'Galactica' Fans, Join The Fight

Command a Colonial ship or side with the evil Cylons in Battlestar Galactica. (Sierra Online)

One of the best science-fiction shows ever created and certainly the most popular on the Sci Fi Channel is "Battlestar Galactica," a more serious retelling of the original campy series that pits the ragtag Colonial fleet against the murderous robotic Cylons.

The new and supposedly final season of the show has been delayed, though the recent TV movie, "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," should satisfy people for a while. So what are fans to do in the meantime? Try the game Battlestar Galactica.

It's not the first game based on the series, but it is the first aimed at mainstream gamers. The original game for Xbox and PlayStation 2 a few years ago was basically a flight simulation title, which required quick reflexes and a basic understanding of genre. The new game is much easier to play: You fly ships while shooting at enemies on a very good-looking 2-D battlefield. It has only a few keys to control movement and two for weapons.

The single-player game is based on episodes from the TV show. In those missions, you pilot ships from the series, such as the Viper II or the cloaking Blackbird. In multi-player mode on the PC or through Xbox Live Arcade, players can take the role of either Colonial pilots or Cylons.

Despite the 2-D map and simple controls, special effects make it seem like a 3-D world. You might even get a little disoriented. But fans of the series may be disappointed: The game does not feature the voices of actors from the show or even sound bites. As a result, the game, though affordable, fails to capture the excitement of the series.

-- John Breeden II

Battlestar Galactica Everyone 10+; Xbox 360 (for download), Windows Vista/XP ($20) Sierra Online Battlestar Galactica Everyone 10+; Xbox 360 (for download), Windows Vista/XP ($20) Sierra Online