X-Wing Alliance
|
|
| X-Wing Alliance | |
| Missing image Xwalliance.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Totally Games |
| Publisher(s) | LucasArts |
| Release date(s) | February 28, 1999 |
| Genre | Space simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | |
| Platform(s) | PC |
X-Wing Alliance or XWA is the sequel to Star Wars: TIE Fighter. Due to player disregard for the multiplayer focused X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter as a part of the X-wing computer game series, XWA is considered the third installment.
Superior in most aspects than its predecessors, XWA presents the story of Ace Azzameen, the youngest member of the Azzameen family, a neutral family of traders. The player assumes Ace Azzameen's place in the all missions in the game(with exception to the Death Star missions, which is played from Lando Calrissian's perspective).
Apart from the usual badges and medals for winning missions which are featured in the other games of the X-wing series, progress is also indicated by the amount of souvenirs collected in Ace's room. There is also a 'mail' delivery between missions that helps to evolve Ace's background story while also providing deeper looks into his personal relationships and his families whereabouts.
XWA is the first game of the series to offer a full voiceover soundtrack and full dialogue in-flight. Flight control is marginally updated from the previous games of the series, allowing the player to link his or her cannons together as well as the addition of rudder support. Graphics are also overhauled in this game; high resolution textures, more complex models, and full three dimentional cockpits were added. However, the cockpits are not faithful to the other games; all indicators and screens are seperated from the cockpit as an inflight HUD depicted as floating windows.
| Contents |
Story
The game's prologue or tutorial, concerns Ace's 'family missions' where his elder family members and Emkay instruct him in the flying of Corellian transports so that he can begin working for the family.
These missions reveal that the Azzameen family are in heated competition with the Viraxo and are generally sympathetic to the Rebel Alliance. Due to their sympathies, the patriarch of the family, Antan Azzameen, runs various bacta runs for the Alliance in the aftermath of the Battle of Hoth. This causes them to pay dearly as the Galactic Empire raids their home station for running bacta to an Alliance outpost. The family then subsequently seeks asylum with a Rebel task force.
As a rebel pilot, Ace participates in a variety of space flight missions for the Rebellion while also helping his family whenever he is needed against the Viraxo. During his tour with the Rebel Alliance, he proves himself to be a significant pilot as he partakes on missions which reveal new Imperial projects, such as a slew of expiramental TIE fighters as well as the new Death Star II.
Some events connect the game to the movies The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi such as sequences which track the Rebellion's situation after the Battle of Hoth, as well as the stealing of Shuttle Tydirium. The game also concludes with the climatic Battle of Endor.
Modifications
The X-Wing project was finished before any expansions were scheduled so Alliance is the only one of the X-wing series to have no expansion or re-enhanced remake.
However, the game is modifiable as many fans and programmers create improved textures and graphics for the ships, new missions and other modifications. Some of them include remakes of the previous games, based on the engine of Alliance.
Other games in the X-wing computer game series
- Star Wars: X-wing (1993)
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994)
- X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997)
- X-Wing Collector Series (1998)
External Links
- Official X-Wing Alliance page (http://lucasarts.com/products/alliance/default.htm)
- XWingAlliance.net (http://www.xwingalliance.net)
- X-Wing Alliance Upgrade (http://www.xwaupgrade.com/)