Independence War Deluxe Edition

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Review: Independence War Deluxe Edition

There is nothing innovative or stunning about Independence War Deluxe Edition. The four CDs combine the original 1998 space?combat sim with a new mission pack. The storyline revolves around a war between Earth and its colonies. The original Independence War's 40 missions offered the Earth's viewpoint, while Defiance's 18-mission campaign is played from the colonies' perspective. Defiance missions run from recon to running convoy interference, sabotage, and intercept and annihilate chores.

Overall, game play has changed little. Defiance adds armament, new perspectives, and a mid?mission save point. The latter is a nice feature. After passing a certain point in a mission, the program saves itself to that point allowing the player to return - with the same weapon stores - to replay the mission.

In 3D mode, the game has a solid look. Athough the program can be played without a 3D card, it is not advisable. The non-accelerated graphics are flat and murky. The sound effects may have sparkled in 1998, but now they are merely ordinary. The same effects are stock in other space combat vehicles such as Wing Commander.

While the program does require some thought to accomplish missions, most action relies on reflexes. Two modes are available for play - arcade and simulation. The first is a shooter-style, quick-action contest while the latter builds the storyline with each completed mission.

Game control varies from training to simulated missions. During training, the spacecraft responds quickly to commands. In missions, response time slows down, even on the testing computer which exceeded minimum system requirements. It may be training is geared to teach control fundamentals, while simulated missions shoot for realism. Whatever the case, maneuvers take longer especially in combat scenarios.

Independence War Deluxe Edition is not for the casual flight-sim fan. Training can be tedious with each mission a series of repetitious commands paced against a timer. However it is essential to understanding the controls. Do not rely on the manual. Instead of condensing the information, the instructions are spread out over more than 132 pages. The keyboard reference chart is too small to be of use except in a well-lit room.

Though technically well-designed, Independence War Deluxe Edition offers little that is new to the space combat genre.-- Michael Lafferty / GamePro