Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997)

After spending time with Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TIE Fighter, I had a pretty clear idea of what this series was about. Both games focused on structured missions, a steady sense of progression, and, in TIE Fighter’s case, a surprisingly strong narrative thread tying everything together.

Going into Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, I was expecting more of that - just refined and expanded.

That’s not quite what I got.

The Development Cycle

Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter was developed by Totally Games, the same studio behind both Star Wars: X-Wing and Star Wars: TIE Fighter. That continuity is important because, mechanically, this is very much an evolution of what came before rather than a reinvention. What did change, though, was the focus.

Instead of building on the increasingly narrative-driven structure of TIE Fighter, the team shifted their attention toward multiplayer combat. At the time, online gaming was still in its infancy, but there was a growing interest in competitive and cooperative play over LAN and early internet services. X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter was designed to tap into that—placing players directly into dogfights against each other, rather than guiding them through a scripted story.

That shift explains a lot about the final product. The deep flight systems remained intact—energy management, shield balancing, and ship handling all carried over—but the surrounding structure was stripped back to support mission-based and multiplayer-focused gameplay.

The game was released in 1997 by LucasArts for PC. At launch, it stood out for its emphasis on multiplayer, allowing players to fly for either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire in head-to-head or team-based battles.

However, one of the most notable aspects of its release was what it didn’t include: a traditional single-player campaign. Instead, players were given a series of standalone missions and scenarios, which—while functional—lacked the narrative cohesion of earlier titles.

This was later addressed with the release of the Balance of Power expansion, which added more structured missions and helped round out the experience somewhat. Even so, the game's core identity remained rooted in its multiplayer design.

No Real Narrative Setup

Unlike its predecessors, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter doesn’t feature a traditional, story-driven campaign. Instead, it presents a series of missions built around the ongoing conflict between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire.

There’s no central narrative tying these encounters together—no characters to follow or larger story unfolding in the background. Rather, the focus is on the battles themselves, with the player stepping into the role of a pilot on either side of the conflict.

What did I Like about X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter?

The idea behind the game (a multiplayer combat flight simulator) is an interesting one. I love the idea of having a proper squad at your back to get through each battle.

The Balance of Power mode is more arcade-like, where you select a craft and a type of mission (melee, inspection, etc.) and race against a clock to complete mission objectives. I never really played a lot of arcade games growing up - we didn't have a lot of arcades - in the American sense - when I was a kid.

The visuals and sound are very nice, and the opening FMV is great.

Problems with Star Wars: X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter?

Well...okay, I really wish there was some sort of storyline for the game. Why? Because it would've made things much more engaging and given us a reason to play more than one round. The combat is just not as satisfying here as it is in the previous games.

Controlling the different vessels is tricky because, while I was able to use the same script as last time to run the game, the controls feel really sluggish - not a great thing when you're in a dogfight.

Final Verdict: It Depends on What you Want

I went into X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter with a sense of enthusiasm, but I think I got my hopes a bit too high. The difficulty curve was much steeper, and overall, it's not going to be a fun time. On the other hand, if you're looking to test your skills in the cockpit...that's different.

Give it a go and see what you think.