STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition

About

"STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition" allows you to join the Imperial Navy and pilot spacecraft in the Star Wars universe. Experience the story through cinematic cutscenes and complete missions to eradicate the Rebel alliance. This special edition includes three versions of the game, offering a 3D world and various space fighter options.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

STAR WARS™: TIE Fighter Special Edition screenshot

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 806 reviews

story76 positive mentions

music14 negative mentions

Possibly the greatest Star Wars game of all time, with amazing mission design that puts modern games to shame.
The game offers a nostalgic experience with engaging gameplay and a compelling story, allowing players to fly for the Empire.
Challenging and interesting gameplay with well-made missions, dynamic music, and intuitive controls that enhance the immersion.

The game is plagued by crashes and technical issues, particularly on modern systems, making it frustrating to play.
Requires a joystick for optimal play, which can be a barrier for many players, and the mouse controls are not effective.
Graphics and overall presentation have aged poorly, which may deter new players unfamiliar with the game's legacy.

story
302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The story of the game is widely praised for its depth and engaging narrative, offering a unique perspective as players take on the role of an Imperial pilot during the Galactic Civil War. Many reviews highlight the well-constructed missions, which feature multiple objectives and a rich backdrop involving iconic characters like Emperor Palpatine and Admiral Thrawn, contributing to a satisfying and immersive experience. However, some players noted issues with mission repetition and technical problems that hindered their enjoyment of the story progression.
- “The story fits into the Star Wars universe perfectly and gives the Empire's point of view of the different events and situations leading to the Battle of Endor.”
- “The story is fantastic; it's 40 hours of more 'Star Wars movie' presented from an interesting imperial perspective.”
- “Through radio chatter, mission briefings, and a fantastically developed campaign structure, a ton of background information on what was happening within the Empire and imperial command structure during the war becomes apparent.”
- “Super difficult, mediocre story.”
- “I love to play old school games including other action flight sims from the 90's but the repetitive missions and shallow story just couldn't help me get more than 50% through it.”
- “At one point the game kept crashing and crashing and I could not progress any further in the story.”
graphics
158 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
73%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated, reflecting its 1994 origins, yet they are often described as functional and immersive for their time. While some players appreciate the nostalgic charm of the old-school visuals, others find them challenging, especially on modern systems where performance issues can arise. Overall, despite the graphical limitations, many reviewers emphasize that the engaging gameplay and storyline compensate for the outdated aesthetics.
- “The graphics are pretty good for 1994, and the gameplay is solid.”
- “Despite the near 30 year old graphics, this remains one of the best video games ever made.”
- “The graphics are not modern, of course, but they are effective and don't burn your retina.”
- “Be warned, the graphics are painfully bad.”
- “The 1994 version is nearly unplayable due to graphics and doesn't include voice overs.”
- “Warning: if you have not played this game during the 90's on say a 486 PC, you may take offense at the outdated graphics.”
music
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
76%
15%
The music in the game is highly praised, particularly in the 1995 Collector's CD-ROM edition, which features the dynamic iMuse system that adapts the soundtrack to gameplay, enhancing immersion. In contrast, the 1998 Special Edition lacks this dynamic feature and relies on standard Star Wars music, which many players find less engaging. While some users note that the music can become repetitive, the nostalgic value and orchestral quality of the tracks, especially during key moments, contribute significantly to the overall experience.
- “The collectors' edition has an adaptive soundtrack while the special edition has improved graphics but lacks this.”
- “Getting back in for the first time in 20+ years, the music, the sounds, and Tie Fighter action pulled me in.”
- “Sure, it doesn't look quite as good as the special edition, but it has dynamic music during flight that really sets the mood of the missions.”
- “Sure the graphics are old looking and the music is atrocious!”
- “There is no music at all during combats in the special edition, but otherwise it works fine for me.”
- “The 1998 version is buggy and lacks the imuse dynamic music which for me was an important part of the game.”
gameplay
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The gameplay is praised for its challenging and immersive mechanics, with well-crafted missions that exceed the complexity of similar titles. Despite dated graphics, the deep combat systems and engaging story elements keep players invested, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre. While some find the gameplay repetitive, many appreciate the variety and depth it offers, solidifying its status as a classic in the Star Wars catalog.
- “Challenging and interesting gameplay, very well-made missions with some going above and beyond Wing Commander 3's complexity.”
- “The flight mechanics are fantastic, and the ability to change options such as shield positions and engine/laser power is insanely immersive.”
- “Plenty of missions, an immersive story, energy management, and targeting computer systems that keep the gameplay ever-changing, along with a great variety of missions.”
- “But today it's just one mechanic, boring repetitive gameplay.”
- “Unless you're a PC mechanic who wants to dig through the code of this poorly executed port, don't bother, mate.”
- “Gameplay worked fine, but it crashed immediately after the first mission.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally described as quite buggy, with issues such as freezing, lag, and problems with joystick setup, making it at times unplayable. While many users find the nostalgic value worth the hassle, they report needing to troubleshoot extensively to achieve a stable experience. Overall, while some bugs are patchable, the game's stability remains a significant concern for players.
- “...yes, the game opens and the dated graphics are perfectly acceptable, but it's totally unplayable - it's seriously laggy and it freezes.”
- “Only two downsides: the double mouse cursor and if you hit certain button combinations, the game freezes and you have to restart.”
- “Let alone how buggy the game is, you can't even rebind the awful joystick setup.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game offers significant replayability through a lengthy campaign filled with secondary and bonus objectives, as well as a mission editor that allows players to create their own content. Additionally, the scoring system encourages players to engage with harder difficulty settings, enhancing the overall experience for those seeking nostalgia or new challenges.
- “This makes this game much more playable and fun - and it still gives you some incentive to play with the harder settings by penalizing your score if you use cheats or play on easier difficulty settings.”
- “The campaign itself is pretty long and has secondary and bonus objectives that add replay value.”
- “I have an editor that allows you to make your own missions/story as well, which adds to its replayability.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The atmosphere in the finale is highly praised, creating a memorable experience, while the classic version is noted to lack key elements such as voice files for briefings and graphics upgrades that enhance the overall ambiance in the collector's edition.
- “The atmosphere of the finale is quite something.”
- “The classic lacks the rather atmosphere-defining voice files for the briefings and the graphics upgrades that are included in the collector's edition CD.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted to be a recurring theme, with players finding it amusing enough to replay multiple times, although some may feel that the humor can become repetitive.
- “I've played and beaten this game so many times it's not funny.”
- “I've played and beaten this game so many times it's not funny.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find that grinding in the game becomes repetitive and tedious by the time they reach later battles, particularly around battle 10, leading to a less enjoyable experience.
- “By the time battle 10 comes along, the game gets repetitive and rather tedious.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and lacks any real reward.”
- “After a few hours, the repetitive nature of grinding becomes exhausting and unfulfilling.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is highlighted by a recommendation to purchase it on GOG, contingent on the validity of their claim regarding the inclusion of a collector's CD, suggesting that potential buyers should verify this through user comments on the GOG website.