Introduction

Developed by: Warthog and Digital Anvil
Published by: Microsoft
Starlancer official page: http://www.microsoft.com/games/da/starlancer/

If you've read our Starlancer Hands-On Preview you probably know how much we think that the game industry owes Chris Roberts. You likely also found yourself left with the feeling that we were pretty damn impressed with the beta that was graciously given to us. So how has Starlancer changed in the months since then?

Riders in the Sunset

Kablooie!

Well, no need to save this for last. The game is amazingly clean. We've seen final games that shipped with more bugs than the Starlancer beta had. The final version improves on that and it's clear that Digital Anvil and Warthog did not slack at all when it came to the spit 'n shine. Through our entire experience with Starlancer we found no obvious bugs like crashes, graphical corruption or even control problems. Starlancer brings new meaning to the term "rock solid." If only all games out there could be released in such a condition. It's not perfect, mind you, just very, very good.

Tell Me of the War

Starlancer's story is heavily based on history, especially the events of the Second World War and the immediate post-war period. The Western Alliance, a group of nations including basically the original members of NATO, has advanced rapidly, colonized the solar system and prospered quite well. The disenchanted, poorer nations (think: the old communist countries) had stagnated for quite a while but have recently resurged, and formed the Eastern Coalition. Unhappy with the current state of world affairs, they had waged war on the Western Alliance, but no decisive conclusion could be reached. In the weeks leading up to the beginning of Starlancer, a series of peace talks were concluded and a deal was to be reached between the two sides. Of course, anyone who knows the history of the war in the Pacific, and of the Roberts boys' fascination with it can guess what happens next.

Leaking Lizards!

Liliput?

The Eastern Coalition sneaks in a strike fleet right under the noses of the Western Alliance and proceeds to lay waste to the unprepared WA base and their docked fleet. Caught with their pants down, the Alliance does what anyone who had his ass kicked in does - they run. They run to their farthest safe outposts deep in the solar system, near Neptune, and prepare to counterattack the vastly superior Coalition forces.

That's It?

Yep, that's the general overview of the plot. Of course, there are not-so-minor details to keep it interesting, but that's the big background story. It seems pretty weak (the WA wasn't looking for cloaked ships? Or if they can't ever find them, how was this war even a contest? What happens on Earth? How could WA nations ignore the plight of the poorer ones and let the hostile EC form?), but it's nothing particularly bad. In fact, based as it is on historical fact, the story illustrates just how stupid a nation's leaders can really be.