Colony Wars III Red Sun

by Sony Playstation / Midway

Product Features

• 1 Player
• Vibration Function
• 4 New Vast Solar Systems
• Choice of 9 Player Ships
• Over 30 Weapons

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004TTIE
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,151 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Any fan of seat-of-your-pants space combat (think Star Wars, minus the license) simply must get their hands on Red Sun, the third chapter in the Colony Wars saga. Fans of the first two games (Colony Wars and Colony Wars: Vengeance) will immediately know what to expect: fast and furious dogfights, spectacular graphics, and an always cool orchestrated musical score.

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

Cons:

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

Product Description

Part three in the Colony Wars space shooter series, Red Sun features some refined arcade-style controls, eight upgradeable weapons, and 50 work-for-hire missions. Spend the money you earn upgrading your rig. You'll explore three new solar systems, as well as others previously seen in the series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They've done it better than ever!, June 16, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Colony Wars III Red Sun (Video Game)

The folks at Psygnosis, after months of delay and constant promises, have finally shipped Colony Wars III, Red Sun. A hard-core fan of the first two games, I have been waiting for long. When I stumbled on it at a video store, I rented it and hoped for the best. My hopes were more than answered. This game is friggen awesome! The AI is horribly improved, and the mission tree is much cooler, as you can now chose your missions as Valdemar, a Han Solo-type. The graphics and gameplay are massivly improved, and I now live for Thunderbowl, the constantly hightening tournament that works pretty much like Twisted Metal. Bottom line, with great CGI, the best characters the CW universe has ever had, and a fabulous universe of aliens and factions, this lives up to the best Playstation series this side of Final Fantasy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second only to Colony Wars, July 13, 2002

By 

J. Bollen (Fort Plain, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colony Wars III Red Sun (Video Game)

Colony Wars III: Red Sun is definitely more enjoyable than its predecessor, Colony Wars: Vengeance. Psygnosis and Midway finally made a game that is not overly difficult in the opening missions but gradually forces the player to strategize (i.e. luring fighters away from capital ships in order to take them out more easily) instead of plunging into the hazardous heart of the battle.

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."

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Game, January 1, 2001

By 

Richard Bryant (Rochester, Michigan, U.S.A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colony Wars III Red Sun (Video Game)

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.