Nowadays, DID is famous for having developed ground-breaking flight sims like TFX, EF2000 and F-22. But before that there was Epic, a 3D space combat simulator. Back then in 1992, this was awaited as being the ultimate space combat game and it promised a lot. But at the end it just wasn't executed well enough and probably rushed out too early to be a really great game and the long awaited Wing Commander-killer.
The in-game graphics as well as the stills and animations in the cut-scenes are great. Epic also features ground combat missions on planets next to the space missions, which wasn't seen before in this type of game. It's fun to play, the presentation overall is very stylish. However, there are only very few missions and some bad design faults. When you play it you will also notice soon that you can't fully pitch, making it more of a 2D shooter than a 3D space sim.
Still, Epic is a good game of its own, but it could have been better. If you like space shooters, be sure to give it a try. Needs a slow-down util on faster computers.
Review By HOTUD
Comments and reviews
Nice and quite simple shooter. Despite a really good 3D engine it is not a simulation and shows a bit wasted effort how to really make use of it.
This was one of the first three dimensional space games I ever played back in 92. Absolutely loved it. Despite its now ancient looking graphic, it's still a decent game to play.
It was still freely available here the last time I checked so was surprised to see GOG have hoovered up yet another great game that was free to download at one point.
I object to having to pay for it again having purchased the game as a boxed set 31 years ago. I dumped all of my floppy disks several years ago when we moved house. Regret it now.
Thankfully I did download this when it was still freely available for zero cash.
Good Old Games have taken away many of the decent games that were once considered abandonware.
Nice one mate. Thanks for the controls, for this forgotten but interesting piece of history :)
My copy included the following read.me file. Hope this helps:
Key Description
ððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððððð
ESC ........... during animation or brief will skip to next section
pressed together with CONTROL will quit back to DOS
pressed twice will self destruct the ship (useful if
you've run out of fuel)
HOME .......... display heading to center of world
F1 ............ front view inside cockpit view
with SHIFT gives outside front view looking at ship
F2 ............ looking back view
with SHIFT gives outside back view looking at ship
F3 ............ looking left view
with SHIFT gives looking at ship view
F4 ............ looking right view
with SHIFT gives looking at ship view
F5 ............ outside view looking at closest target or nearest
enemy ship
F6 ............ outside view trailing ship
F7 ............ lookup view
F10 ........... view current target(s) press again to step to next
D ............. toggle the detail level between auto/low/high
F ............. select fuel scoop
L ............. select lazers
M ............. select missiles
S ............. toggle shield on/off
ENTER ......... step to next weapon
T ............. target the cobalt weapon
P ............. pause press P again to unpause
C ............. center joystick
J ............. toggle betweek joystick and mouse
K ............. in joystick control, decrease x sensitivity
H ............. in joystick control, increase x sensitivity
N ............. in joystick control, increase y sensitivity
O ............. in joystick control, decrease y sensitivity
STRANGE ASS GAME should be the title of this one.
controls are OFF and there doesn't seem to be any
way to configure them, you can use mouse or arrow-keys
to control your ship, not sure if you have full 360Degree
freedom of movement or not, get tie- fighter or x-wing
instead of this one.
Really loved this one back in the days! Who likes scifi games and shooters, space simulators, this was a must.
Great simulation game, have a better playability than the starwars xwing series, have a nice story too. Try to board the epic starfighter.
No comment nor review for this game at the moment.