To all you people who haven't played the old Wing Commander games yet: don't start with this one. The captivating stories, lively characters and epic space battles are to be found in Wing Commander 1 & 2 (which are graphically comparable) and of course in the later installments of the series. "Academy" offers a full-blown construction kit for own missions plus, naturally, a simulator in which you can fly them. You can also fly randomly generated missions, so if the first two "Wing Commander" games (and the mission disks) weren't enough for you: here you go! Additionally, the game has a "Gauntlet" mode which is quite similar to the simulator on the Tiger's Claw in "Wing Commander 1" and let's you play a marathon of Kilrathi-blasting goodness. One of the most interesting features of this game being on GOG is that it might be the foundation of a solid "trade your own missions" hub – so let's get to it! The only downside to this game (apart from the fact that it doesn't have any story or real characters) is the fact that it still uses the old flight engine. Only a year later, "Wing Commander Armada" was released which featured a completely new 3D flight engine. But still: this way, "Academy" has the feel of the original two "Wing Commander" games.
Don't get me wrong – the new Daedalic adventure is absolutely enchanting. The makers of the "Deponia" series, "Edna & Harvey", "A New Beginning" and "The Whispered World" did it again: they created another absolutely GORGEOUS point and click adventure. BUT: something essential is missing here on GOG. The boxed version (available on the German Amazon site) also contains an audio drama. I expected this as an included bonus content on GOG, but sadly, this isn't the case...
