Independence Day Preview

Those nasty slimy aliens in the blockbuster hit Independence Day didn't get the message the first time around, and they're preparing to launch another assault on our beloved Earth. But this time, instead of cheering on the human heroes from a comfy movie seat, you'll have the opportunity to jump into a jet and take to the skies. It's time to help kick some alien butt!

Inspired by last summer's movie of the same name, Independence Day, from Fox Interactive, will combine the precision flying experience of a flight sim with the riveting, adrenaline-pumping excitement of an action game. According to Jon Richmond, President of Fox Interactive, "Hard-core gamers will find its fast-paced visual action, uncomplicated controls, and hyper-realistic plane maneuverability irresistible."

The game's storyline is like the movie's: the Mothership hovers in space, seeking to recover the ship and alien remains located at the infamous Area 51. If the ship is not destroyed, Earth is doomed. But in this encounter, you must match battle wits with the extraterrestrials in the sky and on the ground before venturing into space for the grand finale. As in the movie, City Destroyers (CDs) have been dispersed all over the planet and are casting their ominous shadows over cities from Washington D.C. to Moscow.

At each level (or city location), players will need to destroy the CD before it receives the go-ahead from the Mothership to start blasting away the landscape. Here, time is of the essence. The clock starts the minute you take flight; if you can assess the situation and act quickly, you will earn victory, as well as the adoration of each city's inhabitants. As you destroy each CD, you'll move into more and more powerful fighter jets. For example, after blowing up the CD in Moscow, you might be assigned to a Soviet MiG-31, which will provide you with the power you'll need on the next level.

Set in fully-rendered 3-D environments, Independence Day will offer players a realistic view of over a dozen cities and bases located all over the world. The interface will include a detailed on-screen display which will include radar, speed, score, and missile count, and will feed all the necessary information needed to successfully complete each level.

It's never guaranteed that a game based on a movie will be anything more than a rehash of the flick, but Independence Day (the game) might be an exception. The combination of defending the planet from big bad aliens and being wowed with eye-catching special effects is clearly a winning one. Hopefully the spectacular experience from the big screen will successfully translate to the PC monitor and you'll fly away with the same results the pilots experienced in the movie - a victory for all mankind.