he Wing Commander line of space combat simulation games has always been popular and playable, and Prophecy is another solid addition to the series. It builds on WC4 by advancing both the basic game engine and the story, as well as the fictional technology.
Years have passed since the war with the Union of Border Worlds depicted in Wing Commander IV, and humanity is enjoying the benefits of an extended peace. Not so the Kilrathi, who, since having their homeworld destroyed by Christopher Blair (Hamill), have become the galaxy's punching clowns. A new alien force has taken to kicking them up and down the starlanes, and Confed's recently commissioned mega-carrier Midway is sent to help.
Prophecy's biggest departure from its predecessors is that Blair is no longer the viewpoint character. Now the game follows the exploits of rookie pilot Lance Casey (Petrarca), son of the Iceman, a legendary character from the earlier games. Gone are the conversation trees and branching story lines of WC3 and 4--what happens on the Midway happens, and the only place where decisions need to be made is in the cockpit.
The new aliens fly weird, organic craft that have the look of fish or insects, but with whopping firepower. As Casey, players battle them head-to-head in a variety of space ships, from light fighters to heavy bombers. Missions include patrols, raiding space stations, knocking out cruisers and destroyers, and escort duty.
Between missions, full motion video sequences tell the story of Casey's life onboard the Midway, as well as his relationships with the other pilots, crew, and officers (Hamill, as Blair, plays a minor part). Other returning characters include Hawk, Dekker and Maniac (Confed's Homer Simpson).
I'm a fighter pilot, not an actor
By now, of course, Origin knows how to make a satisfying and intuitive space simulation, but this time around they've improved their game engine with better graphics and effects. Missiles, usually sort of invisible, now have bright contrails. Nearby explosions cause Casey's ship to rock. Shield effects are also quite nice, especially on capital ships. The new enemy has lots of little ships, making dogfights much more cinematic. While it's easy to keep blowing them away, they just keep coming.
The overall plot, which generally keeps the Midway running for her life as her crew tries to puzzle out the inscrutable aliens, is exciting and action-oriented. The acting, conversely, is ham-fisted and the dialog melodramatic. Although Hamill's brief appearances are always strong, and Petrarca as Casey is thankfully understated, they serve on a ship of fools. The game also emphasizes and glorifies drinking, a questionable ingredient for a product aimed at teenagers.
It's too bad Casey can't configure what ordinance he flies with, because some of the standard weapons are useless during certain missions. It's also too bad the game calls for such a high-end PC (133 Mhz minimum recommended, although it will play on a 120 Mhz, but choppily) because many gamers won't be able to play it. But for those with the hardware--say, a 300 Mhz processor and a 25-inch monitor--Prophecy is a religious experience.
