Review: Alliance Peacefighter
The space simulation genre is popular in virtual reality, allowing users to venture into the cosmos. Yet, what we truly lack is a more structured space experience, reminiscent of classics like X-Wing and Wing Commander, instead of a vast open-world solar system. Urban Logic Games aims to fill this void with Alliance Peacefighter, a bold yet commendable choice given the current demand for open-world games.
Release Date: June 18th 2025
Developer: Urban Logic Games
Publisher: Urban Logic Games
Price: £17.99
Reviewed On: DPVR E4 Black
* Access Provided For Review *
Take On All Of Them?
Alliance Peacefighter is a narrative-focused space simulation game where you step into the shoes of a newly qualified pilot for the Alliance. Before long, you become embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens to shatter the already delicate peace between two powerful galactic factions.
The game’s narrative unfolds as you soar through space, engage in dogfights, and return to your base. There, you gather insights about your team, receive updates on the current situation, and prepare for your next mission. This cycle continues throughout the entire game, allowing the linear, story-driven essence of those classic Nineties games to truly stand out.
What truly amazed me about the game were the dogfights, as the sheer number of enemy spacecrafts displayed on the screen at once was mind-blowing. Your craft’s primary weapon consists of automatic guns, and you have a limited supply of rockets and countermeasures—so you must use them judiciously during combat. The developers have ensured that the combat remains enjoyable and fully engrossing, with numerous enemies challenging your skills and keeping you alert. Beyond the dogfights, there are several missions that require stealth, as well as scanning and retrieving cargo to bring back to the ship. Additionally, there will be moments when you are exploring areas and warping between locations to find the enemies. Nevertheless, the majority of missions revolve around the exhilarating dog-fighting, which keeps you thoroughly engaged in the game.
When it comes to piloting your spacecraft, the team has ensured that a variety of options are available, allowing you to navigate the ship using motion controls, a game controller, or a Hotas setup, catering to all types of players. For this review, I utilised motion controllers, and the experience was incredibly smooth and well-executed. In addition to managing thrust and the flight stick, you can easily adjust the power routing and select which shield can absorb more damage using simple dials located on your cockpit’s dashboard. If you choose to play at higher difficulty levels, adjusting these settings becomes crucial.
Speaking of difficulty, the team has designed the game so that you can tailor it to be as easy or as challenging as you prefer, ensuring that players of all skill levels can enjoy the experience. They achieve this by allowing you to adjust not only the game’s difficulty but also the effectiveness of your teammates. This means you can set it to easy and have your crew perform exceptionally well for a laid-back experience, or you can crank it up to hard and reduce your team’s effectiveness for a tougher challenge. By tweaking these settings, you can find the ideal balance for yourself, or perhaps start on an easier level and gradually push your limits by adjusting the settings as you improve.
Check Out Those Explosions!
The visuals of the game evoke a sense of nostalgia, opting for a style that contrasts with the hyper-realism seen in titles like Elite Dangerous, yet it still impresses with its aesthetic appeal. Inside your spacecraft, everything appears pristine, while the skies, stars, and planets around you ensure complete immersion. The diverse races of your crew resemble the anthropomorphic characters from Star Fox, even though they aren’t animals. Coupled with a wide array of enemy spacecraft, the world truly feels vibrant and alive in virtual reality.
What struck me the most about the visuals were the explosions and their vivid brightness against the dark expanse of space. This is enhanced by the excellent lighting in the game, particularly when explosions occur nearby, illuminating your entire cockpit as your crew takes down an enemy flying alongside you. This is combined with striking purple tunnels as you warp into different regions of space, while your crew begins to warp around you as they enter it too, which also looks great.
The audio effectively brings the space environment and dogfights to life, with impressive sounds from your guns, rockets, countermeasures, and the damage inflicted on your craft, as well as the explosions of your enemies. However, there are some audio aspects that fall short. For one, the music selection didn’t quite captivate me; it could have been more energetic, especially given the game’s action. My biggest concern, though, is the absence of sound during crew conversations. Even a voice similar to those in classic games like Star Fox on the SNES or Banjo-Kazooie would evoke that nostalgic Nineties vibe. The lack of sound while the characters’ mouths move can disrupt immersion, particularly during moments around the briefing table or in the ship’s bar.
Comfort
The Verdict
The team at Urban Logic Games has achieved their aim of creating a game that captures the essence of the nostalgic, linear, story-driven space sims from the Nineties, and they do so brilliantly using modern technology like virtual reality. The number of enemy spacecraft visible from your cockpit window is both awe-inspiring and intimidating when you consider that you are heading straight into it. However, the good news is that you’ll be eager to dive in, as the dogfights in Alliance Peacefighter are exhilarating, with the scale of battles featuring both enemy and alliance ships, bullets zipping through the skies, and explosions that truly bring the action to life. The team has also made it possible for you to adjust the game’s difficulty to your liking with various settings, ensuring that it aligns perfectly with your skill level, so it doesn’t become too overwhelming or frustrating—unless you choose to challenge yourself. I was also impressed by the range of comfort options available for an additional mode to a flatscreen game, and with Hotas support, I’m confident it will satisfy space sim enthusiasts. Just remember that Alliance Peacefighter is designed to be a nostalgic, story-driven space sim without an open world to explore, and you will appreciate everything the game has to offer.