In the fifth millennium, the Earth Empire completely exhausted the natural resources of the Blue Planet. To prevent the total extinction of humanity, the imperial court sent out reconnaissance ships with crews in a cryogenic sleep deep into space. These daredevils were to find and colonize mineral-rich worlds while creating a supply chain for the Earth. As time progressed, life in the colonies became more and more prosperous, while the original home of the human race imposed further draconian taxes on its possessions. The attempt at peaceful secession with the Earth ended with a tragic military retaliation of the Earth-born against the colonists. The campaign was led by the leader of the Empire - the Tzar of the Earth - mercilessly suppressing all resistance.
This meant war. The colonists established the League of Free Worlds to fight for their independence in an armed conflict. Their troops were led by a mysterious commander, known only as the Father. Using ingenious tactics, he led the League to victory in the Battle of Bennay, the colonists' last stand. After a fierce defense, Father prepares for a devastating counter-attack, announcing the widespread mobilization of all able pilots. One of the volunteers is the nameless character controlled by the player. The hero does not yet know that the future of the galaxy will depend on their actions.
Mechanics
During the game, we carry out various missions commissioned by the HQ - from defending civil space stations, through routine patrols, convoying valuable transport frigates, destroying enemy fighters and many others. The has full freedom of flight in three dimensions, and the action can be observed both from the cockpit of the ship, as well as in third-person chase camera. The game is divided into campaigns consisting of several acts with one act containing three single missions. The title is quite non-linear because the effectiveness of our actions affects how good machines will we get assign by the HQ. Completion of specific goals and success of some operations affects possible transfer to another war theatre, such as Alfa Centauri or the Solar System. The player's effectiveness also influences the finale of the game - the devs have prepared five different endings of the story.
Seven spacecraft have been made available to the pilot. Each is slightly different: some are adapted to rapid attacks with energy weapons, others sow destruction with rockets or torpedoes, and special units are adapted to neutralize important targets with EMP systems and intercept them with a specialized tow. Each type of weapon has its forte, such as disintegrating shields or destroying the hulls of enemy ships, which requires the pilot to know their arsenal.
The players can track their achievements on a special statistics screen, which contains their current rank and all the most important data. In addition to combat data, we can also explore the game world by listening to the narrator's readings of atmospheric descriptions of the factions involved in the conflict, the planets they inhabit and their military technology.
Technical aspects
The game implements advanced particle effects and an extensive model of object lighting in space. The physics simulation has been faithfully rendered, and a specially implemented engine control system enables both controlled drifting and advanced maneuvers. The soundtrack was composed by Tim Wright, who also wrote music for Shadow of the Beast (1989), Agony (1992), Lemmings (1991) and the WipEout series.
