STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition

NB version reviewed is the 1995 DOS CD (with voice acting) version. This game is a masterpiece. Along with X-Wing, they set the standard for future space sim games such as X-Wing Alliance, Wing Commander Prophecy and Descent Freespace. The story is a most exquisite space opera. The gameplay is enjoyable, and challenging - often like solving a puzzle, where the puzzle is where to be and what to shoot to complete your objectives. (The difficulty is somewhat more fair than X-Wing too!) The event driven iMuse music matches in-game events closely, and in combination with the in-flight voice-acted dialogue improves the immersion into this fantasy galaxy. Few games induce tremors or cause me to sweat because, after playing a mission 10 times, you are further than you ever got before. Such are the emotions that Tie Fighter induces. Alongside the main story arc are bonus objectives that the Secret Order (mysterious cult under direct command of the Emperor) ask you to complete - adding an extra layer of challenge. Despite its age, the 1995 version looks acceptable in 640 * 480 graphics resolution. Only a few nit-picking critisms: I personally would have preferred more missions depicting the struggling factions as portrayed in the films (but this is a matter of taste). Sometimes missions were difficult to beat - but then this game was made in an era that really made you work to make progress - completing certain missions was a real achievement. Unfortunately you cannot assign wingment to defend targets - only attack. (Perhaps a feature rather than a flaw?) If an Advanced Concussion Missile is fired at you, it is *very* difficult to shoot down! Beware. It has been an enjoyable two years (playing on-and-off) playing Tie Fighter. Let's hope that the resurgence in the popularity of the Star Wars films will lead this game series to be revived!

This review is being written by an 18-year-old Star Wars fanatic who never got to experience this game back in its heyday, so it's entirely unaffected by the rose-tinted lenses of nostalgia. I grew up on Star Wars. As a kid, I watched 4, 5, and 6 obsessively (to this day I'm enamored with The Empire Strikes Back), and the third game I bought on my Gamecube way back in 2005 was Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike. I loved the idea of piloting the ships in Star Wars, and Rebel Strike was the closest I could come for a long, long time. I had long heard whispers of three seemingly mythical games; X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and X-Wing vs TIE Fighter, the ultimate in Star Wars space combat. Never once did I see it available for sale in stores, though, and for a time it slipped from my mind as my attention shifted to Metal Gear, Mechwarrior, and other series. Then, about three years ago, I was reminded of this game after purchasing Freespace 2 (one of my earliest GOG purchases). Still unable to buy a copy anywhere, I borrowed the TIE 95 CD from my uncle, and after some finessing, managed to make it work on Windows 7. I was blown away. Everything is fantastically detailed, from the beautifully recreated cockpits to the 3D models of the ships in flight, and the flight model is involved but intuitive. It controls wonderfully with my Logitech Extreme 3D Pro stick, and although a number of critical functions are mapped to some oddly widespread keyboard keys, are simple enough to remember with a little practice. Meanwhile, balancing power between engines, lasers, and (in certain craft) shields while trying to shoot down Rebel scum and not get vaporized quickly became a major timesink for me. And now, it is here. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined I'd see this game for sale. I purchased this and X-Wing, and they both run flawlessly on my Windows 7 x64 machine. They even managed to fix the bizarre rainbow of colors I'd get in the menus! Definitely worth the price tag. Buy it.

You play imperial fighters (or "gunships") in epic (!!!) 3d space battles. No joystick required, I did it all with a ball-mouse back in the day. The story felt really immersive when I first played it but the clear focus is on the very thoughtfully designed levels and the action they provide. There are really a lot of available ships to play, some choice of armament (different missiles and some special weapons) and the action is challenging. The graphics is absolutely amazing - for a game more than 25 years old... Hey, I played the predecessor "X-Wing" before and absolutely loved the looks of Tie Fighter! My last playthrough was in 2015 and it did not feel any old. Go get it, it costs less than a burger and is easily 60+ of fun (and more if you want every bonus goal).

This is, quite simply, the best space combat sim of all time, and that's not a statement I make lightly. This game is set in the classic Star Wars trilogy, which depicts the struggle of a rebel uprising against a totalitarian empire that spans the stars. In this game, you play as an up-an-coming pilot in the Imperial Navy, rising through the ranks by fighting rebels, pirates, insurgent factions, and other ne'er-do-wells. There is a story here, but it's rather light, so it's not worth mentioning. What's truly on display here is the gameplay. The flight engine in this game is just perfect. It's a nice mixture of realism and arcade-style combat that gives you the depth of control of a sim, but the speed and feel of an arcade game. The lasers travel at just the right speed to make hitting foes simple, and missiles travel at an equally ideal pace. Fast enough to hit targets, but slow enough to where you can evade or shoot them down. Aside from that, there is a TON of content. There are thirteen campaigns (or Battles) in this game when both the main game and the expansions are accounted for, comprising about five to six missions each. In addition, you can play through the campaigns in a non-linear fashion, choosing which battles to fight at what time (within limits). This gives the game some flexibility in how you approach it. This doesn't even take into account the secondary and bonus objectives you can do to boost your rank. Finally, the soundtrack. The DOS version of this game has a stellar MIDI soundtrack, enhanced by the IMUSE sound system. It adapts the music to the situation during the battle. New ships will arrive with musical jingles indicating which faction it is, and the soundtrack will change depending on whether you're doing well or poorly. Put simply, it's awesome. You owe it to yourself to check this game out. Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, you can appreciate just how well the game plays and the depth it offers. Buy now.

What? You've not played Tie Fighter? Quick! Use my computer! Now!! Ok, more seriously... This is a very important game. Not only is it really good - but it is one of the most interestingly written and conceived games ever. For a start, it takes the path less travelled, and offered you the chance to do something games still rarely allow. it let you play the 'bad guys'. However, although we all know the Empire is all arch and evil, that was not how the game chose to present them, at least on the face of things. You had to pay attention to see the evil hidden within the day to day operating of a galactic empire. You had missions where you needed to capture rebel 'terrorists', who would then be transported away for interrogation. There were missions where you act as peacekeepers, defending shipping lanes from pirates, only to end up attacking and occupying alien territory in order to 'maintain the peace'. And of course, whilst casually playing, you don't think about the fact you are sending prisoners off for torture or invading and occupying an innocent alien race. You just happily go along with the orders and propaganda of your senior officer. It walked you through how evil can become established, normal, even 'justified'. On top of that, it presented a fascinating series of sub-plots. Through the secretive 'Order of the Emperor', you become a covert operative, spying not just on the enemy, but on your allies as well, hunting out treason within your ranks (officers sympathetic to the Rebels) and quietly eliminating them. For the good of the Empire, of course! Not only was this a deeply thought-provoking game, it was also a well built space sim - a lost art these days. The cinematic missions were well designed, with primary, secondary and even tertiary objectives. Energy management, shunting weapon power to engines, or 'all power to front deflectors', was an essential and engaging skill. As I'm out of room, I'll end. But seriously - buy this now.