Terminal Velocity

About

Terminal Velocity is a fast-paced space combat game that blends shooting and flight mechanics. You pilot the TV-202 starfighter through missions set in 2704, battling alien forces as Earth fights back against a rogue alliance. Controls prioritize quick reflexes over realism, making dogfights and missile dodging feel爽快. The single-player campaign spans three episodes, with optional challenges in the CD-ROM version. Multiplayer modes let you team up or battle others in arena-style fights. The game’s hidden mission adds depth, revealing a twist where a digitized madman controls the war via a planet-destroying supercomputer. Despite its 1995 release, its mix of arcade action and sci-fi intrigue earned it a cult following. Originally released on PC, Mac, and DOS, it’s remembered for its punchy gameplay and unexpected story turns.

Storyline

The story is set in the year 2704, when the ASFAR (Alliance of Space-Faring Alien Races), of which Earth is a member, suddenly turns against Earth and their fleet ravages the planet, starting a war. The player flies a powerful starfighter, the TV-202, in a series of missions to defeat the enemy. In Episode 3, the player learns that a huge supercomputer known as X.I. (Xenocidic Initiative), located on Proxima Seven, is responsible for the war. Their final mission is to eliminate it. A hidden mission can take place after the main plot only in the CD ROM version where the player must investigate a sudden metamorphosis of an unknown nearby planet and destroy the force that changed the face of the planet. It is revealed here that this force drove a man named Sy Wickens into insanity, and how the X.I. Supercomputer had "accidentally" digitized Sy Wickens' persona.