Terminal Velocity

About

"Terminal Velocity" is a high-speed combat flight game with 9 planets and 27 levels, offering full 360-degree movement and realistic environments. It features 7 destructive weapons, power-ups, and intense air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. Developed by the former lead programmer of Microsoft Flight Simulator, it provides a fast frame rate and easy-to-learn controls.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 79 reviews

music10 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game is a nostalgic classic from the 90s, providing a fun and straightforward dogfighting experience.
Great music and action, with many players recalling fond memories of their childhood spent playing it.
Despite its age, the gameplay remains enjoyable, and it runs well on modern systems with some configuration adjustments.

The graphics have not aged well, and the game suffers from control issues, especially with modern input devices.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and simplistic, lacking depth and variation in missions.
The Steam version has technical issues, including poor joystick support and configuration problems that can hinder the experience.

music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
33%
11%
The music in the game is widely praised for its creativity and nostalgic appeal, featuring a kickin' soundtrack that stands out against the more generic orchestral scores typical of modern AAA games. While some tracks are noted for being short loops, they still contribute to an intense atmosphere, particularly highlighted by the "moon dagger" theme. Overall, the music is considered excellent for its time and remains memorable for players.
- “The 'moon dagger' music is really awesome and together with the dark level design makes it really intense!”
- “Well... after playing just 20 minutes I've reverted to my 11-year-old self in awe of one of the best soundtracks my ears have ever bled to!”
- “Also, that harsh mod file type techno music that was repetitive but totally bad.”
- “The music is still a lot more creative than the generic orchestral soundtracks you get in pretty much any AAA game nowadays, and it has a nice variety.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
15%
14%
The graphics of the game, while smooth and well-executed for their time, have not aged well since its 90s release, leading to a nostalgic yet dated visual experience. Many players express a desire for a graphical revamp to modernize the game, but still find it enjoyable despite its outdated appearance. Overall, it appeals to those who appreciate retro gaming and are willing to overlook its graphical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are very smooth and nicely done.”
- “Though the game hasn't aged gracefully from a graphical perspective, it's still a blast.”
- “I swear, when I was a kid I thought this had the best graphics.”
- “I don't know if this game ever had a strong presence, but I really hope they try to revamp it, update the graphics, and possibly the tracks so everything is more modern for today's era.”
- “I recommend it for those who want some nostalgia and for those who like such games and aren't afraid of 90s graphics.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The story is generally considered bland and overly simplistic, revolving around a familiar premise of a lone pilot battling aliens threatening Earth. While some players find the mission objective of seeking and destroying enemies engaging, the lack of narrative depth and variation in gameplay may disappoint those seeking a more intricate storyline. Overall, the background music adds a nice touch, but the story itself feels repetitive and uninspired.
- “As for the story, it's pretty neat.”
- “Your mission: to seek and destroy all of the p.d.g.”
- “Story is kinda bland and very over-done, but still running strong with its nice background tracks playing while you clear the objectives and shoot down the opposition.”
- “At the same time there's really no story and the overly simplistic gameplay may be a turnoff if you're not nostalgic for it.”
- “Story is even more plain: aliens ganged up against Earth and we, as the one and only pro pilot, have to eliminate them.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The gameplay of Terminal Velocity is noted for its nostalgic appeal, allowing mouse controls that enhance the experience, though it lacks a compelling story and may feel overly simplistic to some players. While the core mechanics involve flying and destruction across various planets, the game is praised for its engaging soundtrack and the presence of numerous secrets to discover.
- “Great OST, great gameplay, many secrets.”
- “At the same time, there's really no story, and the overly simplistic gameplay may be a turnoff if you're not nostalgic for it.”
- “Gameplay is plain: flying on planets, destroying everything that does and doesn't move.”
- “Strangely, Terminal Velocity has aged somewhat well in terms of gameplay, mostly because it can be played with the mouse.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that "Terminal Velocity" runs smoothly on Windows 7 when utilizing the built-in DOSBox software, indicating a stable performance on this platform.
- “Terminal Velocity runs great on Windows 7 using the built-in DOSBox software.”

69%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Terminal Velocity Review
Gamespot.com
69%

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