Tie-Fighter remains, to date, the most well-designed and conceived space combat simulator of all time.
The game’s powerful control scheme, though initially intimidatingly complicated, lends a sense of realism to the experience that so far remains unrivalled. Where else can one so precisely micromanage the distribution of engine power across vital ship systems, or so closely monitor the repair progress of said systems after barely making it out of a barrage of enemy fire?
The Star Wars universe here achieves a level of detail and depth undreamed of even in Lucas’ original films, drawing heavily on Timothy Zahn’s acclaimed Thrawn trilogy novels for content, as well as creating many new characters that fleshen out the Imperial command structure. The result is a rich and exciting campaign full of political intrigue and deception.
The graphics were, at the time of release, absolutely top notch and, even by today’s standards, hold up quite well.
I could go on and on about how amazing this game is, but perhaps it would be better simply to sum up by saying that this game is, well, amazing. If you’ve never played it, seek it out. If you have, dust off your old copy and play it again.
Nothing today compares.