Greg Lemon
Colony Wars review
glemon@vwc.edu


        Since the dawn of video games, many games have tried to simulate
what deep space fighter combat might be like. Wing Commander, X-Wing,
X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter...yeah, whatever. We've played them all, and
while they were fun, there was something missing. The depth of the
surrounding space; the deep, bass rumble of a nearby cruiser's engines,
and the dizzying feeling of hurtling through space as an opponent feeds
your hull a barrage of missiles were never well done.
        Readers, meet Colony Wars. Colony Wars, meet readers. I'm sure
you two will like each other alot. Shall we get to the point? Ok...this
game BURIES the competition. This is easily one of the best PlayStation
games ever, and certainly should be a contender for game of the year
from several game magazines. The depth of this title should make Nintendo 
embarrassed for releasing StarFox 64.

Story....

        In the future, the Earth has traveled through the depths of
space and formed colonies on many worlds. After years of struggle, the
colonies decide to declare themselves independent of earth. What
results is civil war.

Graphics:
        Gorgeous, high-resolution graphics are what it's all about.
All the spacecraft are highly detailed, and the light-sourcing has to be
seen to be believed. For example, when you're close to a sun, the
inside of your canopy will be illuminated with a yellowish glow...you can
almost feel the heat! The weapons are well designed and look good, and
the explosions in this game have to be seen to be believed! Take out
another fighter, and it bursts apart in a flicker of super-hot gas. Take 
out a capital ship, on the other hand, and the hull glows white for a
second, followed by a blinding flash of light as the reactor goes
critical. You can then watch the remnants of your target break apart
and explode, sending shock waves through the void. Absolutely
breathtaking. Some of the small cut scenes are rather bland, such as 
your ship launching and docking, but they're just there to mask the loading
time.
        The cinemas in this game are also superb, and they really add to
the sensation of being part of some sci-fi epic. If you've seen a
Psygnosis cinema before, then you know what to expect...beautiful,
smooth models with Psyg's awesome designs and logos making them seem
even more real. Plus, there are alot of cinemas; after every few
missions, you'll be presented with a new one...depending on your
performance in the missions (see gameplay).
        Also worthy of special note are the backgrounds. Sure, it's
outer space, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring, and Psygnosis
knows it. Beautiful gas nebulas, huge planets, wormholes,
constellations, and suns surround you, making the environment
exciting, but never distracting.

Sound:

       The soundtrack is a booming, orchestrated masterpiece, adding to
the "sci-fi movie feel". There are no particular melodies that'll stick
in your head all day, but they really enhance the mood, in a kind of
Resident Evil way (although there's alot more music in Colony Wars).
Very nice.
        In terms of sound effects, Colony Wars rocks. Lasers, engine
sounds, and explosions  are done perfectly, and while we're on the
subject, remember the blinding flash of light that occurs when you take
out a big ship? Well, if you've got constipation problems, then hook
your PlayStation up to a sub-woofer, sit on it, and take out one of
those capital ships...your problems will be gone! I'm talking a HUGE
blast of noise...it sounds like a planet just exploded. The first time
you hear this, you, your neighbors, and your landlord are gonna jump
outa their seats! Good job, Psg!
        The announcer for the game is great; he sounds very much like
James Earl Jones...but I'm pretty sure it isn't him. Very good
narration, and, in a video game first, the voice acting is surprisingly
good! When you destroy a ship that's been tailing one of your wing
men, he says, "Yeeeehhhaaaa! That's the last he'll see of this war!"

Gameplay:

        Now, with the great graphics and sound, this title could have
easily bombed in this category. It did not. First off, the control is
very solid. It takes a bit to get used to, but you'll eventually be able
to maneuver your craft with surgeon-like accuracy. The game supports
the dual analog pad and stick in addition to the regular controller, and
each controller has six button configurations available. Playing this
game on a normal control pad is great, but if you don't have a dual
analog pad yet, then Colony Wars is a great reason to pick one up, as
playing with analog control adds alot more precision to your craft's
control.
        The game itself has two flight modes; training flights and
campaigns. The training mode is okay, and it can get a bit tedious
after a while, but it's a great way to learn how to fly your ship. The
campaign, however, is where the real action is. Supposedly, the game
has 70+ missions, all presented in a non-linear fashion. That's right,
NON-LINEAR. Depending on how well you perform in each mission (and I'm
not talking about following Slippy through a series of rings), a number
of possible outcomes may occur. These determine your path through the
game, how high you go in rank (you start out as "Believer"), and which
of the five endings you get. The missions are quite varied, and range
from escort duty, to search-and-destroy, to disabling battle stations.

Replay Value:

        While not getting huge scores in this category, Colony does well
thanks to its huge assortment of missions, branching paths, and multiple
endings. A two-player mode would of been great, but as a one-player
game, Colony Wars is virtually flawless. If you liked Wing Commander
or X-wing, then you'll love this. If you've never really played a space
flight combat game, then this is a great start.




Finals

Graphics: 9

+ Beautiful ships, backgrounds, and explosions.
+ High-quality cinemas really add to the epic story.
+ The whole game is full of Psgnosis' futuristic logos and designs.
- Some of the loading scenes are rather dull.

Sound: 9

+ Excellent music adds to the tension and pulse-pounding action.
+ Sound effects that will wake up your dead ancestors.
+ Great voice acting, especially the narrator.
- (count this only if you don't have your PSX hooked up to a stereo.)

Gameplay: 9

+ Great control, mind-boggling action, and analog support.
+ Multiple branching paths and endings.
+ What you do in the game actually determines the outcome of the war.

Replay Value: 9

+ 70+ missions, all presented in a non-linear fashion.
+ 5 different endings.
- One player only.

Total.......9