Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom

There is no perfect game, but this one comes about as close as possible.

Intense, amazing, and -- most importantly -- NEW, the storyline for this game is the best I've seen for ANY game, regardless of genre. I knew that the video for this game would look much better than in WC3 when I got it, but I had no idea what the plot was, and the only assurance I had that it would be even mildly interesting is the traditional WC high quality that doesn't fail here.

Forget the senselessly stupid WC "movie" that came out in theaters a few months ago; this is what should have been put on the screen. This had a convincing, natural-sounding script, top-notch acting, and great EFX to boot. Unlike a lot of games, this one made you care about the characters. This is, to date, the only game I've played that kept me out of bed for more than two days straight just to play "one more mission".

There is, however, one failing that this game does have, one flaw: the gameplay. The flight engine is recycled from WC3, with enhanced AI. I would have preferred that this game be in development for another year if only that would give it the better flight engine, but I suppose you have to live with what you can get.

Still, this is a minor quibble, and not enough to pull the game away from a 10 rating in my book.

An entertainment product that has somewhat died in todays blurry textures gaming, Wing Commander IV - the price of freedom is truly the pinnacle of PC gaming - exciting, fast paced and not without some real tear jerking moments. Yes, the interactive movie that I personally loved since it began. This game brings the slendour of Hollywood and the interactivity of computer games to your home with the 0 minute (!) introduction to the electrifying ending this has you, Christopher Blair (In a role played by Mark Hamill who I think is better as this particular character than Luke Skywalker) facing your worst enemy - your own kind. This is the aspect of the amazing story and video sequences which is interesting, some video sequences will depict the second thoughts the pilots have about shooting down their own kind. With two shocking plot twists later on, this is a game to play/watch. Gameplay? Never better. This is the pinnacle of PC gaming and the movie even surpasses other sci fi movies out there.

Wing Commander III: Heart Of The Tiger was quite a new and unique video gaming experience. It combined the graphics and playability of a video game with the sensibilities, style, drama, and live-action performers of any Hollywood movie. And, guess what? It worked, to great effect! So, how do you improve upon perfection itself? Simple. You make everything bigger, better, and, in the case of the live-action elements, more realistic and film-like! First off, let's talk about the live-action. WC3's live-action scenes simply had the actors and actresses filmed against green-screen. The CGI-created sets were added later on in post-production. Because of this process, the film camera had to be locked down to the studio floor all of the time. In other words, the live-action scenes had no camera-movements whatsoever. In Wing Commander IV: The Price Of Freedom, director Chris Roberts has taken care of both of these minor problems by fully utilizing real, and in some cases impressive, sets this time. He sure uses his newfound camera-movements to great effect, too. He zooms in and out on his actors, he pans all around his sets in some shots, he follows his actors around the sets using hand-held cameras. He even threw in a few dolly and crane shots just for fun. He also knows a good thing when he sees it, too, because he managed to bring back almost all of the actors who were in WC3, including Mark Hamill, Thomas F. Wilson, Malcolm McDowell, and the great John Rhys-Davies. If you enjoyed Wing Commander III, then chances are you'll enjoy Wing Commander IV just as well, or maybe even more! It is currently available for both PC and PlayStation. I personally would recommend the PlayStation version, since the graphics and live-action video are much more cleaner and clearer than the PC version. Buy this game, and have fun! That's an order, Colonel!

I while ago, I wasnt really into PC Gaming, I'd sit down and play solitare once and a while, but not really much anything else, it was all for work. I went to Fry's Electronics once, and started brousing around the computer game section, and I saw "Wing Commander IV" I glanced at the back, to get some general ideas as to what it looked like. "Mark Hamill, Tom Wilson, John-Rhys Davies, Malcom McDowell" These were (at the time) all big Hollywood names. I said "ahhh, hell with it." and I spent 39.99 on what I found out was one of the most well directed and produced games I'd ever play. These days, we have much more advanced games, with their 3d surround sound, and their OpenGL 3d accelleration drivers.... but this, this had a STORY. Not just "your mission. Go and kill those things" It had an immersive story line, and rather incredable graphics for it's time. I found it amazing that you could actually choose your path, you could make Colonel Blair (played by Mark Hamill) say "this" or "that" and other characters in the game would respond however he acted. The bottom line is, if you've never played this game. Get it now. Hell, it's probably 9.99 in some places. So go ahead, go out to your local store, and BUY IT! It's worth the money.

They actually spent $10 million filming the video segments in this. Film historians might be amused to note that's about what Star Wars cost. Amazingly enough, they did make their money back, and the budget certainly shows. In terms of sets, actors, and effects, this is also probably the best movie to be paired with a game. The cast is a well-made-up crew of 2nd and 3rd-tier actors who, while fine performers, never became stars in their own right. (like John Rhys-Davies and Malcolm McDowell)

Unfortunately, the game itself isn't that hot BECAUSE the movie segments were the focus. The missions are, for the most part, boring and uninspired compared to most of the other WC games. My suggestion, if you pick it up, is to just set the thing on easy, and breeze your way through the "game" to enjoy the movies and plot.