The 15 Best Space Combat Sims of All-Time

[KDR_11k]

Strange that there's no Star Crusader. Then again, I guess it's just not that well known. I loved the concept of being able to disable ships and tow them through your warp home to capture, then use them in future missions.

Yeah, the concept would probably have been a lot stronger if you couldn't just capture them in the simulator .

I do like how much the story could branch, how failing a mission still let you continue or even how your wingmen could finish the mission even if you had to bail out early (either in an escape pod or towing a disabled ship ). All of that made it feel very alive and not so player-centric. And I still remember slamming the final two plasma torpedoes into Prajna 7.

 

[ExtraDebit]

Independence war 1 and 2 are one of the few space sims that utilized newtonian physics.

Independence war 2 actually have mechanics that let you FLT to another star system in REAL TIME! and crash into planets and stars!! and yet, they're not in the list.........

What's going on here?

 

[Hiramas]

again.. this is why i do not classify any game with aerial fighter mechanic as space sim. They are just glorified ace combats set in space. now get me a fighter game with actual space physics...then we'll talk.

maybe take a look at the freespace mod BSG: Diaspora?
It mimics the combat from the TV Show which is not truly realistic, but takes a lot more cues from actual physics than most other games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-4QPAChdm8

 

[renegade7]

I'm not surprised EVE Online (my favorite space sim, along with its upcoming tie in EVE Valkyrie) wasn't mentioned, but, really, no FTL?

I think FTL deserves really special mention among space games because it focuses on being concise and easy to get into and easy to play (but not easy to win, not at all...) and providing just as much entertainment as more complex space games while still being far simpler.

That being said, I love space games, and need to check out Freespace 2. Also, if you haven't heard of Elite: Dangerous, look that up now.

I agree. FTL has provided me with some of the most memorable and immersive space faring escapades!

Also, considering the vastness of space, I'm more inclined to think that real life space battles would be decided more on cunning tactics than on dog-fighting maneuvers.

To me... these games are not space sims. These are fighter games set in space. Eve online is one of the best space sims around. Everyone thinks its combat sucks but honestly thats what space warefare is all about... Its not about dog fighting maneuvers. Its more battleship vs battleship combat. Ftl is also a great space sim. no dogfighting just targeting weaknesses. startrek online.. again.. no real dogfighting... just manuvers that still take forever in your ships. Kerbal space program is one of the best space sims. It might be funny and goofy and not a combat sim but once you get into space it still uses space physics.

If you look at the article about the 4 science mistakes star wars makes. the fighter combat is one of them.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/scienceandtech/11956-4-Science-Mistakes-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-Needs-to-Fix.2

again.. this is why i do not classify any game with aerial fighter mechanic as space sim. They are just glorified ace combats set in space. now get me a fighter game with actual space physics...then we'll talk.

Well it's only in alpha at this time so take that as you will, but there's this game called Space Engineers that's being worked on that does incorporate a fair amount of hard physics.

You build your ships out of blocks, you can layer on heavier and lighter armor and some assorted machinery like conveyers and gears (more to be added). The blocks aren't static like Minecraft, so you can build stuff like giant chains or gears, and it's actually possible to have stuff blown off of your ship. But the neat part where physics is concerned is that you have to pay a lot of attention to distribution of mass in relation to where your thrusters are. Having a lopsided ship without changing the position of the thrusters to compensate can make it impossible to move straight, and getting blocks on your ship destroyed also effects things so you have to plan for combat damage. It's not pure hard sci-fi, but physics is certainly given a lot more priority than in some other games.

 

[Oroboros]

Colony Wars! How could this not be on the list?
There were 2 sequels to this sick sick space sim that did an excellent job in simulating Newtonian motion physics in space.

*high five*

Really sad to see that Colony Wars did not make the list. Great gameplay & plot, and multiple endings that in their variety, shame many AAA rpgs.

Wonderful series, shame that Colony Wars 4 got cancelled.

 

[Chaos Marine]

Klingon Academy isn't on the list? This list is wrong. Also, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is in the list higher Freespace? Sacrilege. Rogue Squadron was a terrible simulator. Utterly terrible.

 

[Avaholic03]

I was quite impressed with parts of Nexus:The Jupiter Incident, and was sad it didn't make the list. I felt like many of the series titles could be combined into one listing to make room for more variety.

I'm glad the genre seems to be coming back more with big titles like No Man's Sky and Star Citizen coming up. I might have to invest in a new joystick for some nostalgia.

 

[CaitSeith]

I always thought that Descent Freespace was related to the Descent series (but now in the outer space, hence the "Freespace" in the title).