With the rise of console, there are whole genres that are slipping through the cracks in the transition from the world of PC gaming. One such genre is the flight simulator; a former staple of the gaming market, the flight sim used to be one of the most generally popular genres of the medium. The deep-rooted desire of man to take to the skies was simply too compelling to pass up, especially given the mathematical simplicity of flight and the expensive nature of flight as a hobby. You could get into the seat of anything from a small Cessna to a fully-armed F-15 and take to the skies to do whatever you pleased without fear of imminent death. As the years go on, we find fewer and fewer of these gems floating around the market as we move from joysticks to joypads.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter, the sequel to the even lesser known Star Wars: X-Wing, is an ideal example of the even rarer genre of science-fiction flight simulators. One of the only flight simulators that takes place in zero-gravity, you play the part of a pilot flying missions for the Imperial Navy, piloting everything from the iconic TIE Fighter to the hulking Imperial Gunship in your duties to the Emperor. You rise through the ranks as you begin with lowly customs duties and work your way up to squad leader and even the personal guard of Darth Vader. You sit through simulator flights, briefings, liftoff protocol, systems management, combat, debriefing, and covert operations. I'd place it as the best example of a space flight simulator without second thought, easily surpassing the likes of Rogue Squadron and Freelancer in terms of how a space navy would operate both in and out of combat.
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