Summary
Solar Eclipse is a 1995 space flight simulation video game developed and published by Crystal Dynamics, released initially for the Sega Saturn in North America, Europe and Japan.
| Solar Eclipse Titan Wars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Crystal Dynamics |
| Publisher(s) | Crystal Dynamics |
| Platform(s) | Sega Saturn, PlayStation |
| Release | Sega SaturnPlayStation
|
| Genre(s) | Space flight simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Solar Eclipse was developed under the title Titan, but the American marketing team decided it would sell better if published as a sequel to the 1994 video game Total Eclipse, especially as the two featured similar gameplay and graphical style. In Japan and Europe, it was released as Titan Wars.
Gameplay edit
Solar Eclipse is a hybrid of rail shooter an space combat simulation; the general direction of the ship's flight is locked in, but the player may maneuver a substantial area, and can at certain points choose from multiple routes.[3]
Development edit
The game was developed in 16 months.[2]
Reception edit
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| The San Francisco Examiner | B[4] |
| The Charlotte Observer | 3/5[5] |
The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Saturn version a 7.75 out of 10 average. They praised the intense gameplay, the considerable strategy required to elude enemy fire, and the solid graphics.[6] GamePro's Captain Squideo had a more mixed reaction, criticizing the partially on-rails flight and saying the landscapes and enemies become repetitious. He concluded that the game is nonetheless fun to play and "eclipses most other shooters", but that these problems would discourage repeat plays.[7]
References edit
- ^ Lomas, Ed (July 1996). "Checkpoint - The month's events and software releases at a glance. June-July" (PDF). Computer and Video Games. No. 176. Future Publishing. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Interview - Crystal Dynamics". GameZero.com. GameZero.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 1998. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "Solar Eclipse". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 76. Sendai Publishing. November 1995. p. 105.
- ^ Rubenstein, Glenn (September 16, 1995). "At the Controls". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 20. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Wertz, Langston (October 6, 1996). "Mastering 30 levels of Solar Eclipse will provide lots of fun". The Charlotte Observer. p. 94. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Review Crew: Solar Eclipse". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 78. Sendai Publishing. January 1996. p. 42.
- ^ "ProReview: Solar Eclipse". GamePro. No. 79. IDG. February 1996. p. 60.