Independence War Deluxe Edition (PC)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.1 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Greg Kasavin
• Reviewed on: 09/14/1999
• Updated on: 05/01/2000
• Released on: 07/31/1999
• Originally published on GameSpot: Independence War Deluxe Edition (PC) Review

Independence War Deluxe Edition's greatest flaw is that it's mislabeled - it is merely a compilation of the original 1998 spaceflight simulation and an additional short campaign, with no other improvements at all. What should have been a revision of last year's superb simulation that takes advantage of contemporary hardware instead comes across as a half-baked rehash that cannot conceivably win the game any new admirers - which is a crying shame since the original Independence War was so excellent.

In early 1998, you'd have called a company visionary for supporting 3dfx graphics accelerators natively. Developer Particle Systems did just that with the American release of Independence War last year back when 3dfx cards were ubiquitous, and the game's graphics looked amazing. However, a year later, exclusive 3dfx support doesn't seem so wise since there are better cards out there. The game won't even take advantage of twin Voodoo2 cards in SLI mode, while owners of newer, better accelerators like the TNT2 will be insulted to find themselves relegated to playing in the comparatively awful-looking software rendering mode.

Nevertheless, if you never played the original Independence War and you decide not to bother with the deluxe edition, then you'll be missing out on what's easily one of the finest, most original spaceflight simulations ever. Independence War puts you at the helm of a bulky capital ship rather than a nimble starfighter as in most games of this sort, and it simulates the experience seriously and plausibly, yet without sacrificing action for the sake of complexity and depth. No other spaceflight simulation has ever pulled this off. Miraculously, Independence War also weaves an intricate and memorable story through the whole experience, which is a feat that's just as rare for space sims as it is for first-person shooters.

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