Hey all, I’m back with a combat flight simulator for this week’s Retro Game Friday. It’s Independence Day.

Plot: The plot pretty much matches the movie. Aliens invade and you as the player are tasked with fighting the alien craft, from fighters to the larger disk-shaped motherships.

Gameplay: Honestly, this wasn’t a great game, and the levels were bland and very easily blended together. About the only thing interesting was that when doing a playthrough you would be able to unlock various other planes in each level with varying stats that determined speed, handling, power, and the ability to avoid detection. But those planes also acted as extra lives, and once you were shot down in a plane it was no longer usable for the rest of the playthrough. And if you ran out of planes, you’d get a game over. Other than that, this wasn’t nearly as good of a flight sim game as something like Rogue Squadron.

Art: The art also was pretty lackluster but given this was released back in ’97 on the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Windows, that’s not saying much. It also has aged incredibly poorly.

Music: I honestly don’t remember any part of the music. That might be for the best though given how poor the rest of it is.

Overall: A typical movie adaptation game, by which I mean absolutely atrocious.

For those who like: Combat Flight Sims.

Not for those who don’t like: Combat Flight Sims, Poor Level Design, Bland Combat, and Underwhelming Art and Music.