StarLancer (2000)
Genres:Simulator
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:Starlancer is a space-based science fiction flight simulator computer game, created by Erin Roberts, Chris Roberts, and Warthog PLC under the auspices of Digital Anvil.
It is the year 2160. Mankind has colonized the solar system and two political entities have emerged: the Alliance consisting of American, Australian, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, British and German forces, and The Coalition of Russian, Chinese and Middle-Eastern interests. The game begins with a surprise attack on Fort Kennedy, where a peace treaty turns into a bloodbath: all of the inner four planets are overrun, including Terra herself, and the Italian and French fleets are utterly lost. The Alliance fleet regroups at Triton, Neptune's moon, and attempts to regain lost territory. The player takes the role of a rookie pilot in the international 45th Volunteers squadron, under the command of Captain Robert Foster and Wing Commander Maria Enriquez, aboard the re-commissioned British carrier ANS Reliant.
As with Wing Commander: Prophecy, the pilot's flying ability is the only meter by which success and failure is measured, though Starlancer does not feature as many branching mission paths. As in Wing Commander I the pilot may be promoted throughout the course of the campaign; unlike WCI, their rank determines which fighters and missiles they may choose to employ during each mission. The game provides a "virtual carrier" through which to navigate, including nearby crewmembers whose reaction to you depends on your current rank and standing. However, the true gem of the game lies in its textual and video news broadcasts, which keep the player informed as to the status of the rest of the war, which seems to be progressing just over the horizon. Players frequently find themselves flying alongside squadrons and pilots they have heard about on the news just recently, providing a dose of 'celebrity exposure' and also increasing the sensation that they are just one part of a much larger war effort.
Starlancer's story is continued in Chris Roberts' Freelancer project, though the two belong to different subgenres (the first is purely focused on action, the latter also features trading and the player can freely move through the game's universe when they are not on a mission.)Show more
Vote to bring this game to GOG and help preserve it.9 657
A game that is forever lodged in my memory
Somewhere between Top Gun and Star Wars, Starlancer just hit differently when compared to Wing Commander and Freelancer
Not all aspects of the game have aged very well, however the gameplay, mission design and ambiance have only gotten better with age.
Prequel of Freelancer
Also the best space-sim played with a joystick. You can give orders to wingmen during battles when needed. And for a military game, each mission is unique and follow a story
I was a huge fan of space sims as a kid, with the Wing Commander and Freespace series being one of my favorite series of all time, and StarLancer has a special place in my heart as well.
I think it's the mechanical design that stole my heart, seeing as my hobby as a kid (other than games, duh) was reading about military equipment. The in-game factions' ships all had a distinct vibe to them, and I loved how they recycled some real-life fighter names like Mirage or Tempest.
It was also refreshing to play a space sim which emulated a real-life East vs West human vs human conflict. Overall, for 17-year-old me it struck me as a mature game, and quite unlke any other of the genre, and I can't wait to play it again sometime.
This was the first game I ever played, sitting on my dads lap as a very young child. Forever lodged firmly in my heart, I've wanted to go back to it year after year but find myself discouraged by the technical issues of getting it running properly. It's a gem from its era, and deserves to be experienced by more people!
I've played through this game a hundred times. I even flew through the wormhole once and tried to kill everything I could. The beginning is depressing and you grow fond of your first carrier ship. You indirectly rise in rank and can "compete" with the AI based on kills. Go Flying Tigers Go
Real fan of this game, love the missions and dogfighting. I actually prefer this over freelancer because of the more narrative based missions.
I always found it hilarious when you manage to kill the Badie while they were monologuing.
This was the first Space Sim that I ever played on our first PC that we ever bought called an Acer Aspire 5120LK. It then got me play other games like Wing Commander 1-4 and Prophecy, Decent Freespace, and Freespace 2, and then Freelancer.
One of the very first PC games I've ever play. Trying to connect to Gamespy and PVP and getting destroy because I freaking suck. Man, I miss it. The story is freaking cool too! Going from some random volunteers with no chance of getting anywhere to being top dogs is an awesome story play. I hope GOG picks this one up.
I love Freespace 1 and 2, but this game has a special place in my memories of the space sim genre that nothing else quite fits into. I would not call it better than Freespace, but that's also not an apples to apples comparison. Freelancer occupied a unique niche among the space sims that was incredibly fun and absolutely deserves preservation.
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