In 1993, LucasArts released an unassuming Star Wars flight sim called X-Wing for the PC and was instantly praised as one of the better Star Wars games, thanks to its immersive gameplay, detailed graphics, and involving storyline placing the player in control of a Rebel pilot who controlled a number of Rebel craft such as the maneuverable A-Wing, the heavy bomber Y-Wing, the assault fighter B-Wing, and of course, the familiar X-Wing, in a battle against the Empire.
And then came TIE Fighter, the sequel where you get to work for Darth Vader. Greatest game ever, end review.
Okay, just kidding. Let’s look at this thing in more detail, shall we?
STORY: In TIE, you’re a rookie pilot for the ‘evil’ Galactic Empire and have to deal with the Empire’s problems, whether they be Rebels escaping Hoth after a successful Imperial attack, pirate transgressions obstructing in official business, or traitors collaborating with Rebels. While I could be just as content shooting rebel X-Wings out of the sky for the sheer heck of it, the game provides you with an interesting backstory that shows the Empire in a drastically different light. Could it be Imperial propaganda? Who cares? You work for Darth friggin Vader, for Luke’s sake. That’s all that matters. 10/10
GRAPHICS: Depending on which version you get. The older DOS versions have fairly smooth polygons during gameplay and there doesn’t seem to be much in terms of clipping. With the upgraded version formatted to work under Windows, they basically added surface textures to the various craft ala X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. The cutscenes, the same in both versions, are nicely drawn. While visually outclassed by modern games, TIE still looks pretty and even Vader looks cool in the three times he shows up. 8/10
SOUND: Both versions have the same set of sound effects and both are of decent quality depending on the soundcard. While the Windows version features the original John Williams score from the movies in-game, the older DOS versions prevail in the in-game soundtrack department because of its original tracks. As much as I enjoy John Williams’ SW score, I don’t want to hear it every time I’m flying a TIE Fighter because it kills the mood. Yes, I prefer antiquated MIDI music over the London Symphony Orchestra, so what? 9/10
GAMEPLAY: TIE boasts several fighters for you to fly, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Learning to fly these craft effectively is important, as one wrong move could basically end your game quickly (and I mean that literally). Each mission has a main set of primary objectives for you to complete in order to insure success, but there are also secondary and secret mission objectives that you can try your hand on completing. More success means you get promoted, while failure could result in either death or being captured by the enemy. In addition to the standard campaigns, you can also try out some training missions or test your luck on the obstacle course, which is a game in itself. Basically, if you have played any of the other Star Wars flight sim games, you should have no trouble adjusting here. Controls take a while to get used to, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it. 9/10
CHALLENGE: Take into account that half the fighters you fly are without shields. Take into account that it will take a couple hits to end your career as a pilot. Take into account that you will be facing more shielded craft from your confetti egg fighter. With all of that taken into account, TIE Fighter CAN be beaten. It’s a fairly difficult game, but the extra options of invulnerability and unlimited weapons could help. Just don’t expect any sudden promotions and such, as these options are cleverly disguised cheats. 9/10
REPLAY VALUE: There’s no multiplayer, but the multitude of missions and the various extra objectives you can accomplish is worth replaying several missions again.
OVERALL: Forget all those other Star Wars flight sims and strategy games: THIS is the only one worth the effort in getting, as it allows you take control of the Empire’s finest starfighters and shoot that whining farmboy from Tatooine right up the @$$, participate in mesmorizing campaigns, and most of all, you work for Darth friggin’ Vader!
To reiterate, greatest game ever. End review. 10/10
dtm666 