StarLancer
StarLancer
Description (IGDB)
Starlancer is a space-based science fiction flight simulator computer game, created by Erin Roberts, Chris Roberts, and Warthog PLC under the auspices of Digital Anvil. It is the year 2160. Mankind has colonized the solar system and two political entities have emerged: the Alliance consisting of American, Australian, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, British and German forces, and The Coalition of Russian, Chinese and Middle-Eastern interests. The game begins with a surprise attack on Fort Kennedy, where a peace treaty turns into a bloodbath: all of the inner four planets are overrun, including Terra herself, and the Italian and French fleets are utterly lost. The Alliance fleet regroups at Triton, Neptune's moon, and attempts to regain lost territory. The player takes the role of a rookie pilot in the international 45th Volunteers squadron, under the command of Captain Robert Foster and Wing Commander Maria Enriquez, aboard the re-commissioned British carrier ANS Reliant. As with Wing Commander: Prophecy, the pilot's flying ability is the only meter by which success and failure is measured, though Starlancer does not feature as many branching mission paths. As in Wing Commander I the pilot may be promoted throughout the course of the campaign; unlike WCI, their rank determines which fighters and missiles they may choose to employ during each mission. The game provides a "virtual carrier" through which to navigate, including nearby crewmembers whose reaction to you depends on your current rank and standing. However, the true gem of the game lies in its textual and video news broadcasts, which keep the player informed as to the status of the rest of the war, which seems to be progressing just over the horizon. Players frequently find themselves flying alongside squadrons and pilots they have heard about on the news just recently, providing a dose of 'celebrity exposure' and also increasing the sensation that they are just one part of a much larger war effort. Starlancer's story is continued in Chris Roberts' Freelancer project, though the two belong to different subgenres (the first is purely focused on action, the latter also features trading and the player can freely move through the game's universe when they are not on a mission.)
Histoire (IGDB)
It is the year 2160. Mankind has colonized the solar system and two political entities have emerged: the Alliance consisting of American, Australian, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, British and German forces, and The Coalition of Russian, Chinese and Middle-Eastern interests. The game begins with a surprise attack on Fort Kennedy, where a peace treaty turns into a bloodbath: all of the inner four planets are overrun, including Terra herself, and the Italian and French fleets are utterly lost. The Alliance fleet regroups at Triton, Neptune's moon, and attempts to regain lost territory. The player takes the role of a rookie pilot in the international 45th Volunteers squadron, under the command of Captain Robert Foster and Wing Commander Maria Enriquez, aboard the re-commissioned British carrier ANS Reliant. As with Wing Commander: Prophecy, the pilot's flying ability is the only meter by which success and failure is measured, though Starlancer does not feature as many branching mission paths. As in Wing Commander I the pilot may be promoted throughout the course of the campaign; unlike WCI, their rank determines which fighters and missiles they may choose to employ during each mission. The game provides a "virtual carrier" through which to navigate, including nearby crewmembers whose reaction to you depends on your current rank and standing. However, the true gem of the game lies in its textual and video news broadcasts, which keep the player informed as to the status of the rest of the war, which seems to be progressing just over the horizon. Players frequently find themselves flying alongside squadrons and pilots they have heard about on the news just recently, providing a dose of 'celebrity exposure' and also increasing the sensation that they are just one part of a much larger war effort. Starlancer's story is continued in Chris Roberts' Freelancer project, though the two belong to different subgenres (the first is purely focused on action, the latter also features trading and the player can freely move through the game's universe when they are not on a mission.)
Contenu brut des sources
Starlancer est un jeu vidéo de combat spatial développé par Digital Anvil et édité par Microsoft. Il est sorti en 2000 sur PC et sur Dreamcast.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« The attention to detail is unmatched. »
« It offers amazing visuals, intense gameplay and a compelling story. Most games only make it with one or two of these advantages but with StarLancer you get all three. »
« Starlancer also features some of the most believable voice acting. However, I really hated Hawkee in the later missions, she was just plain irritating. »
« Complete with in-game cinematics, amazing cut-scenes and great speech-conveyed plot (moments), this is as close to an interactive movie as the Roberts boys have ever been. »
« It's a near-perfect traditional space combat game. I'm one of the most discriminating space combat fans out there, and StarLancer was just a joy to review. »
« The title lacks a lot of strategic variety in its weapons and a little in its ships as well. This may strongly enforce the idea of close quarters fighting, but it might also limit how a person can play the game. »
« The loadout screen is also a pleasant surprise. The pseudo-holographic rotating representation of you chosen ship gives you a good idea of how the hard points fill out. »
« The missions themselves begin to feel repetitive and some can be overly challenging... Still, with over 25 levels and internet multiplay through Microsoft's Gaming Zone, StarLancer is a great space combat game. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« On sent l'esprit, le fantôme de Wing Commander dans StarLancer mais malheureusement, rien n'y fait, le coeur n'y est pas ! le scénario directement déterré de la Guerre Froide (les méchants Russes oh mon dieu...) et de Pearl Harbour (!) fait de la peine. Pas du tout épique mais pathétique comme ses dialogues d'une beaufitude hallucinante et la VF, la Version Québécoise en fait, n'arrange pas les choses. Son interface est perfectible (pas de touche pour cibler les attaquants des vaisseaux que l'on doit protéger par exemple !). Le jeu est aussi bien trop sombre : même en poussant la gamma, il est très difficile de cibler ce qu'on voudrait dans le viseur. Plutôt joli, StarLancer n'arrive pourtant pas à la cheville d'un Freespace 2, un peu léger pour un jeu sorti un an après. Quant aux missions, c'est rapidement casse-roubignoles. »
« One of the best space sims ever made. It had a gritty earth based storyline, fantastic music, effects, and game play. One of the first games to include simultaneous multiplayer and it opened up additional missions when playing with friends. A+ effort on this one. »
