Editing Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance

{{Short description|1999 video game}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox video game
| image = Star Wars - X-Wing Alliance Coverart.png
| developer = [[Totally Games]]
| publisher = [[LucasArts]]
| designer = [[Lawrence Holland]]
| engine = 
| series = ''[[Star Wars: X-Wing (video game series)|Star Wars: X-Wing]]''
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|23 March 1999<ref name=IGN-release>{{Cite web |author=I. G. N. Staff |date=1999-03-12 |title=Marching Into a Store Near You |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/03/12/marching-into-a-store-near-you |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>|EU|26 March 1999<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-02-10 |title=Gone Gold : EuroGold |url=http://www.gonegold.com/golden/eurogold99.shtml |access-date=2023-10-16 |archive-date=10 February 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010210220535/http://www.gonegold.com/golden/eurogold99.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
| genre = [[Space flight simulation game|Space simulation]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[multiplayer]]
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]]
}}

'''''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance''''' is a 1999 [[Space flight simulation game|space simulation]] video game, the sequel to both ''[[Star Wars: TIE Fighter]]'' and ''[[Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter]]''. ''X-Wing Alliance'' presents the story of the Azzameen family, a family of space traders. The player assumes the role of Ace Azzameen, the youngest of the Azzameen children, juggling military duty as a fighter pilot for the Rebel Alliance, and allegiance to his family, flying larger heavily armed freighters for the family business, amid a bloody family feud and in the larger context of a galactic civil war. It received favorable reviews.

==Features==
[[File:Star Wars X-Wing Alliance screenshot.png|thumb|left|Screenshot featuring the second [[Death Star]], the cockpit of the [[Millennium Falcon]], and a few starships and starfighters.]]
Apart from the usual badges and medals for winning missions – a feature shared by the other games of the [[Star Wars: X-Wing (video game series)|X-Wing computer game series]] – progress is also indicated by the number of souvenirs collected in Ace's room. There is also a "mail" delivery between missions that helps to evolve Ace's background story while also providing a deeper look into his personal relationships and his family's whereabouts.

''XWA'' is the first game of the series to offer a full voiceover soundtrack and full in-flight dialogue. Flight control is marginally updated from the previous games of the series, allowing the player to link different energy weapons to fire together, as well as the addition of rudder support. Graphics are also overhauled in this game; high resolution textures, more complex models, and full three dimensional cockpits were added. However, the cockpits are not faithful to the other games; indicators and screens are separated from the cockpit, depicted as floating windows as part of the in-flight [[heads-up display]]. The player also has three "mission skips" that allow them to proceed through the linear storyline without having to complete a particular mission. "Family missions," however, cannot be skipped.

The ability to fly multi-crew craft like the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' was a major new feature because the player could freely choose to be the pilot or operate one of the turrets. The AI would take over any position not controlled by the player, but could be given orders by the player. ''X-Wing Alliance'' also introduced multi-part missions that involved making hyperjumps from one region to the next; in previous games, any hyperjumps the player experienced were either to start or end the mission.<ref name=IGN-review/> Additionally, players could now enter a starship's hangar bay to rearm and/or receive repairs before rejoining the fight. They could even witness the battle continuing to unfold outside the hangar. Finally, ''X-Wing Alliance'' added a much-desired custom mission builder feature. This allowed players to quickly set up a variety of battle scenarios involving almost every vessel in the game, including dozens of fighters and combat transports that had been fought against in the single-player game and were now flyable in this mode. this included various fighters and also larger spacecraft. <ref> [https://www.game-over.net/review/april99/xwing/index.html game review], April 1999, Game-over website. </ref>

==Story==
The game's prologue (and tutorial) concerns Ace's "family missions" in which his elder family members and Emkay instruct him in the flying of [[YT series|Corellian transports]] so that he can begin working for the family.

These missions reveal that the Azzameen family are in heated competition with the Viraxo and are generally sympathetic to the [[Rebel Alliance]]. Due to their sympathies, the patriarch of the family, [[Tomaas Azzameen]], smuggles bacta for the Alliance in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Hoth]]. This causes them to pay dearly as the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Galactic Empire]] raids their home station for running bacta to an Alliance outpost. Tomaas and Ace's older brother are killed and the family subsequently seeks asylum with a Rebel task force.

As a Rebel pilot, Ace participates in a variety of missions for the Rebellion while also helping his family fight the Viraxo. During his tour with the Rebel Alliance, he proves himself to be a significant pilot as he participates in missions that uncover new Imperial projects, such as experimental [[TIE fighter]]s and the second [[Death Star]].

Some events connect the game to the movies ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', such as sequences that track the Rebellion's situation after the Battle of Hoth,<ref name=IGN-review/> as well as the theft of the shuttle ''Tydirium''. The game also concludes with the climactic [[Battle of Endor]].<ref name=IGN-review/> Several events connect to the ''[[Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire]]'' story, such as a mission to assist [[Dash Rendar]] in the capture of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Imperial]] freighter ''Suprosa'', which carries the plans to the second Death Star.

==Release==
''Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance'' was released in 1999,<ref name=IGN-release/> and it was released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] and [[GOG.com]] in 2015 along with other games in the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/x-wing-and-tie-fighter-now-available-on-steam/|title=X-Wing and TIE Fighter now available on Steam|first=Andy|last=Chalk|website=[[PC Gamer]]|publisher=[[Future plc]]|date=28 April 2015|access-date=31 July 2016|archive-date=8 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608063110/http://www.pcgamer.com/x-wing-and-tie-fighter-now-available-on-steam/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
|GR = 84%<ref name=GameRankings>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/145678-star-wars-x-wing-alliance/index.html|title=Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance for PC|website=[[GameRankings]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520102005/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/145678-star-wars-x-wing-alliance/index.html|archive-date=20 May 2019|url-status=dead|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
|CNG = 9/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2612,00.html|title=X-Wing Alliance|last=Ocampo|first=Jason|website=Gamecenter|publisher=[[CNET]]|date=30 March 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816112449/http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2612,00.html|archive-date=16 August 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>
|CGSP = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdmag.com/articles/018/194/xwinga_review.html|title=X-Wing Alliance|last=Sones|first=Benjamin E.|website=[[Computer Games Magazine|Computer Games Strategy Plus]]|publisher=Strategy Plus, Inc.|date=5 April 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030518210730/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/018/194/xwinga_review.html|archive-date=18 May 2003|url-status=dead|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
|CGW = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_180.pdf|title=Death Star Duel (''X-Wing Alliance'' Review)|last=Nguyen|first=Thierry|magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]]|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=180|date=July 1999|pages=134–35|access-date=6 May 2021|archive-date=18 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418103308/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_180.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Edge = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/edgeuk071/page/n69/mode/2up|title=X-Wing Alliance|author=Edge staff|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]]|issue=71|date=May 1999|pages=76–77|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>
|GI = 8.5/10<ref>{{cite magazine|title=X-Wing Alliance|last=Bergren|first=Paul|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|publisher=[[FuncoLand]]|issue=74|date=June 1999}}</ref>
|GamePro = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/729.shtml|title=X-Wing Alliance Review for PC on GamePro.com|last=Sterbakov|first=Hugh|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG Entertainment]]|year=1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041026232449/http://www.gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/729.shtml|archive-date=26 October 2004|url-status=dead|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref>
|GameRev = A−<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/32837-star-wars-x-wing-alliance-review|title=Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance Review|author=Johnny B.|website=[[GameRevolution]]|publisher=[[CraveOnline]]|date=May 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924053349/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/star-wars-x-wing-alliance|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
|GSpot = 8.4/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/x-wing-alliance-review/1900-2537940/|title=X-Wing Alliance Review [date mislabeled as "April 29, 2000"]|last=Janicki|first=P. Stefan "Desslock"|website=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=CBS Interactive|date=6 April 1999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050127162238/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/starwarsxwingalliance/review.html|archive-date=27 January 2005|url-status=live|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
|IGN = 8.2/10<ref name=IGN-review>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/04/01/star-wars-x-wing-alliance-2|title=Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance|last=Blevins|first=Tal|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=31 March 1999|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>
|PCA = 6/10<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCXL10Jun1999/page/n75/mode/2up|title=X-Wing: Alliance [sic]|last=Lee|first=Ed|magazine=[[PC Accelerator]]|publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]]|issue=10|date=June 1999|pages=76–77|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
|PCGUS = 92%<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/pcgamer199906/page/n127/mode/2up|title=X-Wing Alliance|last=Whitta|first=Gary|magazine=PC Gamer|publisher=Imagine Media|volume=6|issue=6|date=June 1999|pages=118–19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000305185917/http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1316.html|archive-date=5 March 2000|url-status=live|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>
}}

The game received favorable reviews according to the [[Review aggregator|review aggregation]] website [[GameRankings]].<ref name=GameRankings/>

Tal Blevins of ''[[IGN]]'' praised the ability to hyperjump from area to area and the space battles for being much larger than the game's predecessors, with up to 96 ships in space. He also praised the game's graphics and called the game "the best-looking ''Star Wars'' title from Totally Games", but criticized its software mode when 3D hardware mode is set off. Blevins felt that the game's improved details added cinematic elements that make players feel as if they are Rebels fighting in a never-to-be-released movie.<ref name=IGN-review/>

The game's sales reached 143,371 copies in the U.S. during 1999.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCGamer_April_2000/page/n35/mode/2up|title=PC Gamer Editors' Choice Winners: Does Quality Matter?|magazine=PC Gamer|publisher=Imagine Media|volume=7|issue=4|date=April 2000|page=33|access-date=6 May 2021}}</ref>

The game was a finalist for the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]]' "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year|Computer Simulation Game of the Year]]" award, which ultimately went to ''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html|title=Third Interactive Achievement Awards: Personal Computer|website=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903024505/http://www.interactive.org/iaa/finalists_pc.html|archive-date=3 September 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was also nominated for ''[[CNET|CNET Gamecenter]]''{{'}}s "Best Sci-Fi Simulation" award and for ''[[PC PowerPlay]]''{{'}}s "Best Fantasy Sim" award, but lost both to ''[[MechWarrior 3]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards99/ss02q.html|title=The Gamecenter Awards for 1999! (Sci-Fi Sims)|author=Gamecenter staff|website=Gamecenter|publisher=CNET|date=21 January 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000607190341/http://gamecenter.com/Features/Exclusives/Awards99/ss02q.html|archive-date=7 June 2000|url-status=dead|access-date=7 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-047-2000-04/page/n29/mode/2up|title=Game of the Year 1999|magazine=[[PC PowerPlay]]|publisher=[[nextmedia|Next Media Pty Ltd]]|issue=47|date=April 2000|page=30|access-date=18 June 2021}}</ref> Likewise, the game was nominated for ''[[Computer Gaming World]]''{{'}}s 1999 "Science Fiction Simulator of the Year" award, which went to ''[[Freespace 2]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_188.pdf|title=The 2000 Premier Awards (Science Fiction Simulator of the Year)|author=CGW staff|magazine=Computer Gaming World|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=188|date=March 2000|page=73|access-date=11 June 2021|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923222718/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_188.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{moby game|id=/windows/star-wars-x-wing-alliance}}

{{Star Wars games}}

[[Category:1999 video games]]
[[Category:LucasArts games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Video games with co-operative vehicle control]]
[[Category:Space combat simulators]]
[[Category:Space multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Star Wars: X-Wing (video game series)]]
[[Category:Totally Games games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows-only games]]