Colony Wars
Reviewed by CB007
Graphics
Colony Wars has excellent graphics. Something that really
impresses me is that the entire game is fully 3D. You can
maneuver your ship in every direction, and even roll to
avoid enemy fire. Also, the special effects from weapon fire
and explosions is just amazing. The only problem I can think
of in terms of the graphics is that most of the levels look
pretty much the same. Since everything takes place in space,
and not on planets, there isn't really much variety. The
ships are well designed and will remind you of Star Wars and
Star Trek.
GamePlay
This is a really long, challenging, and enjoyable game. The
game is actually non-linear. Which means that it's possible
for you to fail a mission, but instead of simply getting a
'Game Over' screen, you could end up going to a different
mission than you would have gotten to if you had done well.
Of course, if you lose too many missions in a row, you do
eventually have to start over. This adds a lot of replay
value to the game, since you will probably see some
different areas almost every time you play.
Your have a variety of regular weapons, as well as secondary
weapons. With the regular weapons, you have to aim carefully
to hit your target. But with the secondary weapons, you can
lock on. But you only have a limited suply of them. Another
aspect of the game I find interesting is that you often need
to disable your enemy's shields before you can destroy his
ship. I can't recall any other game I've played that had
this feature. It makes things that much more enjoyable. As
the game progresses, things do get pretty difficult.
Luckily, there is a save feature so that you don't lose much
of your progress if you are defeated, or if you want to take
a break. This is not a game you are likely to finish in one sitting.
Story
Basically, you play the role of one pilot fighting for the
League against the Evil Navy. You are just one of many
people willing to risk their lives to defend their homes and
families. For a game in this genre to have an interesting
story is really impressive. The game is told more or less in
story form, reflecting back on the war. Your actions during
the game determing how that story ends.
Music
The music is pretty simple, so I don't have much to say
about it. At least it was simple, and not distracting in any
way. Well, there is plenty of voice acting in the game. In
fact, this game had more voice acting than anything else
I've ever played. All 70 or so mission briefings are spoken
aloud, and during the missions, you are spoken to by other
pilots. This sounds like it might be a distraction, but it
really isn't. Remember how in Star Fox 64, the same lines
would get repeated over and over? Well, it's not really like
that in Colony Wars. Much of the information spoken to you
is actually useful in some way. I usually don't like having
voice acting in games, but I really like the way it was
done, here.
Final Thoughts
Colony Wars is one of my favorite PSX games. This game was
everything I was hoping for when I purchased Star Fox 64. If
you found that game enjoyable, you owe it to yourself to
check this one out, too.
Overall: 9 out of 10
