Hands On Preview #5 (February 25, 2007)

[Bandit LOAF]

Gaming news site 1Up has posted their preview of Wing Commander Arena! This article is not as in-depth as the previous four, but it still provides some interesting information:

The controls for each ship offer a fair amount of functionality. You can strafe, barrel roll and 180 degree turn, allowing you a bunch of options to shake enemy fire. Of course, what type of ship you arm yourself with before you jump into the fight has a lot to do with how effective the movements will be. Each ship is set to offer different amounts of firepower and maneuverability. The math would be as follows: fast ships + light weapons = fast to turn. You get the idea, so we're moving on.

It's hard to know how this game will catch on, as it's the strangest entry yet into the Wing Commander universe. And although this is no space combat simulator, it could be enough to jump-start the franchise once more. It feels like EA is testing the waters again, not only with today's announcement, but with the recent appearance of Wing Commander on PSP in EA Replay. As it stands, Wing Commander Arena is a decent Xbox Live Arcade experience that looks to be best played with friends.

If you want to know how Arena plays, be sure to also read the previews at IGN, ShackNews, Team Xbox and GameSpot. The word is good!

--
Original update published on February 25, 2007

 

[Dougly]

I think the key part of this article for me is:

It feels like EA is testing the waters again, not only with today's announcement, but with the recent appearance of Wing Commander on PSP in EA Replay.

Arena isn't the "exact" game I've been waiting for all of these years. Nevertheless, I am looking at it as something of a good sign. It could very well mean that a more "proper" WC sequal could be in store for a few years down the road.

 

[Lorien]

From what I've seen and read, it seems to be kind of like the old Subspace game. Would that be a fair comparison?

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Hmmm, yes and no. It acts *sort of* like SubSpace... but the real joy to SS was the simplicity -- and the real surprise about Arena is the complexity.

 

[Lorien]

Thanks. Sounds like it's time to start looking for a 360.