The best chapter of an amazing series
Wing Commander IV is the highest point in one of the greatest series in the history of gaming. Everything that made WC wonderful is present and better than ever.
The story in particular is probably the most enticing ever seen in an already splendidly told saga. The war with the Kilrathi is over, but new enemies arise for the Terran Confederation, and Colonel Christopher Blair, now retired, is asked to get back again in the cockpit to ensure peace against the threat of a separatist alliance of planets. But is this the real threat? Or is the Confederation, weakened and blinded after the long and bloody war with the Kilrathi missing its true enemy?
WC4, like its predecessor WC3, is told through a magnificent series of cutscenes shot with real actors. We have Mark Hamill, Tom Wilson and Malcolm McDowell among the "stars", but also a few other important characters like the Captain Eisen from WC3. You may also recognize a great Chris Mulkey (Twin Peaks, among other things) playing the pilot Hawk. Every character is played very well, as WC4 is probably the greatest example of the often discussed 'interactive movie' era of games. The best part of the game, however, remains its plot and the way it unfolds. There is a lot of mystery going on, difficult choices to make and later in the game you also have the choice to decide how the war campaign should going on, e.g. choosing to go on a series of defensive missions rather than going for the assault (I'm speaking generally to avoid spoilers). Compared to WC3, this chapter really makes an effort to make you feel like your choices actually impact the game, you'll see that the replayability is pretty high because even though in the end the main storyline is one, there are a few different approaches towards it, with missions varying a lot based on what you choose.
The only relatively lacking part, like in WC3, is the flight model. Focusing so much on the movie-like experience, the feeling in the cockpit is pretty distant from other space sims like, say, the Freespace saga. The game however is still pretty fun, and reasonably difficult at higher levels.
All in all, Wing Commander IV is an absolute masterpiece, the great ending to a great saga (I'm not counting WC5, which wasn't made by Chris Roberts). Get your popcorns, plug in your joystick, and get ready to find out why "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".
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