# Recommend me a flying shoot-em up game **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 4, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925 "2005-06-04T20:24:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/1 "2005-06-04T20:24:48Z")
I want a new game to replace Star Wars Rogue Squadron, which I’ve completed all the missions on several times. I liked Star Wars Rogue Squadron because it allowed me to sit down and just blow away a bunch of Imperials without a lot of set-up and bother. It also had an interesting variety of missions with good visuals in the background. The ship’s controls were intuitive – kinda – and easy to use. I’d prefer an interstellar shoot em up because the nature and variety of the backgrounds tends to be greater, i.e. blue sky, green earth and white clouds … never seen THAT before! I’m not looking for a flight simulator here, just a good, simple flying shoot em up. I figure if there’s anything like that out there, this’d be the place to ask. So, I’m asking. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/2 "2005-06-04T20:27:34Z")
For which systems? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/3 "2005-06-04T20:37:04Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > For which systems? Windoze XP ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/4 "2005-06-04T21:01:09Z")
Try _Freelancer_. It’s not mission-based like _Rogue Squadron_. It has an open-ended, “fly anywhere” type of gameplay, but still uses a very simple control scheme. Didn’t support a joystick, even. You controlled everything with the mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/5 "2005-06-04T21:59:32Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Try _Freelancer_. It’s not mission-based like _Rogue Squadron_. It has an open-ended, “fly anywhere” type of gameplay, but still uses a very simple control scheme. Didn’t support a joystick, even. You controlled everything with the mouse. Cool. I tried the joystick, mouse and keyboard option with Rogue Squadron and wound up liking the keyboard option best. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/6 "2005-06-04T22:45:07Z")
Have you ever tried Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator? It’s a hoot, and they intentionally skewed the game play away from ultimate realism towards more shoot-em-up action. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/7 "2005-06-04T23:46:10Z")
Crimson Skies for the PC is pretty good. It’s 1930s pulp movie style (think Sky Captain, but with no robots) airplane combat. Some missions are high in the sky fighting zeppelins, some are low to the ground, with a variety of mission objectives. Low-altitude levels have stunts to perform (like threading the Os in the HOLLYWOOD sign). The controls are simple, so it’s more like a shooter than a simulator. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/8 "2005-06-05T00:35:49Z")
Try this [imperfect list](http://www.3dgamers.com/keywords/?ka=33&sortby_year=1) at 3D Gamers. I say imperfect because that just shows “space games”, which include more than the flying shoot-em-up’s that you like. From that list, I can name a few that are close to what you’re looking for: [ul] [li]Rogue Squadron II (if you haven’t played that)[/li][li]Star Trek: Bridge Commander[/li][li]Star Wars Starfighter[/li][li]X3 (and its predecessor, X2: The Threat)[/li][li]Descent: Freespace 1 and Freespace 2[/li][/ul] Older titles include: [ul] [li]Star Wars titles like X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs TIE Fighter, X-Wing Alliance, etc. etc. These are “sim-lite” more than pure arcade.[/li][li]Wing Commander[/li][li]Battlecruiser 3000AD (make sure you get the re-released version, not the original). There are a lot of mixed comments about this game, so read some reviews first.[/li][li]Descent 1, 2, 3 (not to be confused with Descent: Freespace. Freespace takes place in the wide open space battlefields that you like, whereas the Descent games occur in tight, barf-inducing tunnels).[/li][/ul] MMORPGs include (warning: I think both of these are a little more involved than straight shoot-em-ups): [ul] [li]EVE Online[/li][li]Jumpgate[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/9 "2005-06-05T03:44:38Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > Have you ever tried Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator? It’s a hoot, and they intentionally skewed the game play away from ultimate realism towards more shoot-em-up action. I had not tried it, undoubtedly that whole “flight sim” thing in the name scared me off. I’ll give it a look. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/10 "2005-06-05T03:46:23Z")
> [@BraheSilver](#): > > Crimson Skies for the PC is pretty good. It’s 1930s pulp movie style (think Sky Captain, but with no robots) airplane combat. I am a huge fan of Sky Captain, so there’s definitely some appeal there. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/11 "2005-06-05T03:48:00Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Try this [imperfect list](http://www.3dgamers.com/keywords/?ka=33&sortby_year=1) at 3D Gamers. I say imperfect because that just shows “space games”, which include more than the flying shoot-em-up’s that you like. > > From that list, I can name a few that are close to what you’re looking for: > [ul] > [li]Rogue Squadron II (if you haven’t played that)[/li][li]Star Trek: Bridge Commander[/li][li]Star Wars Starfighter[/li][li]X3 (and its predecessor, X2: The Threat)[/li][li]Descent: Freespace 1 and Freespace 2[/li][/ul] I did not know there was a Rogue Squadron II. Really. Hmm. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/12 "2005-06-05T04:33:42Z")
> [@BraheSilver](#): > > Crimson Skies for the PC is pretty good. It’s 1930s pulp movie style (think Sky Captain, but with no robots) airplane combat. Some missions are high in the sky fighting zeppelins, some are low to the ground, with a variety of mission objectives. Low-altitude levels have stunts to perform (like threading the Os in the HOLLYWOOD sign). The controls are simple, so it’s more like a shooter than a simulator. I just want to second this. Great game. Doesn’t take itself too seriously, and full of hot plane on plane and zepplin on zepplin action. That didn’t come out right. 2nd best flight game EVER(The first would be TIE Fighter). ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/13 "2005-06-05T07:59:40Z")
I love space flight sim games. I throw Crimson Skies in there just because it’s closer to the space shoot-em ups than real world flight sims. My top 5: Tie Fighter (Well, honorary. I can’t currently get it to run right under XP) Freespace 2 Crimson Skies Starlancer Freespace 1 Most of these tend toward “sim” type games - there’s a lot of keyboard commands for targeting, controlling sheilds, choosing weapons, that sort of thing. They’re not hardcore sims, though. You don’t need to worry about stall speeds or proper propeller pitch or landing on an aircraft carrier. Crimson skies is probably the most “arcadey” of the bunch. I also like X-Wing Alliance, and you can probalby find that in the budget bin at a computer store for super cheap. There’s a site where some people have made new models for the game to bring it up to more modern graphical standards: [http://www.xwaupgrade.com/](http://www.xwaupgrade.com/) I thought the later Rogue Squadrons were Gamecube only. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-flying-shoot-em-up-game/306925/14 "2005-06-05T08:39:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I thought the later Rogue Squadrons were Gamecube only. Whoops, I think you’re right. Sorry, I must’ve remembered wrong.