Colony Wars: Vengeance

"You like trial and error?"

If you've played the previous Colony Wars and are looking for more of the same, you might find it here. If you're new to the series and are looking for the so-called ''Star Fox killer'', then I suggest you look elsewhere, because this game doesn't come close.

Gameplay

If you're new to the genre of space simluators (ie- Tachyon, I-War, etc.) then there's going to be something of a learning curve. It takes a while to get used to the sluggish controls, and you might even get confused by the oftentimes unhelpful map holo-radar (it's too dim!!)
The missions themselves are challenging, but its all too easy to forget one or two objectives and all your efforts go to hell. The game's interface in these instances is very unhelpful, as if you want to repeat a mission and attempt to do better, you must quit the game, go back, and reload from your last save point, which leads to the next problem. The game only lets you save at certain points in the game, so two missions into the game you fail and you want to retry, you'll have to start all the way from your previous save point. The FMV after every couple of missions is a nice reward (unless you get the ''FMV of death''...all I'll say is get used to seeing it later in the game)

Graphics

The graphics are what you'd expect in a playstation game: plentiful but dull and poorly detailed. The game also suffers from some slowdown when there's too much action onscreen. It's a shame the graphics aren't up to par, as Omega Boost has shown that its possible to pull off real-time lighting effects and light sourced explosions on the playstation without a hitch.

Sound

The music has its ups and downs, but the general feel of it is ''military campaign'' music (not unlike the music in Total Annihilation, but encompassing a wider range). Sometimes the music is upbeat, sometimes it seems to drone on and on, but overall it complements the game well.

Control

The controls are adequate, but nothing special. If you use a Dual-Shock, it's unsesttling how the game forces you to use the directional pad to navigate the menus. The controls aren't intuitive, but they're eventually gotten used to. Don't expect any preprogrammed tricks or loopdy-loops, the only stunt flying you'll be seeing is what you yourself can pull off in that flying shoebox of yours. ^_^

Overall

If you're into Colony Wars or space sims, you might like this game, otherwise I suggest you look elsewhere because this game walks a fine line between frustration and repetition. It has its good points, but the music is lacking, the control is sluggish, and the replay value will rapidly shrink to nonexistence on some of the ridiculously difficult later levels. If you're into this sort of game and you haven't done so already, you should consider playing ''Tachyon: The Fringe'' instead.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/15/01, Updated 12/15/01