Star Wars TIE Fighter: Collector's CD-ROM

"The greatest simulation game ever made"

In 1991 Timothy Zahn continued the Star Wars saga by writing a novel called Heir to the Empire. That book returned the ''Star Wars craze'' of 1977. What followed was more novels, more toys, and of course games. Star Wars TIE Fighter was one of the best games released during that time. TIE Fighter wasn't an ordinary game; it deviated from the cliched Star Wars game formula of the player being a member of the Rebel Alliance. For the first time you get to experience the point of view of Empire and you could see that the Empire wasn't evil but a force built with might and of honor. With top-of-the-line graphics, amazing sound and plenty of replay value, it was a success and to this day no other simulation game can match and/or surpass the greatness of TIE Fighter.

Graphics, Sound and Control
TIE Fighter was made for MS Dos and only after several years did a Windows version come out. Nonetheless its graphics took gaming to a new level. The fighters and ships that made Star Wars famous are duplicated in to the game; brand new ships are introduced too. From the big shield generators on top of a Star Destroyer to the cockpit of a corellian freighter, every little detail is included. If an A-Wing is named Red Leader, the color on tip of fighter head is red. That's how much effort LucasArts put into this game. Cutscenes are not computer generated but fully drawn. Characters of old are completely recognizable and new characters will awe you. Their voices match them perfectly. Sound effects are the same as the movies which is good. You wouldn't want laser to sound like a gunshot would you? Accompanying the sound is John Williams's award winning score. All the themes you love are there like the intro and Imperial march. Everything could be controlled with a mouse and keyboard. You left click to fire and use the X & Y-axis to move around. Almost all the keys have a function which can get a little confusing but the Options Menu is always available if in need of help.

Gameplay
The basic gameplay of TIE Fighter is to fly your fighter in missions to help flourish the Empire. You have the usual TIE Fighter, TIE Bomber, and TIE Interceptor at your disposal. Later on you'll have the honor to fly such crafts like the TIE Advance, TIE Defender and Assault Gunboat. Main Missions that are connected to the story consist of hit & run, escort service, seek & destroy, total annihilation etc. Before each mission you can have a full briefing which tells you your objective, what craft you'll be flying and any additional notes. After the mission is complete you will be debriefed. Several missions have bonus optional objectives which connect to the Emperor himself and when finished you will get a special reward. When all the missions for a certain sector are done, you will be given medals depending on your performance. If are you through with the 20+ mission and should you feel bored, other modes of play are ready for you to use. Training will help new players with easy target practice. Combat Simulator, comes with tutorial, will simulated previous fought battles in a very realistic but safe environment. The Tech Room stores files with full stats and records of all the ships in the game. You'll be able to view the shield and hull strength, it's size, what it looks like etc. With so many things to do you'll be playing and replaying this game for a long time.

Star Wars TIE Fighter is the best simulation game ever made so far. Academy Award winning actor Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now said ''I love the smell of napalm in the morning.'' There's no doubt you will too smell the sweet smell of napalm, laser and victory in TIE Fighter.

Graphics
9/10
Sound
10/10
Control
8/10
Gameplay
10/10
Replay Value
10/10

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/03, Updated 02/23/03