Colony Wars III : Red Sun

Assuming the role of interplanetary gun-for-hire Valdemar, you find yourself in the middle of a great mystery involving warring empires, mysterious "allies," and a chase after a mysterious superspaceship known as the Red Sun. As Valdemar completes missions, he earns money that can be used to upgrade weaponry needed for each increasingly difficult mission. Red Sun serves up an impressive array of weapons, including lasers, missiles, shields, and other countermeasures. Acquire enough cash and you will want to upgrade to a better (read: faster, sturdier, more expensive) spaceship in which to carry on the fine fight. Red Sun's sense of variety and customization ultimately makes this title one of the better space-combat games available on any platform.

As with the other Colony Wars games, impressive in-game movies help advance the story line. Still, we found these interstitial segments to be way too short to be truly effective. Also, while space jocks will love the spectacular explosions that enemy crafts leave behind during their demise, we found that many enemies are too easy to beat (which makes those explosions just a bit less impressive). It's hard to get too excited about a hollow victory. Perhaps the simplicity is due to complaints that its predecessor Colony Wars Vengeance was too hard (which indeed it was). We couldn't help feeling that many enemies were flying their fighters with their eyes closed.

Red Sun really doesn't add new gameplay elements that haven't already been seen in the first two games, but then again why fix what's not broken? Still, some innovation would've been nice. Despite the flaws, Red Sun is still a class production that pushes the (rapidly) aging PSX hardware as few other titles do. This game is worthy of your time and credits. Even if you missed the first two chapters, Red Sun's ease of gameplay during the initial levels makes this the most accessible title of the series. No doubt about it, even if you think the best space dogfights took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, you shouldn't miss Episode 3 of the Colony Wars series. Colony Wars veterans and newbies alike will find that Red Sun, despite some issues, could make even Luke Skywalker green with envy. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• Beautiful graphics, sounds, and music deliver the feel of a Hollywood space opera
• Wide variety of ships and weapons to purchase and sell when needed
• Appealing to both fans of the Colony Wars games and those new to space combat

• Many enemies not very aggressive until late into the game
• Cut scenes are very brief
• No real revolutions in gameplay

The mission tree aspect of the first two games is gone, which means that the critical Engram missions must be completed. If you'll remember, though, all except one ending in Vengeance were basically losses, so the difference isn't that great.

CW: Red Sun really gives the player an idea of what it's like being a mercenary. Your only concern is cash for upgrading your ship and equipment. Thus, rival factions offer impersonal contracts for jobs that need to be done, which is why you'll often find yourself eliminating certain units in one mission and then protecting similar ones in the next.

I enjoy not only the freedom to willingly upgrade my craft, but also to customize the weapons on it. Many of the weapons offered are veterans of CW and CW: Vengeance; others are newcomers, like the Gauss Gun, which penetrates shields and directly damages enemy hulls.

In response to complaints, the cutscenes are NOT too short. Only Vengeance did a poor job of moving the story along; CW and Red Sun have outstanding narrations and fairly lengthy CGI movies. In fact, Red Sun has the longest opening scene in the series. For those who don't understand why the League and the Navy are still fighting, you obviously didn't read the back of the jewel case. There it states that the Vengeance Wars are raging (as in Colony Wars: Vengeance) and it is explained in the intro that the final battle (obviously before Kron is ousted) is about to begin. Red Sun does not pick up after Vengeance but somewhere near the end.

Finally, it's interesting to see a different perspective of the conflicts between the League and the Navy. Valdemar knows little about the war and is informed during a dream that something much more critical is about to transpire. Wary that mankind actually does not depend on the outcome of the war, Valdemar embarks on a journey in search of a greater scheme. I enjoy his final remark, "I quit my job. It was time to go to work."


Very Good Game   January 1, 2001
I expected this game would be very easy.It was not.Even though it had lots of cool new weapons,a Stun Missile,a Stun Torpedo,a General Purpose Laser,(three of those),and a gauss gun,and some returning weapons,a shield laser,a hull laser,a scatter gun,a plasma cannon,a plasma missile,and a plasma torpedo,it was very challenging.And you don't fight the League hardly any in the game.And the Navy are traitors late in the game.You also fight some aliens,the Sha'Har,and ally some other people,the Darogothans.In fact the League at the end ally you! Aside these few problems,Colony Wars Red Sun is a very good game.


Colony WARS? Where'd the war go?   December 22, 2000
 2 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is the worst of the series, no doubt in my mind. First and foremost most of the missions are just moneymakers. They don't influence the course of the game. If you ask me, if you go off and sell yourself to the Imperial Navy (the "empiret") then why would the League want to hire someone who has sold themselves to the otherside repeatedly.

My other complaint is the lack of connection with the last game. If you haven't played or completed Colony Wars: Vengence skip this paragraph. If I understood the ending (the only REAL ending of Vengence) then there was something of a peace between the League and the Navy, yet from the very beginning that wasn't there. What happened?

This game was a disappointment after Colony Wars and Vengence. *sigh*


Not worth the postponement   August 15, 2000
 2 out of 5 found this review helpful

Colony Wars Red Sun has been delayed, delayed, and delayed. And for what? For a game that just wasn't done right. Although the graphics are good, and the gameplay is just about the same as the others, the new things just don't seem to fit with the game. What i don't like is all the missions that you get to choose from. They serve no purpose in the game, except to purchase items. in the others every battle had a purpose, these just don't seem meaningful. Also i don't like how you don't move on after every battle, except those special ones that you must succeed in. The good thing is the explosion effect has been greatly improved. I only wish that the explosions diversed; each ship would randomly explode with the effects of all three colony wars games. The missions seem extremely easy, but i only am on the first system still. They all do seem the same though, shoot and kill. The story line is the best yet, but still needs work. All and all i'd say they should take the game back and work on it for another year.