Interactive Entertainment Wing Commander IV review
| Interactive Entertainment Wing Commander IV review | |
|---|---|
| |
| Production | Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom |
| Type | Behind the Scenes |
| Series | Interactive Entertainment |
| Run Time | 7m32s |
| Date | April 1996 |
The Interactive Entertainment Wing Commander IV review is a review of Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom published in the April 1996 issue of Interactive Entertainment. The original version used an application to play sound over a slideshow of stills. It was written by Steve Bauman and edited by Peter A. Smith. It has been recreated as a video:
Transcript
The transcript document provided with the presentation includes editorial notes that were likely not intended for publication.
Wing Commander IV Review
It didn’t make it in time for Christmas gift giving, but Origin has delivered Wing Commander IV just in time to warm the hearts of gamers suffering a long cold winter.
Do voice over video segment 1:35 - 1:45 (the Wing Commander IV logo sequence)
The game starts with a dramatic introductory sequence that’s nearly a half-hour long. It all starts with an innocent civilian transport and its escort being destroyed by a rogue band of pilots from the border worlds. They unleash a mysterious device upon the transport, destroying it from inside.
Video 2:30 - 4:35 (not all of it needs to be used - in fact it probably should be cut down a bit). Voice about device should match the ship exploding and the release of the weird device.
Malcolm McDowell once again plays Tolwyn, who addresses concerns about the escalating conflict with the Border Worlds.
Video 6:30 - 6:50 (use more video in front for voice-over, get McDowell talking about “Border Worlds are our allies” and “Lust for revenge. . .”)
Mark Hamil is back reprising his role as Christopher Blair, the “Heart of the Tiger.” After retiring, he is brought back to active duty in order to help the cause.
Voice-over on video clip 8:10 - 8:35 (“We shall vote. . .”) through Hamil entering bar
It only take a few minutes for him to get into trouble.
Video 11:30 through 12:10. Get knife to throat scene (note - this can be made optional if the article is running too long!)
Longtime fans of the series will be happy to know that Tom Wilson is back as Maniac, who remains the most interesting character in the entire series.
Video 12:15 - 12:20 (“I would have backed you up” through “Is he gone”), video 13:35 - 14:00. Voice-over can occur during lulls, but try to get in line “Missed my sparkling repartee (or whatever Maniac says).
Maniac isn’t the only character fans will recognize. Eisen’s back, as is Vagabond. As they begin to unravel the mystery, Confed itself begins to unravel as an outsider takes over for Eisen.
Video of Eisen talking 24:35 - 24:40, Vagabond, Maniac, and Hamil 28:20 - 28:40, 36:15 - 36:40. Once again, allow characters to speak during noted times, and use slop video for voice-over.
Blair and Maniac begin to notice changes on the ship, and Blair decides to do his own detective work. He discovers another new arrival, and his suspicions grow deeper.
Video for changes is 40:30 - 40:50, video for the rest is 42:10 - 43:00. Stop voice-over by 42:30 to get dialogue.
At this point, Eisen defects to the other side, and then Blair, and the gamer, has to make a decision that will effect the rest of the game.
Defects video is 44:25 - 44:35, decision video is 44:50 - 45:20.
We won’t spoil things from here on out, but the path taken leads to multiple endings and multiple plot branches. You’ll meet new characters and be forced to sit through a ridiculous number of cliched speeches from Blair.
Start video 48:25 - 49:15, new characters video 1:00:10 - 1:00:20, next video clip is speech 37:25 - 37:50 and 1:07:10 - 1:07:50 (both or one or the other).
Overall, the video and story quality remains high throughout the game, with a level of professionalism and special effects that really are the equal of a low-budget Hollywood spectacle.
Video 13:35 - 14:00.
The dialogue remains a bit on the stale side and the characters come off as stereotypes rather than realistic characters, as evidenced by the totally evil big bad guy Seether.
Stale dialogue clip 22:50 - 24:00 (“I’d have to kill you”), characters example 1:02:30 - 1:03:10 (video of Seether killing someone).
Certain interactions during the film sequences can have a consequence later on. How you answer this guy’s question will effect whether or not he helps you later in the game.
Video 9:05 - 9:35 (“Hey pal” through “Price of Freedom. . .”). Voice-over can occur during lulls in dialogue or on top of incidental dialogue. The most important bit is the pause for gamer interaction, which should fall in the caption at the “Consequence” bit, if possible.
Despite appearances otherwise, the game isn’t just about video. The combat sequences are slightly enhanced, with better AI, graphics and sound. There are a number of land-based missions that are considerably improved from Wing Command III.
Video of space combat 55:00 - 55:15, land combat 31:15 - 31:25. Use more video to match caption or reduce.
Other new features include new ship types, one of which becomes available only if you win a certain mission, and the usual minor improvements.
Video of 1:00:25 - 1:00:55
Overall, this is still a must-have game for anyone interested in state of the art gaming experiences. It’s flawed, both in certain video segments and the repetition of missions, but it all becomes irrelevant because Wing Commander IV pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Now if they’d just do the Maniac movie. . .
Use any space video on tape, I think there’s some good stuff in the 16:00 - 16:50 range, but eliminate voice-overs. For the “Now if they’d just do the Maniac movie” use video 1:12:35 - 1:12:45
Rating
- 1/2
Game Specs
Really high specs. Yup. Erm, the box is in my office. . .
Stills
Article
Feature Review The Commander Returns to Battle A rogue band of pilots from the border worlds descends upon an innocent civilian transport and its escorts and destroy them by unleashing a mysterious device. Cut to our hero, Christopher Blair, once again played by the seemingly ageless Mark Hamil (though it must be said that for a hero, he is a bit on the dull and dumpy side). He's taken up farming ("Luke, come in for dinner. . . Luke") and is picked by his wacky old friend Maniac, played by the "why doesn't he get cast in real movies" guy Tom Wilson. Blair's been reinstated to active duty by his occasional foil Tolwyn, once again played by the magnificently coifed Malcolm McDowell.
Blair keeps trying to get out, but they keep pulling him back in. He's reunited with some of his old crew, but something is amiss. The war isn't going the way they intended, suspicions begin to grow, and at one point the player, as Blair, is forced to choose between loyalty to friends or to the Confederation. Once that choice is made, the game takes one of two divergent paths that lead to multiple endings.
So goes the storyline to Origin's Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom. From its 30 minute opening cinematic to its eternal credits listing everyone and their favorite pets, there's little question that all involved really want to make movies. There is an actual game here, though, a fact that's all too easy to forget. To many players, the space combat of the Wing Commander series isn't the equal of X-Wing or TIE Fighter, two programs that have the distinct advantage of having that little Star Wars tie-in. Wing Commander IV isn't likely to change the opinion of those folks much; the combat engine is a virtual carryover from Wing Commander III, except for an improved, albeit glacial, terrain model for the land-based missions. There are a number of subtle improvements, a few new ships, better AI, better graphics and more variety to the missions, but there's nothing, game-wise, that you haven't seen done here and elsewhere.
What ends up happening, though, is that the combat almost seems inconsequential and irrelevant to the game, as the cinematic pretenses of the movie make you want to avoid the damn battles and just get on with the show. Drama is, in part, built through control; no movie would interrupt the viewing for extended periods of time to allow the viewer to muck around (and some of the missions are complex enough to engage the player for a while). It's a flaw this particular interpretation of the "interactive movie" concept shares with others.
Since the designers have chosen this particular movie route, they have to answer primarily to the inadequacies of the filmed bits in the game: the dialogue is stale and clich d (Blair's speeches are eternal and yawn-inducing, filled with all sorts of philosophizing yet revealing little insight), the plot is predictable, bit players are stereotypes rather than three-dimensional characters (you have the crusty mechanic, the burned-out veteran pilot, the idealistic rookie, and so on), and certain staged action scenes appear to be just that staged. The filmmaking has yet to reach the level of polish that even most film school graduates can attain with more meager budgets than this.
The price of freedom may indeed be eternal vigilance, as a few people in Wing Commander IV seem to agree upon, but the real question the game doesn't really answer is whether or not a $12 million budget makes for a better game. It certainly makes for better press coverage (how many times have you heard how much the thing cost?), and there's no question that the non-interactive "movie" parts of the game, flawed as they are, are still technically and visually superior to everything that's been produced by Silliwood thus far.
Hollywood producers, though, have little to fear from a little project like this. $12 million ain't chump change to most mortals, but by film industry standards it wouldn't even pay for Arnie, Sly or Bruce's limo rides to the set. However, the far-ranging effect of the series may be the demise of a number of companies now trying to replicate the production values of the game, but with far worse results. Gamers always judge each subsequent effort based on the new standard (see Doom and Myst for recent examples), and there's little question that Wing Commander IV has set the new standard for interactive movie experiences. Even Origin is painting itself into a corner: will gamers settle now for anything less than Wing Commander IV quality, from even the most innocuous projects?
Despite the fears and reservations such a project may have induced (and let's face it, when you first boot it up your first response is, to quote Kurt Cobain, "Here we are now, entertain us"), you have to admire the way the game manages to succeed. It does so by utilizing every clich known to cinema: really, really nasty villains (who dress in black, no less), lots of spaceships flying around blowing things up, moral dilemmas, acts of unspeakable violence and betrayal, a hero with a rebel streak in him (of course the "him" is all important), a wacky sidekick for comic relief, numerous, stern-faced extras as cannon fodder, some good old fashioned angst and, believe it or not a dramatic court scene at the end. All it lacks is that tacked-on hackneyed love story (hello Wing Commander III) to make it really pass "Generic Adventure Movie 101."
Of course all of this would actually matter if we all didn't love this sort of thing. Many would be more upset if a game or movie didn't follow these rules, as set in stone (or celluloid) by the great philosopher Lucas. Part of the charm of the things is their familiarity. Besides, the game is such an event and a bigger-than-life experience that criticism becomes somewhat futile. Yes, it could have been made better with a bit more attention to film basics and story and less to hiring name actors and building fancy sets, but it remains a must-have for anyone interested in state of the art gaming experiences. On its toughest levels, gamers will find a serious challenge and some hardcore gameplay. If you want to watch a movie, set the difficulty to lowest and go along for the ride. You won't regret it.
IBM PC and compatibles
Minimum: MS-DOS 5.0, 8 MB RAM, 30 MB hard disk space, 2X CD-ROM, VESA or PCI SVGA graphics
Recommended: Pentium 75, 16 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, 16-bit sound card
