Getting help from your wing men is like persuading Al Gore to break dance. As if that weren't frustrating enough, a failed mission usually results in a full-motion video encounter with a commanding officer who tells me I've brought disgrace to the Alliance. Call me sensitive, but I don't like being insulted when I'm the only member of my squadron doing the job. Starlancer sets a new record in my book of frustrating games. It's not that the game is a challenge.
Challenging games require skill and strategy.
Starlancer merely requires that you be in the right place at the right time, making success more a matter of chance than quick thinking. Starlancer redeems itself somewhat with modestly enjoyable online play. The player who kills the cloaked antagonist is rewarded with five kills and becomes the next cloaked ship. Starlancer is a game that had a great deal of potential, and to its credit can often be very engaging. Unfortunately, its amateurish flaws make it best suited for the rental shelf or the bargain bin.