“Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri”

Firaxis

After creating the Civilization series, arguably the best computer games ever, Sid Meier had his work cut out for him.

But he didn’t disappoint with “Alpha Centauri,” a game more polished and more refined than any game I’ve played for a long time.

The story starts on a colony ship sent by earth to the nearby star Alpha Centauri.

Near the end of the flight there is a disagreement between the seven factions. Upon reaching their destination the factions split up and go their own way on a virgin planet.

As one of these factions, you must build up your civilization and deal with the hostile nature of the planet itself.

Like the Civilization series, “Alpha Centauri” is a Turn Based Strategy (TBS) game, the closest analog being chess, where one person moves, then waits while the other opponents make their turns.

Also, like the Civilization series, there are no set levels — just a huge world to explore.

To those not initiated into the Civilization style of play, “Alpha Centauri” can be daunting at first. The manual itself is around 250 pages and should be made larger. For players who have experience with the Civilization series, “Alpha Centauri” is not a large change.

The graphics are decent, but nothing to write home about. However, when you complete a Secret Project, excellent movie graphics appear.

The sound and music quality are favorable but very sparse throughout the game, which is good because it gives you time to think without interruptions. An interesting sidenote to the sound is that all human voices are done in the MP3 sound format so you can play the voices without running the game.

Multi-Player has a variety of options including LAN, Internet and even a play by e-mail, which was added with a recent patch.

4 stars out of five

— Craig A. Bonnes

“X-Wing Alliance”

LucasArts

As the name suggests, “X-Wing Alliance” (“XWA”) is a game from the “Star Wars” universe and is the next game in one of the best PC game series ever (“X-Wing,” “Tie Fighter” and “X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter”).

“XWA” is a space simulator, which means you fly the ships from Star Wars. There are many ship options, but the first time you play the game, you should play as the Millennium Falcon.

The game plot is based on “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi,” where you are the head of a galactic shipping firm caught between the Empire and the Rebels. You start out neutral, but you have to take sides by the end of the game.

The game starts out a little slow, hauling cargo from planet to planet, but after two or three missions, you join the Alliance and start flying in fighters like the X-Wing, carrying out fighter sweeps to bomber runs on space stations.

During the last mission in the game, you fly the Millennium Falcon on the Death Star run in “Return of the Jedi.” It’s nerve-racking and incredibly difficult but one of the coolest levels ever.

The graphics with a 3D accelerator are very well done. The backgrounds are no longer starfields but realistic planets and huge space stations. For those who don’t have a 3D card, there is still a software mode so you don’t miss out on the action

The game controls take some getting used to. This is not a game for people who like arcade games, which only involve learning the joystick and a few buttons.

By last count, the total number of controls on “XWA” is 56. “XWA” also requires a joystick — something to think about before a purchase.

The sound is also very cool in this game. Whenever an imperial ship enters the area, there is a 20-second clip of “Imperial March” in CD-quality sound.

The program incorporates sound effects from the “Star Wars” movies, which include laser cannons and R2 units that beep at you whenever you get hit.

The game could be rated higher, but a lot of people won’t like the complexity of the controls. But if you have the patience to learn it, “XWA” is well worth the time.

3 1/2 stars out of five

— Craig A. Bonnes