Strike Commander

Strike Commander
Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	1993
Founder	Chris Roberts
Products	Combat flight simulation game
Parent	Origin Systems

Strike Commander is a combat flight simulation game created by Chris Roberts and launched by Origin Systems for PC DOS in 1993. Its 3D graphics engine was notable for incorporating both gouraud shading and texture mapping on aircraft and terrain, representing a significant technological advancement at the time. Storytelling was delivered through in-game cut-scenes, continuing the narrative approach established in Roberts' earlier Wing Commander series. The title has been characterized as "Privateer set on Earth" due to its focus on mercenary-style role-playing.

In 1994, Strike Commander was widely distributed as part of a Creative Labs package that also included Syndicate Plus, Ultima VIII: Pagan, and Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi. Additionally, it appeared in a CD compilation featuring Wing Commander: Privateer, which contained the main game, its expansion, and voice enhancements on a single CD-ROM.

The game saw a re-release in 2013 on Gog.com, updated to support Windows operating systems.

Gameplay

Players undertake assignments from diverse characters, earning funds used to acquire upgraded weaponry. The missions require piloting an F-16 Fighting Falcon, with progression to the more advanced F-22 as players advance through objectives.

Flight simulators like Novalogic's F-22 series are frequently compared to Strike Commander because of their simplified flight mechanics paired with an emphasis on detailed graphics, reflecting similar design principles.

Setting

The narrative unfolds in the near future year of 2011, during a period of worldwide turmoil following the conclusion of the Cold War and Gulf War, compounded by environmental catastrophes and unsuccessful U.S. economic strategies. The Turkish government exploits this situation by granting private security contractors near-total operational autonomy from Istanbul, requiring only registration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon payment of a fee.

Players take on the role of second-in-command for the Wildcats, a private air combat security company led by James Stern. Known as "Commander," players face obstacles such as pilot turnover caused by Stern’s strict policy against civilian casualties. The Wildcats’ chief rival is the Jackals, commanded by Stern’s former deputy Jean-Paul Prideaux.

Development

The creation of Strike Commander spanned more than four years and involved approximately one million man-hours, with several project restarts aimed at enhancing its graphics engine. Despite these challenges, many gameplay features were successfully integrated into other Origin titles like Privateer and the Wing Commander franchise. Chris Roberts compared the extended development process to that of filming Apocalypse Now, as depicted in Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse.

Release

An additional Speech Pack introduced voice-acted dialogue, while the expansion Strike Commander: Tactical Operations expanded the plot with new missions and aircraft options. A subsequent CD-ROM edition bundled together the original game, expansion pack, and improved audio features.

In March 2013, Strike Commander was digitally reissued via gog.com. That same year, Fabien Sanglard initiated a reverse engineering project on GitHub, reconstructing a version of the source code since the original was likely lost following EA’s acquisition of Origin.

Reception

In White Wolf #37 (July/August 1993), James Trunzo praised Strike Commander for its richly detailed settings, ranging from oceans and mountain ranges to urban landscapes, as well as its varied mission types such as fighting drug cartels and providing diplomatic escorts. He acknowledged the game's protracted development period but expressed optimism about its longevity through future expansions.

The August 1993 issue of Computer Gaming World highlighted that Strike Commander focused more on action and combat than on delivering a highly realistic simulation experience. It was noted for having a more accessible difficulty level compared to titles like Falcon 3.0 and Red Baron, while featuring superior visual quality relative to games such as F-117 Stealth Fighter 2.0 and Jetfighter. By December of the same year, the publication described it as potentially the most demanding game in terms of hardware requirements at that time. The April 1994 review commended the CD edition for introducing additional difficulty settings, improved combat mechanics, a more authentic F-16 flight simulation, and extra missions, deeming it "the optimal choice".

In 1994, the CD-ROM version of the game was ranked 36th among the greatest computer games ever by PC Gamer UK. Conversely, in 1996, Computer Gaming World categorized Strike Commander as the 13th most notable example of vaporware due to its delayed launch from the originally planned 1991 date to 1993.

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