Terminal Velocity (video game)

Plot

Set in the year 2704, the Alliance of Space-Faring Alien Races (ASFAR), of which Earth is a member, suddenly attacks Earth, starting a war. The player pilots the TV-202 starfighter through missions to defeat the enemy. In Episode 3, it is discovered that a supercomputer called Xenocidic Initiative (X.I.) on Proxima Seven is responsible for the war, and the final mission is to destroy it. A hidden mission in the CD-ROM version involves investigating a planet's metamorphosis and destroying the force behind it, which drove a man named Sy Wickens insane after the X.I. supercomputer accidentally digitized his persona.

Release

The game has three episodes, the first distributed as shareware. Each episode contains three worlds, except Proxima Seven in Episode 3, which has two stages. After the shareware release, publisher 3D Realms received many requests for mouse support, which was added to the commercial version. The floppy disk release was followed by a CD-ROM version adding 70 MB of pre-rendered cut scenes, a bonus hidden planet, higher resolution textures, and 8-player network multiplayer. MacSoft published the Macintosh port. In June 2015, co-founder Mark Randel released Android and iOS versions via Trebuchet Entertainment. A remastered Boosted Edition came out on March 14, 2023 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, adding widescreen support, upscaled graphics, and extended draw distance.

Reception

Terminal Velocity received generally favorable reviews, with critics often comparing its gameplay to Descent. GameSpot praised the visuals as immersive and providing a sense of high-speed action, calling the game a quick fix for fast-paced exhilaration. Edge wrote that it offered the most convincing sensation of high-speed, low-level flight on the PC, comparing it to Doom and praising its intense action, simple gameplay, and eight-player multiplayer mode, which it called probably the best network game since Doom.

Computer Games Strategy Plus summarized it as Descent outdoors and a superb facelift of Skyfox, with impeccable execution but limited map exploration. PC Gamer noted there is no time limit for missions. Computer and Video Games compared it favorably to Star Wars, praising its individuality and recommending a joystick. Hyper lauded the graphical engine, Gouraud shading, light sourcing, and soundtrack synchronized to the player's situation.

PC Zone found the visual quality nearly comparable to Magic Carpet and preferred the CD version, but expressed disappointment that it lacked the originality of Doom. PC Review praised the open environments, calling the game X-Wing in the mountains.