Normally I wait to play more of a game before reviewing but this is terrible
Heres the usual low down
Graphics - in game low quality textures on low poly models make this look like something from the early 2000's.
Its not going to push ANY modern system.
The cutscenes are worse. These are flat 16bit console style animated sprites.
A wierd choice since the original never apperead on a 16 console as it was from the 8bit era. Worse is the fact that they are drawn badly with ugly and impossible body positions.
Sound - usual mix of space gameplay sounds, they are a bit tinny and weak. The worst of the sound is saved for the cutscenes, with dirty artfacted recordings of bad voice actors with a really bad script. It felt like they were going for retro cheesy from the 16bit genre BUT AGAIN THE ORIGINAL WAS 8BIT SO IT DOESN'T WORK!
controls - The control scheme is sloppy no matter which scheme you choose. Gone is the 10 stage throttle of the original, now we have a "thrust" button. Its annoying when using mouse and worse with joystick. Speaking of joysticks, there are a lot of controls but it doesn't seem to be able to map all of the buttons on my cyborg evo wireless. This isn't a high price stick, so that bad. Worse is the fact that it won't read either the throttle (thrust button remember) or "rudder" twist so you loose buttons for thrust and rolling the ship.
Response to the controls is sluggish. You are supposed to change the ships "mode" but this doesn't seem to work as I was stuck in a powerful slow moving mode trying to keep up with light fast fighters. Add to that you have no control over forward speed and its uncontrollable.
Another big annoyance is you get the key mapping screen and a help screen before every mission.... not sure why...
Gameplay - I didn't see much of the gameplay. It looks pretty basic but thats ok, so was the original. You jump from sector to sector battling the bad guys, simple but workable. The special features of the ship are nice. The idea of transformations is a little goofy but OK. The problem is, to get to the gameplay you have to wade through all the graphics and control issues and i'm sorry to say its not really worth it. Without the issues the game could have been fun, but just fun.
Overall - If this was an update to a 16bit title it would make more sense. As it is, it feels like the space sections of some of the starwars games on the Nintendo DS. In fact if this had been a DS game it might have worked as you can excuse the bad graphics.
As a modern PC/console title it fails on just about every level. Its ugly, uncontrollable and a complete mess.
With all the problems Atari is having with its TDU IP it could have used a revival of one of its best 8bit titles. As it stands, this game destroys any real hope of getting the modern Star Raiders experience that its long time fans have waited for.