Independence War™ Deluxe

Unfortunately, a bug on modern machines prevents damage from registering properly. This renders the game nearly unplayable. Not recommended unless you can fix it.

I'm giving this 3 stars for now. I've been playing it for a few hours, and I'm a complete newb being introduced to this game for the first time. Be prepared to read the manual and take notes because this game will not go easy on you just because you're learning. The difficulty ramps up very quickly. Although I have to say I find the experience quite fulfilling. A few optional tutorial missions that teach you the commands would have gone a long way. Instead I alt-tabbed out of the game. That being said, I have a feeling I'm on to something special and I'll be returning to it before long. Inertia and momentum are things I'm not accustomed to dealing with, and it definitely adds the need to keep an eye on one's acceleration. If you pick up too much speed, you'll end up swerving into space trying to get your momentum going the direction you need. It's interesting, and you'll have to just get the hang of it. If you're a fan of space shooters, definitely pick it up.

If you've played Independence War 2 then throw it out the window. This is nothing like it....it is MUCH more. This is a true space sim. Not your plain old first person dogfighter. As in IWar 1, this is mission based. It includes the first game but even better, it has the Indie campaign with it. Play the good guys..or the bad guys depending on who's side you fall into. I War 1 is still one of my all time favorites. This is more of the same...and that's a good thing. No, a great thing! Also it has THE best intro movie ever. A full 10 minute CGI master piece. Clay is da man. You'll fly missions given to you by the higher ups. Each one can be anything from investigating a signal to saving a ship being attacked to making first contact with an alien race. All the while you are treated to some wonderful graphics. Well for their time anyways. Back then on a 3DFX card your eyes would bug out it was so beautiful. Chase a ship in front of you and blow it into atoms. Then while still flying forward you flip your entire ship over and fire on the ship that has been chasing you this whole time. BOOM! Debris everywhere. Don't pass this one up if you are a sci-fi space fan. Can't wait to get back on the bridge.

Played this game as it first came out and got it the second I saw it on GoG. It is bar non the best (if not the only) Space-Sim ever made. The only Space-Sim you may ask? Yes... only Space-Sim that takes the "sim" part of the equation actually seriously. Ever single system and weapon is well thought out and part of a vision of future warfare that is complex and consistent. Combat is not just a matter of reflexes (although that will get you by at the start), but a complex rewarding experience that is a sheer joy to master. And if that wasn't already enough to win anyone over... I-War features a wonderfully detailed, complex plot offering real choices and actual branches that lead to completely different missions and different outcomes. This is no mere "select this or that ending" final mission like we are used from current games either... nope, your choice can lead to a whole slew of different missions (and a completely different plot) way before the actual ending. If you want to see what potential the Space-Sim genre really has... I-War schools the competition in every aspect, be it combat, complex gameplay or world building and plot... this game has it all and excels at it like nothing else that has come out in the meantime.

I-War is easily one of the finest, most innovative space simulators ever created. It's been on my top-10 lists ever since I beat it. However, be prepared for getting into I-War to take a while. Simply, if you're prepared to deal with a near vertical learning curve, you will be rewarded. You will need to learn a new skill to fully master commanding a Dreadnaught class corvette, from piloting and gunnery to managing your power levels and repair teams. Handling all these different aspects is what makes I-War different from all the other space sims out there. The first time you hit F3 to bring up the gunnery controls and see your ship as a wireframe weapons platform, you'll realize this ain't no WWII flight sim with stars. Above all else, piloting the Dreadnaught is a real pleasure. The bulk of the ship is fully rendered as more than just graphics: you will FEEL physics working on you at all times. If you're not sure what players mean when they talk about the Newtonian physics in I-War, it's basically like driving on ice in three dimensions. After beating the game you sadly will not be qualified to operate actual spacecraft, but the ability to handle slippery curves in n-space is transferrable to the real world (more than once have I been reminded of I-War when negotiating tricky winter streets in my old Volvo station wagon). The story is a unique and multifaceted take on the usual space opera. Politics mostly take a backseat to a vast conspiracy that will put you in all sorts of unbelievable situations. Here's where the core point of I-War comes up. If there's a difficult challenge at the end of a mission and you screw up, you will be playing the whole mission over again. If you find yourself getting frenzied, I advise taking a break and coming back in a bit. The epic frustration transforms into an epic feeling of accomplishment when you finally figure out The Trick to whatever mission you're stuck on. Sometimes there's one very simple task that isn't immediately apparent, sometimes you have to perfect a difficult maneuver. Missions like Morgan and Metallake will frustrate you, but if you persevere you will feel satisfied. Sometimes bugs will intervene (for good or ill), so you'll need to keep your wits about you. Surprisingly, the game acknowledges this difficulty. Your banter with the ship's computer can be seen as critical to the trend of handholding in games these days. Be assured: when you get your crew out to darkest space, you will not get to drop your milk and cookies and push a button to make the Captain-O-Matic pop out and solve all your problems. Make sure you play the game on Simulator mode, as Arcade was an afterthought implemented only later by Particle when Infogrames got a hold of the game and realized how hard it was to play. As other reviewers have mentioned, you will need a joystick with a throttle and a four-way hat switch to get the full experience. If you overcome the numerous challenges and make it to the end, prepare to be welcomed by a group of old salty dogs who reminisce on those days when we were captains of the mighty Dreadnaught. An exclusive club to be sure, but if you're into space sims, there's no better crew to fly with.