Starlancer (Starlancer (PC))

Member Name:

Product:	Starlancer (PC)
Date:	15/07/00 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sharp graphics, a few clever multiplayer options

Disadvantages: Generi gameplay, forgettable storyline, occasionally awkward interface

ou know how you can get generic products, like six-packs of beer in white cans with the word
beer in plain black letters? Or napkins, trash bags, and shampoo? Not store brands, but the
unremarkably generic brands that most people avoid. If computer games were packaged as such,
Digital Anvil/Microsoft's StarLancer would come in an all-white box with the words "Space Combat
Game" stamped on the front. Not since Ion Storm issued Dominion has a high-profile developer
debuted with a game so utterly unspectacular.

Starlancer comes from the creators of the Wing Commander series, specifically the British team
that developed Privateer 2: The Darkening (another forgettable game). Although set just over a
hundred years in the future, StarLancer's premise is a Cold-War-turned-hot scenario in which the
Russians and Chinese launch a surprise attack against the rest of the solar system. Who'd have
thought the Red Menace would make such a comeback?

This sort of retro political scenario worked well in Activision's first Battlezone, which was actually
set in 1960. But here, the story and atmosphere almost feel like afterthoughts. There are no
memorable characters, ships, weapons, locations, enemies, or events. The story is little more
than a series of isolated missions with no sense of continuity. And it seems as if nothing
happens. No aliens hyperspace in from across the galaxy; the admiral does not turn out to be a
traitor; you are not living in your father's shadow; you have no secret destiny. You simply perform
a laundry list of typical tasks: destroy these ships, escort this convoy, go to this waypoint,
defend this boarding ship, intercept these torpedoes, and repeat. You win some, you lose
some--but who's counting? Wake me when it's over.

The graphics are up to par, but they don't have
FreeSpace 2's awesome spectacle or X-Wing
Alliance's thrilling speed. Instead, StarLancer is almost Amish in its plainness. The ship design is
nondescript and the capital ships are disappointingly small; I found myself wondering whether
people could actually stand up inside some of those destroyers. A few of the later missions have
larger, more memorable ships (there are even asteroid bases you fly into), but there's nothing
approaching the leviathans we've seen in recent space combat games. The lighting and weapon
effects are downright sleepy, but at least the explosions are colorful, spitting out showers of
polygons like confetti.

The interface is typical, but with some disappointing shortcomings. The viewing system and
targeting options are surprisingly limited, and the in-cockpit radar is too cramped to be very
useful. Although StarLancer uses the same power-management system as every other space
combat game, it is almost impossible to manage it with any degree of finesse. The afterburners,
which are an important part of effective dogfighting, add a nice tactical element because they have
limited fuel. Some ships have special features, such as reversible thrusters or special shields, but
these don't figure very prominently in the game. It's entirely possible that you won't even notice
them.

Summary: