The Wargamer

Battlestar Galactica

Diehard fans of the popular Battlestar Galactica TV series have a new action-packed, space combat interactive game available for Windows PC and Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Play to defend the Galactica or play as the ruthless Cylons. In the recently released Battlestar Galactica, developed by Australian-based Auran Games and produced by a partnership between NBC Universal and Sierra Online, players can pilot various ships and complete ten memorable single-player missions from the TV series or play online in this relentless space-based action shooter in several different multiplayer game modes.

Introduction

Viewers of the original 1978-79 Battlestar Galactica series, the short-lived Galactica 1980 series, or the more recent ongoing series that started in 2004 already know the basic setting and background for this game. In the seventh millennium, A.D., Galactica is the only surviving battlestar after an attack by the evil Cylons. As a result of the attack, peace and most of humankind has been wiped out. Led by Commander Adama, the Galactica and a couple hundred other smaller ships flee to try to find refuge on the legendary, but unknown planet Earth. The Cylons with the help of the equally evil Count Baltar are in hot pursuit.

This latest Battlestar Galactica game is itself another sequel in a series of games based on the TV series. In 1978 Mattel first released a handheld electronic game version. In 2003 a roleplaying video game version was released for Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox. One might think that another version would build upon what was done previously, where players in the 2003 game could take the part of Ensign William “Husker” Adama and fly their Viper on missions against the Cylons. At least some sense of continuity between the video game and the TV series was attempted. The roleplaying aspect could have been expanded, or newer strategy gaming features added to provide a richer gaming experience. However, this new version remains essentially a 2D arcade shooter game. It is nicely done for an arcade game and supports online multiplayer action, but for those expecting something more along the lines of a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) space strategy wargame they will most likely be disappointed.

Installation & Documentation

The 102 MB download is available online at the Battlestar Galactica website. A 30-minute free trial is available and the full game is available for US$19.99. Download and installation went smoothly, the game opened and ran fine, and everything appeared to work perfectly. I wish all games were so problem-free. I did check the Sierra Online technical support forum and noted only a few reported issues, mostly related to outdated or incompatible driver software for the video or sound card.

Players have the ability to configure game controls for keyboard, mouse and/or joystick. Other game settings and display settings are also adjustable. It may take a few games to determine which default settings are OK and which are annoying and need to be changed. I made a few changes to suit my preferences, and this kind of flexibility is a nice feature in any game.

Game documentation, on the other hand, was scattered throughout several different game menus and was probably the most frustrating aspect to getting started. Could there not be an electronic game manual provided in the download? There is no one place to find all game information. Fortunately, being an arcade game, there is not that much detail that a player needs to read about. The various menus provide necessary information and players will get the hang of the game soon enough.

Graphics & Sound

For a 2D arcade game, the graphics are pretty slick, especially for the fighters. The space battlefields are also 2D with lots of floating debris, wreckage and asteroids that players must fly around. Although the game is 2D, most of the graphics are done well enough to provide a reasonable 3D effect. And despite the fighters being rendered nicely in high-resolution detail, most of the other large objects such as the Galactica battlestar and Cylon basestars are relatively low resolution. Explosions are pretty cool looking, such as the one in the screenshot below (something I got used to seeing quite often while I was learning the game!):

For sound effects, Battlestar Galactica sounds about like what one may expect for an arcade game. There are plenty of ship zooms and weapon booms and the distinctive sounds of the Viper II’s cannons blasting away and missiles being launched. Players can crank up the volume and practically feel the action! But again, it is still an arcade game experience and the sound effects will not convince players they are in anything deeper than an arcade game. Considering how NBC Universal helped to produce this game, it would have been nice to have more high-quality sound effects and musical scores from the TV series. Why not?