Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos
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| Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos | |
|---|---|
  North American (left) and European (right) covers. |
|
| Developer(s) | Particle Systems Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) | Infogrames |
| Engine | Flux |
| Release date(s) | June, 2001 (Europe)
August, 2001 (North America) |
| Genre(s) | Space simulation |
| Mode(s) | Singleplayer, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ELSPA: 11 years ESRB: Everyone (E) |
| Platform(s) | PC (Windows) |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| System requirements | Pentium 400 MHz or AMD Athlon, 128MB RAM, 32MB 3D video card, DirectX 8 |
| Input | Joystick, Keyboard, Mouse |
Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos is a sequel to space simulation computer game Independence War (also known as I-War in Europe). Developed by Particle Systems Ltd - the developers of the first game - and published by Infogrames, the game was released in 2001. It was nominated for an interactive BAFTA award for its soundtrack [1] which was composed by Chris Mann.
A browser-based game, Edge of Chaos Online, was created as part of the marketing campaign in late 2001.
[edit] Description
Edge of Chaos is set in the 24th century, 100 years after the first game, in an isolated part of space called the Badlands Cluster. The Cluster is far removed from Earth, the Core Systems, and their central governing body, the New Alliance; as a result, The Badlands are ruled by powerful corporations.
The game begins with a CGI video showing the father of 12 year old Cal Johnston getting killed by industrial heir Caleb Maas because of unpaid debts. Player then assumes the role of young Cal getting instructed in space ship piloting by the digitalized personality of Commonwealth Navy captain Jefferson Clay, a character familiar from the original I-War. After getting used to basics of space flight, Clay guides Cal to the base of his space pirating grandmother. After some more practice missions, Cal encounters the infamous Caleb Maas. Trying to avenge his father, Cal ends up in prison instead. Game then fast-forwards 15 years showing a now-adult Cal Johnston with some of his fellow inmates escaping the prison space station, where the core gameplay begins.
The technological improvements over the first game included support for Direct3D compatible hardware accelerated 3D graphics, network multiplay and a new user interface. Edge of Chaos gave a nod to Elite style gameplay by adding free roaming piracy to the Independence War games' universe. The familiar Newtonian mechanics obeying flight model with a flight computer assistance was retained.
Edge of Chaos was initially developed for both Windows based PCs and Sega Dreamcast, but the Dreamcast version was cancelled. The dual platform development affected some design decisions. Most of the ship's function interface was made navigable through a joystick hat control, but on the negative side, partly due to being designed for a game console without a hard disk, game progress could only be saved in the home base.
The game was a critical, but not financial, success, contributing to the eventual acquisition of developers Particle Systems by Argonaut Games, which changed the team name to Argonaut Sheffield. Edge of Chaos was distributed by Infogrames Entertainment.
