The game serves as a prelude to the events of the new series, taking place 40 years before the Sci-Fi Channel’s 2004 Battlestar Galactica miniseries. Players take control of Captain William Adama as he completes 15 missions in the run-up to the end of the First Cylon War.
Missions are meticulously planned. Depending on the mission requirements, players control three types of Viper fighters and captive Cylon raiders. Players will also man the Galactica’s stationary defense turrets. Missions have specific objectives, frequently with time constraints, and are communicated and tracked via voiced radio conversation between wingmen and Galactica’s war room. After each level, players are assessed in various aspects (including accuracy and keeping wingmen alive), and high ratings unlock upgrades and bonuses.
Players can control their craft in either the first or third person. Fighters have infinite ammo and missiles and can auto-repair any damage they suffer, but only if they have adequate recharging energy. Firing weapons and activating afterburners consume energy, and the fighter only repairs itself when the energy bar is depleted. Players must be attentive to their energy consumption to avoid running out of power at vital times.
Missiles on each craft can also be configured on the fly via a pause menu item. Pilots can program missiles to have more power at the expense of speed or more maneuverability at the cost of the blast radius. This technology allows players to tailor their rockets to the needs of the objective, from batting down fighter formations to breaching the defenses of a capital ship.
Despite being a prelude to the current series, the art, and design are inspired by the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica. The original series’ intro is used, and the Cylons Raiders, Colonial Vipers, and Galactica use the original designs. The Cylons themselves look like the original chrome toasters, and the reptilian species that developed them (in the original series, not the reboot) makes an appearance.
