Strike Commander Comes to GOG

Big news from GOG this week, Origin fans: Strike Commander is now available for purchase, and will set you back just $5.99. And hey, it’s probable that you now, twenty years after the original game’s release, actually own a system capable of running it.

Here’s GOG’s overview of the game, to refresh your memory of it:

Twenty-two years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the world has become embroiled in a series of conflicts centered around an ever-dwindling resource: oil. Mankind’s hopes for world peace lie battered and broken. Take command of Stern’s Wildcats, an elite squadron of mercs trying to fly straight in a world of deceit and violence. Engage rival merc squadrons, third world dictators, and the armies of the dreaded IRS. In a world gone mad, there’s plenty of room to fly, all that’s required is the cash.

Strike Commander puts you in the best place to witness fast-paced dogfighting action: the pilot’s seat. Fly high as you take on over 60 missions, each more challenging than the last in your top-of the-line F16 squadron piloted by the best crew in the business (operational success rate of 86%). Strike Commander is a classic flight combat sim where a pilot is only as good as his, or her, last flight. Fly to survive and survive to fly, in this modern-day action-oriented jet fighter combat simulation!

This was one of those Origin games that could barely run on the mainline home computer systems of its day, a Chris Roberts flight sim that offered a dynamic story, riveting gameplay, and top-of-the-line graphics. It looks a little dated today, as all such things must, but it’s probably still as fun as ever to play.