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OVERVIEW: Colony Wars was an amazing game. When it was released, it pushed the Playstation to new limits. As the sequel, Colony Wars: Vengeance is even more amazing than its predecessor. For all those who couldn't get enough of the first game, the second game, Colony Wars: Vengeance, expands on the gameplay that made the first game so extraordinary. STORY: 10 In the first Colony Wars, you were a member of the League with a goal of destroying the Navy, but now, you're a member of the Navy, who is ensconced in an effort to annihilate the League. The proletariat is Mertens, a member of the Earth's Navy. 100 years prior to the story of CW: Vengeance, The League of Free Worlds crushed the Navy. They sealed the Sol warp hole, leaving the Navy in civil war. The Navy almost destroyed itself, but, a man named Kron has rebuilt the Navy, and is now ready to lead an assault on the League. The story plays an active role in Colony Wars: Vengeance. Most of it is told through FMV scenes, and the rest is dictated in mission briefings and debriefings. The story is well written, containing numerous unexpected twists and turns. After each mission, the story branches out, for a total of six endings. Story is not too predominant, it is important and helps to enhance the gameplay, but does not detract from the gameplay. I've played through CW: Vengeance several times, and can find no flaws in its storyline. Colony Wars: Vengeance has a better story than Colony Wars. It adds to the story what Colony Wars needed so much: feeling. The most important aspect of this added feeling is in CW: Vengeance the main character is much more present. In this game, as you watch the FMVs, you can relate to Mertens and feel his struggle with him. Colony Wars: Vengeance has the best balance of story and gameplay that I've ever seen in a game.
GRAPHICS: 9.8 Colony Wars: Vengeance, like its predecessor, is one of the most graphically amazing video games available today. One detail that I can never forget is the look of planets seen from space. Their awe inspiring beauty brings about nostalgic feelings of wonder. Battleships as well are beautifully detailed. Throughout this game, the level of detail remains high and impressive. You'll be amazed at how each level has a different look to it, one would think that a space shooter would become monotonous eventually, but this game proves otherwise. Explosions are improved from the first Colony Wars. One of the graphical flaws in Colony Wars was the white flash seen when a large ship exploded. In this game, this flaw is removed. Large ships explode in real time, right in front of you. Graphics alone cannot make a game, gameplay is what makes a game. Both of the Colony Wars games are special because their high quality graphics help to make their gameplay even more enjoyable. There are a few minor inconsistencies in the graphics. A small amount of clipping is still present in space missions, but no pop up can be seen. The clipping is insignificant, though, as it has even less of an effect than in the Colony Wars. The other problems occur in the land missions, which were well implemented gameplay wise, but not in the graphics department. The distance fog prevents you from seeing most things in front of you, and although it does hide pop up, it is annoying. The fog is not that much of a big deal, because you can use your radar to determine where enemies and other important objects are, but none the less it is a flaw. SOUND: 10 Colony Wars had a classical soundtrack that amazed me. Colony Wars: Vengeance keeps everything that made the first game's sound good, and expands on it. It adds a more instrumental sound to the music, mostly percussion and winds. The music has a mysterious sound to it, but it also gets you in the mood to destroy the League. Sound effects are equally as impressive. Not much is added from the first game here, but I do have to mention that to fully appreciate what Colony Wars: Vengeance has to offer you must get stereo or surround sound.
GAMEPLAY: 10 Not only does Colony Wars: Vengeance fix the one thing that was wrong with the gameplay of Colony Wars, but it improves at every turn. In the first game, there were times when, if you were flying close to a large ship, you would be bounced around seemingly endlessly for no reason at all, but thankfully, this discrepancy is not present in Colony Wars: Vengeance. The missions are now much more varied, you actually have a task other than to provide armed support to a fleet. Enemy ships are also very intelligent, behaving in ways that are appropriate to their mission. I remember one mission where their goal is to destroy a Navy warship. They are much more concerned with its destruction than with your presence. Another addition is a reward for completing you mission objectives. You receive tech tokens when you win a mission, which allow you to upgrade your current ship. As you progress through the game, you gain access to new ships, totaling five. Unlike the first game of the series, you can choose which ship you want to use before beginning a new mission. There is an addition to the engines as well. If you hold down your forward and reverse thrusters simultaneously, your afterburners engage. Afterburners propel your ship forward very quickly (much faster than normal thrusters) for a short time. CHALLENGE: 10 Colony Wars: Vengeance maintains the well balanced challenge established by the first game. In addition, it is much more challenging. You will have to play through some missions as many as five times to be able to win them, each time learning new tricks to make it a little further than your last attempt. This is a very challenging game, so if you are a gamer who seeks challenging, this is a good choice, but, even if you're a beginner, don't worry, it may be a hard game, but the challenge is not out of reach.
FUN AND REPLAY VALUE: 10 This may be my favorite game. It is more fun than the first, making it rank right up there with games like Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo. Nothing in the game detracts from the fun factor, and missions sometimes even seem to get more fun as you replay them. The one area in this game that may be topped by the first Colony Wars is its replay value. Colony Wars: Vengeance has only about forty missions compared to the seventy in Colony Wars, but, it seems that overall this game is only a bit shorter than the first. The missions are longer and more varied than in Colony Wars. One thing that is really fun is to go back to old levels and play them with your newer and more powerful ships (once you get one of the endings, you have an opportunity to replay all the missions you played to try to get a different ending). Besides all of the interesting and creative ways to add replay value, there are six different endings, and each one is worth seeing, which makes it worth playing this game through and through. OVERALL: A+ (9.9) Colony Wars: Vengeance is as near to perfect as they come. It embraces all of the qualities that made Colony Wars a must have, and improves on them to a startling effect. WORTH BUYING: YES There is only one reason I can see to not buy this game, and that is if you do not have Colony Wars. If you can only get one game, I would have to recommend this one as it is a better game overall, but if you can wait, get Colony Wars first. A large portion of the story is contained in Colony Wars, and I believe that Colony Wars is more enjoyable if you play it first. Either way, Colony Wars: Vengeance is one of the best games available for any console today.
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