Wing Commander

Details

Release year: 1990

Storyline

You're a 2nd Lieutenant just out of the Academy, who joins The Confederation who have been at war with the Kilrathi for the past 20 years.

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Did you know

• Cast of characters: Christopher Blair (though this doesn't become the character's official name until the third game, here the name is user-defined), Col. Peter Halcyon, Maj. James "Paladin" Taggart, Capt. Jeannette "Angel" Devereaux, 2nd Lt. Todd "Maniac" Marshall, Maj. Michael "Iceman" Casey, Maj. Kein "Bossman" Chen, 1st Lt. Mariko "Spirit" Tanaka, Capt. Ian "Hunter" St. John, Capt. Joseph "Knight" Khumalo, 1st Lt. Zach "Jazz" Colson (only appears in the Secret Missions 2 expansion pack); 1st Lt. Etienne "Doomsday" Montclair (only appears in Secret Missions 2) and Shotglass the bartender.

• The only game in the Wing Commander series where the player earns medals and advances in rank according to their performance in missions. The player starts off as a Second Lieutenant and may go up 4 ranks to Lieutenant Colonel. Although at the end of Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi (1991) the player is promoted from Captain to Colonel and in Wing Commander: Prophecy (1997) Casey is promoted from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant and is awarded two medals during the course of the game, in these games this isn't connected to the player's actual performance in missions, other than simply completing them.

• As PCs back in 1990 couldn't render polygons properly, two-dimensional sprites were used to simulate a realistic environment. The graphics turned out so impressive that this game was regarded as the most advanced at the time.

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