Forsaken is a classic Six-Degrees-of-Freedom (6DOF) shooter in the vein of Descent, but with a few of its own tricks up it's sleeve. Chances are, if you were a console gamer, you remember Forsaken more than you remember Descent... And if you were an N64 gamer, the Forsaken you remember is completely different than the Forsaken that PC and Playstation fans got. This release by Nightdive, though, is easily the definitive version, combining both versions into one massive 30+ level game. As far as "remasters" go, this one is pretty modest - mostly consisting of quality-of-life updates such as high-resolution support, texture filtering, FOV adjustment, ambient occlusion, etc. Frankly, I appreciate the fact that the underlying graphics, polygons, and textures remain untouched - this is truly a great-looking and very colorful game, even in 2018. Gameplay is hard. Really hard. This game will unapologetically tear you to shreds. Newcomers, be informed - there is zero shame in selecting "easy." It's anything but. With some tweaking, I found that playing with a mouse is very comfortable and smooth, and get used to using all of your sliding and banking controls simultaneously, because Forsaken is fast-paced, and sitting still is tantamount to suicide. The decision for most enemies to spawn in means that you can't really pop around corners or funnel your enemies into a choking point - you frequently have to deal with enemies coming from all directions with little other than pure dodging skill to save your hide. Projectile-based gameplay means Forsaken essentially feels like Descent, if Descent were a bullet-hell sh'mup - save-scumming is encouraged. Failure rarely feels cheap, though, and each non-linear, objective-based level feels really gratifying to complete. Very fun, very challenging, tons of content. An absolute must-buy for hardcore 90's FPS fans, especially those familiar with either version of Forsaken, or with Descent.
First, let's get this out of the way: X-Wing is the prototypical Star Wars game; TIE Fighter is the archetypical Star Wars game. And if you're looking for the final word in space sim action, play the Descent: Freespace series. But this most recent release of X-Wing, a triumph of PC gaming that gamers could not even purchase for years, is an absolute must-play for any fan of Star Wars, space sims, or even 90's PC gaming in general. It's a full-throttle, non-stop, pure distillation of everything that makes the Star Wars universe great. This new version contains both the 1993 release as well as the 1998 re-release, along with all the expansion missions, all with no-hassle modern hardware compatibility. Simply install, play, and enjoy. With a joystick, of course. And you'll want every tactical advantage a joystick gives you. X-Wing handles very well with a good flight stick, but be forewarned that this is a truly and unrepentantly difficult game. You must constantly manage and balance the engine, weapons, and shield systems power, as well as the fore-and-aft balance of shielding power in the Rebel Alliance's duct-tape-engineered starcraft. Do you shift all your power to provide a thick cushion of shielding and near-limitless firepower as you lumber along? Or do you fly naked and defenseless to eke out every last ounce of horsepower to catch that transport about to jump out of the area? It's a constant battle of wits and strategy, and it means life or death for you and your ragtag brotherhood of pilots - a mere inch of the Empire's stranglehold on the galaxy is only relinquished through rock-steady nerves, lightning-fast problem solving, and, of course, a good aim. Perhaps TIE fighter, as a perfect sequel, does all that X-Wing does with more style, panache, and - most importantly - vialliany. But X-Wing should not be dismissed so easily in the shadow of its successor - trust me, this is the Star Wars space sim you are looking for.
