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Far into the future - the 27th Century, if we're being precise - a terrible war rages. The Kilrathi, a savage warrior race of cat-like aliens, have at last found a species with the furballs to stand up to them and, you guessed it, it's us humans. Our thin line of defence is provided by lone Star Carriers which cruise the border space between the Terran Confederation and the Kilrathi Empire, each of which is home to several squadrons of fighters and the pilots who fly them.

Aboard the Carrier Tiger's Claw, which patrols the notorious Vega Sector, is a rather special pilot - you! Along with your computer-controlled co-pilot buddies, you have to fly various missions and it's your performance in these that decides the future of mankind.

Who will come out on top - the noble humans (hooray!) or the overgrown moggies (boo!)? Eight out of ten Kilrathi, who expressed a preference, said that they would choose the latter option.

Wing Commander is the game that comes closest to being an 'interactive movie'. Animated cinematic sequences move the plot along between missions and the actual space combat is depicted using detailed bitmapped ships for greater realism, the end result being a game that really does look and feel like a top science-fiction movie.

When Wing Commander came out on PC, it went down something of a storm... as long as you had a machine decked out with go-faster chips and a weighty hard drive. There's no doubt that it's the most ambitious PC-to-Amiga conversion yet. But can the Amiga cope? Well, here's where you find out!

There's something about Wing Commander. Sure, it's great to look at and the music and FX are superb, but even the prettiest graphics and sweetest sound palls eventually. And, let's be honest, it's not the deepest game ever created (in essence it's just a glorified 3D shoot-'em-up) and it's not the toughest either; it certainly shouldn't take a decent player that long to finish it.

So why do I find myself returning to play it time after time, even when I've completed it? I guess it's got something to do with the fact that WC (unfortunate abbreviation, that) really does feel like an 'interactive movie'.

It's got simply bags of atmosphere and the player/viewer's level of involvement with the action on-screen can become incredible. After a few days you really start to form a bond with the pilots on the Tiger's Claw, so much so that losing a chum in a dogfight can be quite affecting.

"This is all very well and good," I hear you cry. "But is it fast enough?" Well, the answer is: Yes, it is... but only just. There's no denying that what you've got with Wing Commander on the Amiga is a programming miracle, but the strain still shows - even when the screen is fairly empty the update is never that speedy. However, it's still fast enough to be playable and that, at the end of the day, is what really matters.

Basically, the message is this: If you want Wing Commander on the Amiga then here it is - nothing added, nothing taken away. However, anyone looking for high-speed thrills will be disappointed.