STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition

During the heyday of space combat sims, X-Wing and Tie Fighter were the pinnacle. After the genre was built by games like Wing Commander but before it was diluted by the era of FMV, these titles are the best of the best. Perfectly responsive and easy to use controls, perfect sound effects, an amazing engaging story... I could go on and on but they all lead to what is possibly the best Star Wars experience in any video game even to this day. Dust off your joystick and break out your wallet. These are a must-buy for any fan of the genre.

GOG staff comment: The 1995 DOS CD version is now included as of 28.04.2015. TIE Fighter: Collector's CD-ROM is the definitive version of the game. It includes all expansions, ups the flight resolution, while keeping the same DOS-based engine with gouraud shading and the incredible iMUSE soundtrack. I am lucky enough to have this on CD but if GOG.com added this I would snap up a digital copy in a heartbeat. As for TIE Fighter, it is my favourite game of all time, there's not many games out there where you get to play as a bad guy, but in TIE Fighter you can - and the plot is so well constructed that you actually sympathise with the Empire. You can arbitrate in disputes between rival planets, take down traitors and even fly alongside Darth Vader in an excellent late-game mission to fight off an attempted coup d'etat. There are pages upon pages of mission descriptions from the Imperial Officer and the Cloaked Figure to put each mission firmly in context. The attention to detail really adds to the sense of atmosphere.

GOG staff comment: The 1995 DOS CD version is now included as of 28.04.2015. I was almost fooled into buying this title, but after reading some comments saw that it doesn't include the Collector's CD-ROM version (1995)! Having played that version back in the day, there's really no substitute. These other versions? I mean, I appreciate the effort and all... but what's the point without the enhancements/extra missions that the Collector's edition provides? Add the Collector's CD-ROM version (1995) and you have my money in a heartbeat.

This is it. The greatest PC game ever made and the biggest reason I got into PC gaming in the first place. Where to begin? Everything in TIE Fighter is made with love and dedication to the Star Wars franchise. The graphics, the glorious iMuse music system (at least on the 1994 version), the plot and cinematics... And most importantly, the spacecraft themselves are all very loyal to the original spirit of Star Wars. The story is very interesting because for the first time you get to play on the side of the good guys, see behind the scenes of our beloved Empire and fight the evil Rebel terrorists. The game handles like magic, but a joystick is highly recommended. The flight controls are not "realistic" like in I-War but more complex than in Wing Commander series. You get to choose and use different weaponry, target enemies' subsystems and balance your fighter's power between shields, weapons and engines. All this makes for very interesting and exciting gameplay. The story is quite interesting and divided into several campaigins. The missions have primary goals which are required to advance, but also secondary and secret goals which help you get more into the storytelling. The missions are mostly quite challenging, at least before you get the most powerful fighters before the end of the game. The last few campaigins are quite different from the start of the game - instead of a fragile TIE Fighter you control very formidable spacecraft such as TIE Defender or Missile Boat and wipe out entire fleets by yourself. TIE Fighter is highly recommended to anyone who wants to enjoy a good light-sim in an interesting setting, help to defend the galaxy and our families against evil warmongering Rebels or just generally to hang out with The Emperor, Darth Vader and all the other great leaders of our glorious Empire!

I have wanted this game to be on GoG since I first learned of the site. Many tout this as the greatest space sim ever made. Personally, I say this is the greatest game ever made, period, and certainly my favorite. The depth of the gameplay, the sim elements, the dogfights and space battles, and the dynamic music all blew me away in the 90s and it still amazes me now. Unfortunately, the GoG package does not include, what is in my opinion, the definitive version of the game: The Collector's Edition CD-ROM. That's what I had, it's the original DOS version (not the Win 98 re-release), includes every expansion pack mission, and on top of that includes full voice acting- every single mission and briefing being fully voiced. I have to say I'm disappointed that's not the version that was released on GoG and hopefully it can somehow make its way on here in the future. That said, the lack of the voice acting, while a bit of a letdown, does not diminish the sublime gameplay in any way. Even without it, this is a full 5/5. Buy a joystick.