Re: CRAP Poll # (Infinity - 6): Bring It Back!

On 6/29/2025 1:43 PM, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 6/29/2025 10:03 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>
Wing Commander III was always my favorite, even though the gameplay
itself probably lagged behind its predecessor. The move to full 3D
made for slower gameplay with fewer ships in the arena. But it was
hard to resist the fantasy of being the plucky underdog hero --as
played by Mark Hammil no less!-- in an operatic sci-fi space
adventure, and the tech, for the time, was breathtaking. Full motion
video! Virtual sets! 3D spaceships with real-time lighting and
texture-mapping! Four -- count em, FOUR!-- CD-ROMs! A game whose
budget rivaled (some) Hollywood movies! It truly was a revolutionary
game.
>
Wing Commander IV arguably boasted more mature gameplay and had a
(slightly) less juvenile storyline, but it felt a lot less
cutting-edge. It's shades-of-grey storyline was slightly less
accessible, and its gameplay loop --autopilot to waypoint, fight
enemies, repeat until mission complete-- was starting to feel a bit
long in the tooth. Had the schedules been reversed and Wing Commander
IV had come out first, though, and I think it would have been my
favorite. It's just that time was catching up on the franchise and
what had once seemed novel and exciting was now increasingly becoming
old hat.
>
Still, I think "Wing Commander III" holds up quite well, especially if
you apply the various fan-patches that upscale the video.* It's an
incredibly uncomplicated game, and it knows it. The missions are
simple and fast, with few attempts to add mid-game complications. If
you allow for the fact it's a 30-year old game and ultimately nothing
more than a quick arcade blast with fun FMV cutscenes, it's still a
ridiculously compelling ride.

 So, what are your thoughts on the Wing Commander movie?

Movie?  What movie?
...
I did see it years later.  I don't remember a damn thing about it other than a general feeling of it being o.k. and much better than typical video game to move transitions.  I also remember thinking the FMV story was way better.
--
-Justisaur
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