In 1977, Star Wars redefined science fiction, bringing the genre to the forefront of Hollywood's agenda. For those of us who saw it back then, it created an alternate universe for us, a universe full of danger, mystery, and excitement, where even a simple farmboy with his eyes on the stars could become a galactic hero. Nobody left the theater without wanting to take part in the climactic Battle of Yavin themselves. It took a long time, but we finally got the chance to live out our fantasy when LucasArts released X-Wing two years ago. X-Wing was highly praised as a combat flight simulator, and has since become a classic among computer games. Now LucasArts adds another medal to their Imperial tunic with TIE Fighter.

	TIE Fighter lets you get in on the action from a different point of view. You play a young pilot in the Imperial Navy, a hotshot who has devoted his life to tireless service in the name of the Emperor. Fans of the movies and of X-Wing may find this radical shift in perspective a little hard to swallow; after all, we've been hating the Empire for almost 20 years now. To initiate you into the service of the Dark Side, LucasArts deploys a little of the magic the Lucas name is so well known for. The Stele Chronicles, the novella that accompanies the game, tells the story of your character, who witnesses the Empire putting a peaceful end to the decades-long war that has ravaged his home planet. Here we see the Empire standing for Order, not Evil; they are striving for a unified galactic government, and view the Rebels as a destructive chaotic force that must be dealt with. It takes a little while to get used to fighting for the Empire, but the character setup is believable, and I had a lot of fun role-playing a position I had never even considered before.

	Fans of X-Wing should feel right at home playing TIE Fighter. Not much has changed, because not much needed to. The interface is a series of doors in a training complex, which each lead to a different section of the game. The in-flight graphics are polygon-based, but the ships still manage to look excellent. When you settle in behind an X-Wing and start blasting, you'll see that the enemy ships look just fine. Because of the polygonal graphics, this game is fast, with very little slow-down even in the most crowded dogfights. The graphics don't break any new ground, but considering the advantages, I can't see anyone complaining about them.

	Like in X-Wing, you'll start the game by training with each of the five ships available to you. The first round of training has you flying through a series of tunnels, shooting targets to increase your time and score, and avoiding obstacles, many of which move in the higher levels of play. From here you will go to the historic combat simulator. Here you will fly four progressively harder missions for each of the five ships. These are very well-rounded, and will give you a complete tutorial in all your ships' functions. You'll learn how to fly as part of a squadron, how to command your wingmen, how to transfer power between guns, shields, and engines, how to use missile weapons against all manner of targets, and a host of other actions that will keep you from being an Imperial embarrassment. Some people complained that the training in X-Wing took far too long to complete; this has been corrected for TIE Fighter. You should still complete your training, (didn't I hear a weird little green guy say that once?) but you should be able to get through it in your first play session.

	In many of the mission briefings, you will see a mysterious cloaked figure standing in the shadows. Clicking on him initiates a conversation. He is a member of the Secret Order of the Emperor, a hand-picked group of the most elite and devoted members of the Empire who operate behind the scenes to ensure that the emperor's will is carried out exactly. This Society will give you secondary objectives to go along with most of the missions. These will give you bonus points, and they're also a powerful way to capture your attention and get you playing the part.

	If you liked X-Wing, you'll like TIE Fighter. It's as simple as that. LucasArts has once again delivered a superior game that remains faithful to the movies it mirrors. Any Star Wars fan with a decent computer is bound to love this simulation. Hours will tick away; days will pass by unnoticed; sleep and food will become inconsequential. Play TIE Fighter, but be warned: you aren't likely to stop for a very long time.

	All hail the Emperor!