Graphics

DirectX 5 features like colored lighting!

I-War 2: Edge of Chaos is a somber game for the most part. The subject matter is meant to be dark and foreboding, full of anger over the injustices perpetrated on the citizens of the Badlands Cluster. The graphics themselves, on the other hand, are colorful, cheery and bright. The contrast is rather stark and does take away from the gloom of the plot but makes for a game that's more fun to play.

Planets, stars, moons and space stations are all 3D objects modeled to scale in the world. Distances are extremely vast - billions of kilometers separate planets and you get to travel it all in real time. Solar systems are so far apart, you need a special tool - the Capsule Drive - to move among them. The regular LDS drive is somewhat like the first part of lightspeed in Star Wars - where you can still see planets and ships, but they're just moving fast.

This reminds me of Swarmers from Wing Commander: Prophecy

phat lewt

Run bitch, run!

Ships are modeled with considerable detail, especially the ones you fly. The designs are modular, meaning that parts can be transferred among ships. Your command section module connects to all kinds of craft, as do various weapons, turrets and fighters.

The ship and station designs vary in quality. Some look cool and sleek - like the Dreadnaught class corvettes, while others almost seem like spoofs of science fiction cliches. Your own base is a site to behold, but most others seem like afterthoughts in the cosmic playground. They don't look any more advanced than the International Space Station that's being built right now.

Mark items for pickup

Holy crap I thought those were lasers!

I'm glad I don't live there

More goodies

Weapon effects and explosions are nothing special, although the lighting is quite remarkable. Guns and explosions all light up the appropriate parts of a craft that would be exposed to the flash. Regrettably, there is nothing as overwhelmingly cool about the combat effects in EoC as beam weapons were in FreeSpace 2. Ships are likewise nowhere near the scale they were in that game (well, they are close, but since you're piloting such a large craft around, the relative size differences aren't as drastic.)

The planetary systems, complete with moons, stars, planets, asteroid fields and space stations are by far the most impressive graphical feature of Edge of Chaos. Flying by a sun is one of the best experiences you can have, and seeing planetary bodies grow steadily bigger and bigger as you approach them is a heck of an experience.