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Game Information

Release Date: December 18, 2000
Developer: RayLand
Publisher: Red Storm Entertainment
Platform(s): Dreamcast, Windows
Genre: Action
Players: 1

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Synopsis

The only barrier to lasting peace for the Alliance of Three Races has been an evil race called the Sektar. All that changed when the Sektar managed to recruit the help of the warlike Morgoths. The Alliance has now been forced into a brutal war and the chances for a peaceful future or any future look pretty slim. As Xaha, a young, talented Allied Arikhan pilot, players fly a variety of Allied starships each with its own weapons and alien technology through 19 different missions in an effort to win the war. Unfortunately, the Alliance has suffered major losses early in this conflict, so you'll be all alone one pilot against an armada and your only allies will be an itchy trigger finger and a bunch of first-rate alien-combat technology! If you've got what it takes to dogfight with hostile alien forces bent on blasting you out of existence, BANG! Gunship Elite will put your skills to the test!

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Story

Set hundreds of years in the future and millions of light years away is a galaxy called the Twin Suns solar system. A species called the Kha inhabit the several planets that are located in this galaxy and have been invaded by the Sektar race. The Sektars seek to wipe out the Khas, destroy every planet inside of it, and ultimately destroy the solar system. During the invasion, most of the Khas reserves have been completely wiped out by the bombings that took place before the invasion. The Khas then set out to find volunteers who wish to defend their homeland whilst testing out a new space ship designed specifically for this task. In the end their will be only one volunteer that brings together a small team that will eventually push the Sektars out of their solar system after wiping out scores of them.

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Gameplay

The player must control a futuristic space ship that has several different weapons on it including a rapid fire gun, a pod launcher, and heat seeking missiles. There are about fifteen unique missions that require numerous objectives to complete, such as destroying a space ship carrier, killing the leading officer, planting bombs on a fleet of ships, and/or preventing drop ships from reaching the surface of one of the planets. Throughout these missions you can unlock new attachments for the weapons on your ship, and upgrades that will improve armor, reload speed, agility, and general speed of the ship which includes a small acceleration boost. Every mission is pretty straightforward as the objectives are always on the screen and their really isn't any room for exploring considering all of the enemies that are constantly harassing you and the boundaries put in place. Although every mission will take place up in space, there are a few where you will have to fly through their "main" ship to destroy it, though you never actually get out of your fighter. Having no co-op or multiplayer leaves for little to no replay value as well.

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Graphics

Graphics are phenomenal in this game. Outer space looks fantastic and on point, every spaceship including the giant ones are all very well detailed, and the constant action will leave you in awe. Explosions look very realistic, asteroids and debris from other blown up ships are always passing by, the lighting is amazing, and the planets in the distance even have a good amount of detail in them. Even though they are green and blue for the most part, you can see little cities and ships taking off from them. Definitely a lot of work put into this game and nothing was left behind or unnoticed.

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Controls

Controls may be a bit tricky at first, but after a mission or two it'll be easy to get used to. Since the analogs control the camera angle and aim, the D-pads control the flight and direction the ship is facing. Both triggers also shoot one weapon of your desire meaning the right one can shoot the missiles and guns and the left could shoot the pods, or whichever way you would like to set it. The buttons don't really have a huge part in this game besides two of them where one will give you health and the other will reload the missiles or pods.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 7.5/10
Graphics: 8.5/10
Controls: 6.5/10
Overall: 7.7/10