User Reviews (1 - 11 of 21)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

These bad guys are so good....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: October 14, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I love playing games, but when push comes to shove, I'm not very good at it. I own both X-Wing and TIE Fighter. When I play X-Wing, I always die in a fiery explosion in my first mission (once I was lucky, though, and got captured!), but TIE Fighter is so flexible in difficulty that even I have gotten pretty far. It's more interesting, too. Most Imperial fighters (and all of the classic movie ones)have no shields, so you must rely on your wits, aim, speed, and allies to keep from becoming toast, and if you run off to do secondary missions (for which you gain major brownie points with the Emperor and promotions through his secret "Order"), sometimes none of these can save you. Luckily, at least on the difficulties I played on (and it can get much harder for all you challenge junkies), it's not very easy to die or get captured even if you try (yes, I have. yes, I'm strange).
If you hate games but love Star Wars (or vice versa), this is going to convert you. If you're into games of any kind (unless you only play solitaire and mahjongg, in which case you probably are from another galaxy anyway and don't need to discover the Star Wars one), BUY THIS RIGHT NOW. You will not regret it. You'll get more fun for your money than from any other game, even the Sims or Grand Theft Auto, no matter how sophisticated your computer is (I still only have 400 MHz).

The Empire Strikes Back...but Good!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Tired of seeing Imperial Tie Fighters drop like flies against a target as slow and vulnerable as a patched-up Correlian freighter? Than this game is for you. The original Tie Fighter was a sequel to the original X-wing Fighter" game - both have been updated for Win 95 and 98 with better sound and graphics in the flight sequences. Between the flying, however, the graphics on each look like a throwback to the game's 486-era ancestor - with still characters and MIDI music (stereo sound is available during flights, so anybody who needs an excuse to hear that John Williams music should get either game). Since the collectors ed. of each game is strongly rooted to the earlier games, and with the original Tie Fighter having been the better title, the new Tie Fighter Collector's Ed. beats the XWCE. Besides the better and more believable interiors of the Imperial craft - the target computer in TF shows the ship and what direction it's pointing relative to you) is a better story. Here, you not only fight for the empire (how's that for a switch) but for its inner circle as well. Most of the time, the interests run in the same direction as the high command - now you have to investigate ships that your commanders want you to destroy, and you may find yourself getting shot at by some of your fellow Tie pilots. Even the obstacle course is better - with the complex tunnels and moving doors reminding me muc of the Death Star run from "Jedi". You start out flying the simple basic Tie Fighter (no shields and no hyperdrive) working your way up to the Tie Interceptor and up to the Tie Advanced. Not of all of your missions pit you against the rebellion - instead you'll spend more time fighting pirates or against both sides in civil wars (you need the empire's permission to war against anybody) or against imperial defectors (complete with their own star destroyer and squadrons of the latest in TF technology. A complex storyline will have you saving the empire from a coup and even flying alongside Darth Vader himself (if you screw that mission, you'll have to apologize in person).

Storyline and graphics aside, TF suffers for much of the same reason as XW - canned missions that have you blasting away at just about everybody can get pretty repetitive. You're the weak link - there are a few set mission goals and if any are missed, the mission is a failure (you'd think with their fleets of cruisers and their clouds of fighters, the empire could afford to miss a few hundred). Also, the XW/TF series has been advanced in meaningful but slow steps - with the collectors ed being a great facelift for the older games, but not a great improvement on them. If you've got at least an old P-200 MMX with a decent 3d card (I had the Voodoo2) you should make the jump to the X-Wing v. Tie Fighter, making sure that your version comes with the "Balance of Power" campaign. XWvTF was geared for Multi-player, but supported it poorly. Nevertheless, single-play is always going to a problem for scripted-mission games like these, and the newer games have somewhat better graphics and sound. If you're running a P3, I'd suggest going up a notch to "X-Wing Alliance". The collectors edition of either of the first two games is strongly recommended for those whose systems top out below 200MHz.

Luke, I am your father! - Works with WinXP caveat

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: June 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'm playing this classic on winxp so it does work with 2 caveats.

-Choose the ingame option of 640x480 graphics (not the 3D hardware option)

-To get a USB joystick working, run the MS compatibility patch ;
qfixapp.exe or the newer "compatibility administrator",
and DISABLE joystick emulation.

also don't forget the Freespace series of starfighter games!

You know you love the Dark Side...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 22, 2003
Author: Amazon User

There is something extremely thrilling about playing the bad guy for a change. I was always happy to earn a medal after completing a mission in the X-Wing games, but I LOVED earning the Emperor's blessings as a TIE Fighter pilot. Goose bumps! I got goose bumps on missions of vital import to the Empire. I felt like I could take on the entire Rebel Alliance myself.

The style of dogfighting is so different in a TIE because you ain't gots no shields!!!! :-) You simple must not get hit or pray that its a glancing shot you can shake off over time by outmaneuvering the enemy.

Playing for the Empire opens up a diffrent sort of game. It is a lot fresher than the X-wing games, which make you feel like the understudy to Luke Skywalker since you are essentially taking on his place as Top Gun in Rogue Squadron. I mean, how many times can you blow up the Death Star in a Star Wars game? That type of game you can find over and over. But in TIE Fighter, there is a new perspective, much more intrigue and mystery. Lots of suprises. Hey, you are working for the bad guys, not everyone on your team plays well with others.

There is a reason that this is considered one of the best games of ALL time. It is that good. And a minor spoiler... I nearly cried when I got the pleasure to fly as wingman to HIM. The Force IS strong with this one.... the Dark Side of the Force.

A Classic and All-Time Great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: September 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It's been ten years since Tie Fighter made its appearance, and I think that it's still probably the best game I've ever played.

As many have said, this is an exquisite experience even if you're no fan of Star Wars. If you are, however, you'll be delighted to know that this game, rather than being the standard "unbelievably lucky Rebel kills the evil Empire all by himself," in TIE Fighter, you are an Imperial pilot. And you're not alone, you're - well, I'll get to that.

The graphics, while not exactly ILM, are decent, as is the music. But it's the gameplay that makes a brave man weep in the wake of its sheer perfection. As a simulation game, controlling your TIE fighter is quite complex but you'll learn and get used to it in a matter of minutes. The combat itself is fast-paced and detailed, very advanced for a game of its time.

And unlike most previous Star Wars games, in which you had an incredible advantage over your enemies, in TIE Fighter, you (as an individual) are often equally matched or even outmatched. The AI is beautiful, and it works both for your enemies and your allies. You are often only one element in a large and well-orchestrated operation. You'll get an amazing sense of accomplishment out of this game.

It's just... epic. That's the word that keeps popping up in my brain. It was epic.

You'll be quickly immersed in the storyline; in-mission voices are a big help. The campaign is very, very long, but worth every minute of it. There's a stunning variety of mission designs and goals.

As you progress in rank, you'll get access to more advanced crafts and weapons, and, for storyline purposes, if you complete "extra" objectives in certain missions, you'll gain levels in the Emperor's secret service. (For a big fan of the Empire like myself, well, this is just *cool.*) In the earlier missions, you're often either alone or with one or two squadrons. You'll occasionally be under the command of your wing leader, but for the majority of the missions you're the leader of your flight group.

And the farther along you go, the larger the battles get. This is the thing that really blew me away. In major missions, there are often ten or more capital ships and literally dozens of fighters and other smaller craft. You feel like you've become a part of something big.

It just sucks you in. It feels like it's real. I haven't seen a game since that's quite reached that quality of depth.

Please don't be fooled if you've played its successor, "X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter," which was nothing but a backfired attempt to fix what wasn't broken.

In short: play Tie Fighter before you die.

Greatest Game Ever Made

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I always loved this game, but the reason that I call this the greatest game ever is because it has passed the test of time remarkably well. Everybody has something to love about this classic game. Fans of flight games will delve into the spacecraft with glee, as there are multiple functions that the player must use to the fullest, whether it's in combat or in those tight defensive situations. "Star Wars" fans should get into this right away. The story is good, but doesn't have the top-of-the-line production as games do today. But then again, this was 1995...no game had the breathtaking cinemas that today's PC games do. Anybody looking for a good action romp will not be disappointed. There are intense combat scenarios, missions that require non-aggressive plans (inspections...escorts), and really well-done in-game scripting. Basically, the complexity of most strategy games is taken care of for you, and you can just jump right in and complete your objectives without task-managing. Plus, this game is not just for the diehard gamers. There are easy tutorials that don't feel tedious, but instead really grip the player, and build a feeling of confidence once he/she chooses to fly in the awesome missions. Now, you will need a flight controller or joystick to play this game, as the mouse and keyboard don't seem to do it for today's computers. I know I've made a bold statement in claiming this game to be the ultimate experience, but you won't find a better PC or console game anywhere else. Don't miss out on this classic.

*insert star wars quote*

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

excellent. thats about the only thing to be said about Tie Fighter. Its a true simulation (not a arcade like game like Rogue Leader. which still rocks). the graphics, though dated, easily get the message through. the music is mindblowing (John Williams after all). and theres nothin gquite like watching a X-Wing shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. then the bitternes of having your own 'fighter being sheared in half because of the resulting debris. ahh, memorys, memorys...

Great when released but dated by today's standards

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 11
Date: November 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Tie Fighter was a great space simulator when it was released: cool graphics, descent missions, great controls and lots of vehicles to choose from. The story line that connected missions is also good.

However, it is an old game. The high res mode is 640x480. If you are not buying this game for it's nostagia value, I think that you will be disappointed by the dated graphics and sound if you compare it to other, more recent releases.

If you are looking for a Star Wars themed game at discount prices, you may find Rogue Squadron or Starfighter Naboo as little more upto date options.

Very good game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 07, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is well worth buying! It is fun with o.k. graphics and is at a very afordable price.

I highly recomend this game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I always loved TIE fighters and daydreamed about piloting one. And then this game came along and made my dreams come true. This is definitely the best computer game I ever played. It made me feel like I know what it's like for the pilots of the TIE craft. It made me feel that so much, that the next time I saw the scene of the four TIE fighters chasing the Millenium Falcon through the asteroid field, I felt like I was watching fellow pilots die, and I felt a remorse for the loss of my comrades. It's not that I'm that weird, it's just that this game is that GOOD!

Review Page: 1 2 3 Next 

Actions