When you think of Space Sims, you think of classic games such as the Wing Commander series, and the X-Wing and Tie Fighter games in the Star Wars Universe. But in the past few years, there has been a certifiable dearth of good space sims. There was the Homeworld series...but that was about it.

Now comes Matrix Games's release of Starshatter, a game that tries to be everything to everyone. It offers everything from one on one (or many on many) dogfights in fighter spacecraft, to the massive lumbering capital ships that can so easily crush smaller craft like bugs. However, it doesn't wrap the whole package up properly.

What makes the game even more surprising is that while Matrix Games is distributing the game, the game owes its existence to one person. John "Milo" DiCamillo created the game, and still is constantly improving the game (several patches have been released by Matrix Games since Starshatter's initial release).

The game offers both an "in-cockpit" view (good for fighters) and various third-person views (better for the capital ships; it makes it feel like an RTS), and is very customizable from a viewpoint standard, as you can customize the screens to suit your tastes.

In fact, customization might be the biggest feature of Starshatter. The game is infinitely customizable...you can tweak everything, from fighter classes, to capital ships, to weapons. I cruised a couple of fan sites for the game, and there was everything from a Babylon 5 mod to a Star Wars conversion, plus plenty of user created content.

The controls can be set to accurately follow Newtonian physics (for those of you who don't know what that is, one of the laws is.. "An object in motion tends to stay in motion, unless acted on by an outside force"), or can be a bit more arcade-like and forgiving.

For those of us who remember blasting opponents in games past, wearing down opponents shields with laser fire and then finishing em off with missiles, take note: those tactics will lead to a quick death. Ships lack shields, so early acquisition is key. Most times, before you can reach them with your guns, you'll have a solid missile lock. The ships do have decoys, but using them properly is a matter of timing, and if you don't use them at the right time, the missile will hit, and you'll be space dust before you can do anything about it.

If I had to compare the fighter experience of Starshatter to a game that's gone before, I wouldn't compare it to Wing Commander or the X-Wing/Tie Fighter series. Instead, I would compare it to Falcon 4.0, a game so customizable and beloved by its fans, that there are still mods and customizations being released today. To put that in perspective, if Starshatter lasts as long with its community as Falcon has, people will be playing Starshatter into the next decade...and probably beyond.

Now, the other half of Starshatter deals with controlling capital ships, and well, Starshatter falls a bit short here. One of the things that makes controlling a multi-billion ton warship different from a one-man fighter is that well, one man can pilot a fighter, but it takes a crew to man a warship. You never get the feeling that there's anyone but you on the ship.

Once again, the game is very detailed, as you can assign your ship's fighter wings to escort duty, strike enemy ships, or perform anti-fighter duty. To help you, the fighters come with pre-created weapons "packages" and setting up a strike is very easy. Three clicks, and 15 seconds later, a two-fighter element is on the launch rails, ready to go.

The problem with capital ships is, well...in a space force with millions of men, you would have to usually be a very good tactician to earn command. The Opposing Force's commanders should be able to respond to your actions in a competent manner, and I just did not see that in the AI. It needs some major tweaks just to be considered average.

The game is not especially new player friendly, as from the beginning you are expected to be able to follow directions on take offs and landings, be it from the surface of a planet, or from your carrier's dock. There is no ability to let the computer auto-land your fighter, instead it offers you help with your flight path and making you do the work yourself. Especially in space, with a carrier's bulk between you and your dock, finding the recommended flight path without slamming into the carrier can be intensely frustrating. It took me an hour and a half to figure this out.

The best part of the game is the dynamically linked missions. Most space sims are pretty static when it comes to missions, generally offering set piece missions rather than a real war. While the graphic presentation of missions is pretty sparse (a few paragraphs about the current situation, a brief listing of the goals, and it's time to go), the effects of one mission will carry over to your next mission. Leave a destroyer unguarded while you are pressing the advantage in a battle? Well, hope you didn't need it in your next mission, you ain't getting it back! It definitely makes you think differently when it comes to your tactics.

Tactical battles can also test your patience, in a different way. In a fighter, you are constantly flying the craft, so at least you are engaged, mentally in the game. In the tactical game, it's kind of like being a firefighter. Hours and days of boredom, then minutes of chaos and insanity. Hunting down opponents is not always easy, and it can be quite boring.

From land, to air, to space, Starshatter is an impressive effort for a one-man development team. The problem is that it tries to be all things to all people, and I'm not sure that Milo hasn't bitten off more than he can chew. Somewhere down the road, the Starshatter series could take its place amongst the best space sims of all-time, But it's not yet good enough to make me stop pining for the controls of an Arrow with a Kilrathi ace in my sights.