RPS "Have You Played?" Feature Visits Wing Commander 3

Veteran retrospective writer

is back with a new article at Rock Paper Shotgun. This time he writes about Wing Commander 3 and the greatness it should be remembered for. While there are a few obvious similarities to stories like Star Wars, the game has an overall tone that's grittier and more desperate than your typical action adventure. The premise works and hooked a generation of gamers. Richard also throws out a nod to WC4 and even Academy to highlight just how epic that 1994-1996 timeframe was for Wing Commander fans! Find the full article

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Cutting edge games often age poorly. Past a certain point, it can be tough to see what all the excitement was about in the first place. With so much fuss about Star Citizen though, I think it’s worth remembering that Wing Commander III wasn’t simply one of the most advanced games/interactive movies when it came out, but remains one of the bravest stories ever told. I don’t necessarily mean in terms of raw content here, but look. Put yourself in Chris Roberts’ shoes back in the early 90s. You’re making the most expensive game ever. A whole $4 million dollars! And what do you make?

One of the most depressing action movies ever, that’s what.