star Wars universe, and TIE Fighter's improved flight mechanics, combat, missions, and lengthy, involved storyline still rank it very highly among the best of the very best games ever created. « less

• 2 reviews

Freespace 2 (PC)

The drama of the award-winning space-combat simulation of '98 continues in Freespace 2, featuring massive juggernaut war more »ships, jaw-dropping visual effects, and white-knuckle dogfight action. Explore a vast, enigmatic nebula and battle a mysterious adversary to determine the fate of humanity. The year is 2367. Thirty-two years have passed since the Great War. The only jump node to Sol collapsed long ago, isolating Earth from the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance (GTVA), a new government uniting old enemies. As the Terrans and Vasudans struggle to rebuild their civilizations, civil war erupts in the Polaris system. A rogue Terran admiral declares war against the Vasudans, and his rebellion threatens the stability of the Alliance. Without warning, the Shivans return, and the GTVA launches a crusade to eliminate their Great War nemesis. Once again, the Alliance must crush the Shivan onslaught or face annihilation. « less

• 2 reviews

Freelancer (PC)

In the open-ended space action/adventure game Freelancer you play a ne'er-do-well with a lucky streak, one of two surviv more »ors of a space disaster. Penniless and shipless, you venture around a space dock until you find a ship and a job. You'll encounter a heady mix of canned missions that follow one main quest, and a million opportunities to make money or aggravate the various factions that co-exist in the universe. Like an online role-playing game, or Bethesda's Morrowind, you determine who your enemies are and who your friends are by your own actions, and, in another nod to role-playing, you can customize your ship with guns, rockets, and equipment just as you would customize a RPG character with swords, bows, and magic items. Best of all, you can play cooperatively with friends or fight it out with enemies online. The backstory posits a future where various countries, divided by both nationality and, seemingly, race, have boarded massive colony ships and ventured into a wormhole that appeared within reach of our crude space technology. They found themselves in a galaxy far, far away and they got stuck there when the wormhole collapsed. They quickly colonized new home worlds and named everything with familiar locales that make navigation a breeze. In the American sectors you'll feel at home entering the New York system and landing at a spaceport called Manhattan, for example. While contrived, this device is used beautifully and it's far better than having to memorize a bunch of sci-fi names and remembering where they are, perfect for a massive universe such as this one. Though Freelancer is set in space, it is technically not a space simulation. The game was designed to be accessible to casual gamers. For example, Freelancer makes you use the mouse for ship control. This is quite a shift for a game genre normally known to require joystick control. But even old-school Wing Commander or X-Wing fans may find that the sacrifice of verisimilitude is made up for with gains in agility. The mouse controls your guns, while you use the keyboard to maneuver around the rich universe that developer Digital Anvil has constructed. Much like a first-person shooter, you can dodge and weave while precisely blasting your enemies. Despite the game's age, its graphics are spectacular, as is the sound and voice acting, and in that way, fighting and trading with friends or alone, Freelancer proves worth the wait. Just keep in mind that it is explicitly not a hardcore space simulation, and you'll have to leave your joystick on the shelf. --Andrew S. Bub Pros: A deep and interesting universe Game adjusts to your choices and affiliations Innovative and addictive co-op multiplayer It looks like a space sim but plays like a RPG Cons: Joystick isn't even an option It looks like a space sim but plays like a RPG « less

• 5 reviews

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (N64)

It is a time soon after the destruction of the first Death Star. Luke Skywalker has formed a squadron of hot-shot pilots more » to engage the still-formidable Imperial forces. You, as Luke, must lead this rogue squadron in a series of galaxy-spanning raids and rescues. To complete all your missions, you'll need good flying skills, fast reflexes, a keen eye, and a quick trigger finger. You get to fly all your favorite ships: The X-wing, Y-wing, snowspeeder--even the Millennium Falcon. There are also some "secret" ships, such as the sleek Naboo Starfighterfrom Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace, a TIE interceptor, and, um, a '78 Buick. The flight simulation in this game is first-rate. You'll find yourself leaning to the side as you pull a high-G turn in pursuit of Imperial TIE fighters. And the outstanding graphics and sounds are realistic enough to transport you to the Star Wars universe. Every detail is in place, right down to the individual Stormtroopers you can see running around (and trying to shoot you). One of the more impressive sequences lets you bring down Imperial Walkers by using the tow cables on your snowspeeder. Nice touch. This is a single-player game, but you start each mission with a few wingmen from your squadron, and the well-done spoken dialogue between pilots and commanders really makes you feel like part of a team. The only significant shortcoming is the lack of a cooperative multiplayer option. With its excellent gameplay, varied environments, and interesting missions, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is sure to become a long-time favorite. --Eric Fredrickson Pros: Faithful to lots of Star Wars details Satisfying flight action, explosions, sound effects Interesting missions and plot See--and fight over--the Spice mines of Kessel and other famous Star Wars planets Cons: For some reason, you can only fly clockwise when bringing down a Walker No "easy" setting for those without The Force Voices of Luke, Wedge, and Han don't sound like the real thing « less

• 2 reviews

Star Wars: X-Wing (PC)

The story that drives the missions is linear, and consists of three campaigns of varying length. Interaction with other more »pilots occurs within the missions as players are able to issue wingman commands to the AI pilots. Progress through the game depends on fulfilling each mission's primary objectives. Failure on a mission results in one of three outcomes: death, capture or retry.Players assume the role of a Rebel pilot (implied to be Keyan Farlander) during the spaceflight actions of the Rebellion before and during the Battle of Yavin. « less

• 1 review

Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (PS2)

The galaxy is in turmoil as the events of Star Wars: Episode II rapidly approach. Mace Windu dispatches one of the Counc more »il's top Jedi, Adi Gallia, to investigate disturbances in the Karthakk system caused by a secessionist movement that threatens to expand. Using the Republic's new prototype Jedi starfighter, Gallia sets out on missions that lead to events depicted in the Star Wars: Episode II film. She quickly gains an upper hand in space battles using her Force powers, but will these be enough to counter the massive fleet of the evil Captain Toth and a mysterious figure that threatens the very foundations of the Galactic Republic system? « less

Starlancer (PC)

StarLancer recruits space fighter pilots into the 45th Volunteers, a ragtag group of U.S.-led Western Alliance freedom f more »ighters tossed into the war against Russia's Eastern Coalition. It's the cold war in space. This is the first game by Digital Anvil, the company formed by legendary game designers Chris and Erin Roberts of Wing Commander, Privateer, and Strike Commander fame. It's no surprise that StarLancer's gameplay follows standards set by its classic predecessor and obvious inspiration, Wing Commander. Players are briefed on the tactical situation of the upcoming mission, then choose a fighter and ordnance. Only a few playable ships are offered at the outset; mission performance determines how quickly you earn access to more powerful fighters. StarLancer's ships are well balanced: some are fast and lightly armored, while others carry powerful weaponry but can't keep up with an agile foe. But while the ships are cool, they lack the customizing features found in FreeSpace 2 and Tachyon: The Fringe. You're able to equip particular missiles and add additional afterburner fuel, but you can't customize gun weaponry or add upgrades or special features. StarLancer's mission design is certainly its best feature. Mission goals often change on the fly, and frequent pilot chatter immerses players into the game's war atmosphere. Decisions made during missions can drastically alter later missions. For instance, if you fail to eliminate an enemy battleship early in the game you'll face a tough fight in a later mission when the enemy reinforces its front lines with that same battleship. Though offering nothing really new to the space combat genre, StarLancer's crisp 3-D engine, frenetic combat action, and complex missions make enlisting worthwhile. --Doug Radcliffe Pros: Keeps you on your toes by switching objectives midmission Missions feature multiple paths to victory and failure Stellar multiplayer support with deathmatch, team, and cooperative play Excellent musical score Cons: Inability to fully customize ships Visually pleasing, but it doesn't exceed standards set by FreeSpace 2 « less

Silpheed: The Lost Planet (PS2)

In the distant future, a plague of parasitic monsters is sweeping across the known universe; devouring all the resources more » in its path -- including the distant outposts humanity calls home. The only chance for mankind's survival is a top-secret starship class known as Silpheed and the hyper-skilled pilots at the controls. And so begins the premise of Silpheed: The Lost Planet, a co-development shooting project between Game Arts and Treasure that remakes the early '90s PC shooter of the same name. Features include a large variety of enemy types, multiple weapon upgrades, and polygonal graphics. As an added bonus, Working Designs has removed the slowdown and added analog control for the American version of the game. « less