Wing Commander™ 4: The Price of Freedom

Wing Commander IV is the highest point in one of the greatest series in the history of gaming. Everything that made WC wonderful is present and better than ever. The story in particular is probably the most enticing ever seen in an already splendidly told saga. The war with the Kilrathi is over, but new enemies arise for the Terran Confederation, and Colonel Christopher Blair, now retired, is asked to get back again in the cockpit to ensure peace against the threat of a separatist alliance of planets. But is this the real threat? Or is the Confederation, weakened and blinded after the long and bloody war with the Kilrathi missing its true enemy? WC4, like its predecessor WC3, is told through a magnificent series of cutscenes shot with real actors. We have Mark Hamill, Tom Wilson and Malcolm McDowell among the "stars", but also a few other important characters like the Captain Eisen from WC3. You may also recognize a great Chris Mulkey (Twin Peaks, among other things) playing the pilot Hawk. Every character is played very well, as WC4 is probably the greatest example of the often discussed 'interactive movie' era of games. The best part of the game, however, remains its plot and the way it unfolds. There is a lot of mystery going on, difficult choices to make and later in the game you also have the choice to decide how the war campaign should going on, e.g. choosing to go on a series of defensive missions rather than going for the assault (I'm speaking generally to avoid spoilers). Compared to WC3, this chapter really makes an effort to make you feel like your choices actually impact the game, you'll see that the replayability is pretty high because even though in the end the main storyline is one, there are a few different approaches towards it, with missions varying a lot based on what you choose. The only relatively lacking part, like in WC3, is the flight model. Focusing so much on the movie-like experience, the feeling in the cockpit is pretty distant from other space sims like, say, the Freespace saga. The game however is still pretty fun, and reasonably difficult at higher levels. All in all, Wing Commander IV is an absolute masterpiece, the great ending to a great saga (I'm not counting WC5, which wasn't made by Chris Roberts). Get your popcorns, plug in your joystick, and get ready to find out why "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance".

I personally think Wing Commander III had the more interesting story, but this Wing Commander is easily the best on a technical level. The use of real sets really enhances the immersion and it was cool to have a last big Wing Commander game with more mission branching like in the first game. And special mention deserves the fact that the GOG release is the DVD version with videos in MPEG2 quality. This version was never separately released in retail stores, but came only bundled with MPEG2-Decoder cards like the RealMagic Xcard. To have this version widely available now is just AWSOME!

WC IV was an amazing game for the time, and still holds up well against modern space combat games. Great story and music. FMV on DVD version is fantastic, and gameplay is still a blast!! EPIC!!!

The best of the Series. Wing Commander 3 was a technological leap forward, but had its flaws due to the technology available at its time. Wing Commander 4 refines the advancements found in WC3 and creates what many agree to be a masterpiece of interactive science fiction. The gameplay was improved by allowing more ships on the screen, far more detail than what was found in WC3, and the missions are more diverse and interesting. You still won’t find the scale seen in Freespace, but WC4 is impressive for its day and is still enjoyable to play. The plot is considered by players and critics to be one of the best in PC history. WC4’s plot falls after the Kilrathi war and is easily accessible for those who never played a Wing Commander gamer before. The plot is well paced, well acted, and complex. If you’re a sci-fi fan this one is a must. During a time when FMV games were churned out with no regard for quality, WC4 was far above the rest. WC4 is a masterpiece of its day and is still an impressive experience 17 years later.