Space combat games let you pilot various spacecraft, from fast fighters to powerful gunships, and engage in thrilling battles across the vastness of space. This collection includes games focused on immersive stories, fast-paced action, and open worlds where space combat is central. You’ll discover both pioneering classics and newer games that have improved gameplay, missions, and graphics.
Each game review provides helpful information about compatible platforms, the game’s main systems, and a typical gameplay experience. If you’re interested in features like HOTAS or VR compatibility, or a particular type of campaign, quickly browse the reviews to find what you’re looking for. We focus on how the game *plays* and what it offers, so you can choose something that suits your equipment and preferences.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
I first played this space sim back in ’94 on PC, and it totally sucked me in! You get to fly Imperial ships, and it’s not just about blasting enemies – there’s a whole campaign with mission briefings and debriefings. What’s cool is that side missions actually matter, impacting your rank and the medals you earn. A big part of the gameplay is managing your ship’s energy – you have to balance power between your lasers, shields, and engines. Plus, you get to try out different roles, flying everything from speedy interceptors to heavy bombers and even some really advanced prototype ships.
You can practice using different weapon setups with the mission editor and historical missions. The game natively supports joysticks, and a later special edition included better graphics and the option to update the audio. Thanks to fan-made improvements, the game now works with modern screen resolutions and on current versions of Windows.
Star Wars: X-Wing
First released on PC in 1993, this game set the standard for the series. It introduced features like planning missions in advance, giving orders to your wingmen, and a detailed heads-up display that helped you track targets and manage your ship’s systems. The story follows Rebel missions focused on attacking large enemy ships with torpedoes and protecting other vessels.
The game offers different types of starfighters, each with its own strengths in weaponry and defenses. Additional content packs introduce the B-wing and A-wing ships, and also include more challenging missions. Current versions of the game include all expansions and work on today’s computers.
Freespace 2
This space combat simulator, originally released for PC in 1999, focuses on massive fleet battles. You’ll command destroyers and cruisers supported by fighter wings, using beams, flak, and missiles. Before each mission, you can customize your ships with different weapons and defenses. Realistic radio communication helps you stay aware of what’s happening during challenging missions.
This game uses a flexible engine that allows for detailed graphics, realistic lighting, and a wide range of player-created modifications. Players can enjoy a huge amount of extra content thanks to community-made campaigns and new playable groups. It fully supports both joysticks and keyboards, and you can customize the controls right in the game.
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom
Released in 1996 for PC and PlayStation, this game combines a story that changes based on your decisions – told through full-motion video – with exciting spaceship combat. You’ll choose routes between missions, which affect your goals and who helps you. Players can pilot various ships, from fast, nimble interceptors to powerful bombers, each with unique weapons and missile options.
Players can practice skills outside the main story using a mission simulator. The game’s difficulty settings change how enemies and allies act. Newer versions on DVD and digital platforms have improved graphics and work seamlessly on today’s computers without needing any special setup.
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger
Released in 1994 for PCs and later on gaming consoles, this version featured fully 3D spaceships and a central carrier where players could customize their ships and interact with characters. Missions involved tasks like patrolling, attacking larger enemy ships, and protecting other vessels, and failing a mission could impact future events.
Players can select extra weapons and defenses to best suit each mission, whether it’s launching torpedoes or engaging in aerial combat. The game features a variety of different outcomes depending on player choices. Recent versions are designed to work seamlessly with existing setups and still support both joysticks and keyboards.
Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos
This space simulation game, originally launched on PC in 2001, features realistic flight physics inspired by Newton’s laws. Mastering thrust and precise movements is key to successful piloting. Players can enjoy a blend of open-world piracy and story-driven missions, and customize their ships with upgrades like weapon mounts, turrets, and expanded cargo space.
Fleet management lets you recruit teammates and give commands during combat. The game offers customizable controls and various camera views to help you stay aware of your surroundings. You can also engage in isolated battles in skirmish mode with specially configured equipment.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Released in 2020 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, this game lets you experience realistic spaceship combat from inside the cockpit, where you’ll need to manage your ship’s power between engines, lasers, and shields. Online, you can participate in large fleet battles or smaller dogfights, choosing from different classes of starfighters and customizing your ship with unlockable parts like hulls, weapons, and defensive systems.
The game’s solo campaign lets you play as different sides, teaching you how to aim for specific parts of enemy vehicles and fly in formation. It also offers virtual reality support on both PC and PlayStation, giving you a fully immersive cockpit experience with head tracking. You can customize controls to work with a variety of joysticks and throttles.
Elite Dangerous
Released in 2014 for PC and later consoles, this space simulator lets you explore a vast galaxy with options to help with flight, while also offering realistic thruster controls. Players engage in combat at various locations like resource hubs, conflict areas, and during interdictions or power struggles. You can customize your ship with crafted weapons and modules, specializing it for different roles like fast interception, close-quarters combat, or long-distance sniping.
Players can team up for coordinated wing combat, using voice communication during battles that take place around massive capital ships and megaships. The PC version offers support for HOTAS flight controls and virtual reality. The game is consistently updated with new ships, weapon options, and missions that change based on the ongoing conflicts between different factions.
Everspace 2
This game, launched in 2023 for PC and later consoles, emphasizes quick, action-packed battles, collecting better gear, and exploring carefully designed environments across different star systems. Players pilot ships that fall into classes like interceptors and gunships, each with unique ultimate abilities and passive perks that let you customize your playstyle.
As a player, I’m really enjoying how you can find and collect modules to improve your gear. It’s cool to craft upgrades and unlock perks by doing side quests and exploring. The combat is engaging because you have to manage your energy and cooldowns when using your special devices and weapons. Plus, the game lets you fast travel around, which is a huge time saver! And if you’re feeling brave, there are optional areas that are super challenging, but offer really rare and powerful items if you can survive them.
Everspace
Released in 2017 for PC and consoles, this game combines the replayability of roguelites with fast-paced, arcade-style space combat. Each playthrough features randomly generated areas filled with resources, enemy ships, and dangers like mines and electrical storms. As you play, you’ll unlock new ship designs and upgrades that will help you in future attempts.
Players equip themselves with main weapons, sidearms, and limited-use items. Gameplay focuses on quick attacks and smart positioning, using asteroids and wreckage for cover. The game’s difficulty can be adjusted by changing how many enemies appear and how plentiful supplies are.
Chorus
This single-player shooter, launched in 2021 for PC and consoles, focuses on drifting while you pilot a ship with its own intelligence. The ship gains abilities that let you teleport, ram opponents, and disable enemy vessels. Gameplay includes diverse missions, from defending stations to destroying large capital ships by targeting their weak points.
Upgrading your ship unlocks helpful bonuses and new ways to attack. You can take on optional missions to gather resources used for improving your ship. The game is played from a third-person perspective, and you can fully customize the camera controls – whether you prefer using a gamepad or a joystick – to find what feels best for you.
Strike Suit Zero
This action game first launched on computers in 2013 and was later released on gaming consoles. Players control a fighter that can change between normal flight and a special mode for targeting and attacking multiple enemies. The game’s story missions focus on attacking large ships, stopping enemy bombers, and defending friendly forces.
Medals are awarded based on your score, opening up different mission options and letting you unlock new equipment. If you enjoy fast-paced challenges, try the survival and time attack modes. On PC, the game supports various screen resolutions and allows you to customize controls for both HOTAS and keyboard/mouse setups.
House of the Dying Sun
This tactical shooter, originally launched on PC in 2016, features quick missions where you give commands to your teammates using a simple wheel menu and a slow-motion planning mode. You’ll switch between flying yourself and directing your wingmen to coordinate attacks, like torpedo runs and flanking strategies.
Finishing the game opens up new challenges, like tougher enemies, and rewards you with new weapons. You can also play in virtual reality with a cockpit view and head tracking. If you’re not satisfied with your mission score, you can try again to earn better ratings and unlock even more equipment.
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw
Released in 2019 for PC and then consoles, this game features combat that’s shifted to a 2D view, simplifying complex movements into quick, focused spaceship battles. Players earn money to buy new ships and improve their weapons by completing various jobs like bounty hunting, protecting convoys, and delivering cargo.
The game helps you aim automatically, but you can also turn off or lessen this assistance for more precise, manual control. You can customize your ship with a variety of weapons, secondary systems, and defensive modules, creating unique builds. Space stations act as hubs where you can repair your ship, improve your standing with different factions, and pick up new missions.
Star Fox 64
Originally launched for Nintendo 64 in 1997 and later updated for handheld devices, this fast-paced shooter lets you fly through various levels with different paths. You’ll complete missions like navigating asteroid fields, battling large fleets, and attacking enemy bases, all while working with wingmen who can assist you in future missions – if you keep them safe!
Lasers and shields can be improved with power-ups, and smart bombs eliminate clusters of enemies. Earning medals motivates players to revisit levels and explore different strategies. The game introduced a unique feedback system during intense action – often called ‘Rumble’ – which continues to be a feature in subsequent installments.
Colony Wars
The first game in this series launched in 1997 for PlayStation and featured a campaign that changed based on player choices, leading to different endings. Players could choose their ship and weapons to best suit various missions, such as protecting convoys, raiding stations, and breaking blockades.
Pilots use controls to manage movement – rolling, speeding up or slowing down, and drifting – for accurate positioning near large spacecraft. Practice missions focus on learning how to aim weapons and steer clear of enemy fire. Your progress through the game’s story is automatically saved to a memory card.
Starlancer
This team-based shooter, originally launched in 2000 for PC and Dreamcast, lets you give orders to your squad and experience dynamic battles taking place around naval ships like carriers and destroyers. Players are assigned specific missions, such as protecting bombers or launching torpedoes, and can earn promotions to unlock new vehicles.
Before each mission, you can customize your gear with weapons, missiles, and decoys suited to the task at hand. On PC, the multiplayer mode lets you play with others either cooperatively as a team or competitively against each other. The game keeps track of how well you’re doing – like how many enemies you defeat and your shooting accuracy – and gives you awards for good performance.
Galaxy on Fire 2
This open-world space game launched in 2010 on mobile devices and later expanded to PCs and consoles. It combines exciting spaceship battles with opportunities for trading and creating new items. Players can earn ships and upgrades by completing missions and finding blueprints, and will encounter both pirates and patrols from different factions as they travel between star systems.
As a gamer, I’m happy to say this game lets you play how you want – you can use touch controls or a controller, and there’s even some help with aiming if you need it. They’re also adding tons of new content with expansion packs, like new areas to explore, cool gear to find, and fresh storylines. If you’re on PC, you’re in for a treat – the graphics are way sharper, and you can customize everything to get the best performance and look.
No Man’s Sky
This space sandbox game, launched in 2016 for computers and consoles, lets you battle pirates, security forces, and enemy fleets in a vast, ever-changing galaxy. You can customize and improve your ship – which comes in different classes and sizes – using new technology and resources.
Epic spaceship battles often happen around cargo ships and space stations. Players can even own their own cargo ship and use it as a base to launch fighters. Recent updates have introduced wingmen to fight alongside you, more realistic flight controls, and new missions connected to player guilds and dangerous outlaw areas. The game also supports virtual reality on many different systems.
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
This fast-paced arcade shooter, originally released in 1998 for PC and Nintendo 64, puts you in the cockpit for missions like protecting convoys, attacking enemy bases, and rescuing stranded pilots. Players can pilot iconic ships like the X-wing and A-wing, each with different weapons. Earning medals during missions unlocks secret spacecraft and extra levels.
Practice modes and unique codes let you jump right into specific game situations. The computer version offers sharper graphics and allows you to use a joystick, which you can fully customize. Your score is based on how quickly you finish, how accurate you are, and whether you complete all the goals.
Tell us about your most exciting spaceship battles in the comments, and let us know which ship you’re planning to fly next!
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2025-10-09 00:51