Starlancer, published by Microsoft for PC

SPECS: Pentium 200, 32MB RAM, 400MB hard disk space, 8xCD-ROM, mouse/joystick, 2MB video card (3d accelerator recommended).

YOU wouldn't expect anything less than top quality stuff from the creator of the Wing Commander series.

Chris and Erin Roberts are the big names behind this, the first release from new studio Digital Anvil, and it practically picks up where Wing Commander left off.

Hurtling around the universe as a fighter pilot, battling your way through a universe-changing war, whose details are told out in high-quality movie sequences... if you've played Wing Commander, you know the ropes.

Unfortunately, the game suffers from a poor layout of controls that is far from intuitive.

Once you've got used to those, however, the game is a solid one, putting you in the frontlines of the space war between the Eastern Coalition and the Western Alliance.

There's plenty of nice touches to the game, such as the way the characters you encounter on your home base react to your passing by.

At first, they'll ignore you, but as you gain promotions, they'll start to salute you when you come near. It doesn't affect gameplay, but it shows the thought that's gone into the game.

Also of note is the way that the overall plot is largely based on battles fought during the 20th century.

Any space shoot-em-up these days has to compare to the majestic Freespace 2 by Interplay, the leader of the pack, and it is to Starlancer's credit that it gets so many things right. But it still doesn't quite match Freespace, and in large part it is because you never feel like the universe depends on your shoulders.

If you failed in Freespace, quite often that was going to be the end of the whole shooting match. However, in Starlancer, there always seems to be someone else to back you up - too many wingmen, too many extra ships.

You are a small cog in the big wheel of Starlancer's plot, and as a result, the whole thing just doesn't have the intensity of Freespace. If you've finished Freespace, though, then this is the next title to reach for.

Graphics 4/5

Sound 4/5

Gameplay 4/5

Gamespan 4/5

Overall 4/5

STEPHEN HUNT

Tachyon: The Fringe, published by Novalogic for PC

SPECS: Pentium 200 with 8MB 3D graphics card (Pentium 400 without), 32MB RAM, 500MB hard disk space, mouse, 4xCD-ROM

Whereas Starlancer is a very straight-faced combat game, Tachyon is far more off-the-wall.

Combining the approach of the classic Elite with a wry humour, Tachyon has a real flavour of its own.

You play the role of Jake Logan, an ace pilot who contracts himself to the highest bidder. You choose each mission as you go along from the various job boards at the different space stations you encounter through the game.

But... things go wrong for Jake. A neat double-cross leaves him with a chip on his shoulder and a need to prove his innocence before he can return to the Core area of explored space.

It is up to you how you get there. You choose the missions to accept, and you decide if it is a mission you can handle on your own, or if you need a wingman along to watch your back.

For each job, you get paid, minus your wingman's cut, and you use the money to improve your ship and its equipment.

With Bruce Campbell, of the Evil Dead movies and TV's Xena, providing the wisecracking dialogue, Tachyon is a game that's hard not to like.

The graphics are an acquired taste. They are a lot more cartoony than the realism of Starlancer, but there are some excellent explosion effects, and the graphics can never be described as ugly. Far from it.

Better yet, the game also boasts some excellent on-line options, including the chance to fly against up to 127 other human opponents, with the Base War game being particularly good, where two sides raid each other's starbases, trying to build up towards the top technology level to secure victory. The game supports voice communication between players, so slap on that headset and get working on those quotes from Star Wars.

While Tachyon isn't as free-wheeling as Elite, it's the closest there has been on the PC. Add to that the invention, intelligence and dry wit this title contains, and it deserves to top the charts.

Graphics 4/5

Sound 4/5

Gameplay 5/5

Gamespan 5/5

Overall 5/5

STEPHEN HUNT