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Boy, has this one been a long time in the making. I can remember magazines breathlessly previewing this about a year and a half ago (and I think ACE was one of them). It's strange that it should finally appear around the same time as EA's Birds Of Prey, another game thought long lost in the Bermuda Triangle that is known as software development.

Anyway, it's here now so what it's like. Well, to be frank, it's a tiny bit disappointing. The last remnants of the human race are all bundled up in a fleet of spaceships, fleeing through space to escape the sun which is just about to go nova. The only escape route lies through the heart of the hostile Empire of the Rexxons, a vicious reptilian race of aliens. As pilot of Earth's Tip Top Secret starfighter, it's up to the player to see the fleet to safety.

This plot forms the framework for the game's eight missions, some of which take place in space, the rest of which take place on the surfaces of various planets. Although depicted in super-smooth solid-polygon 3D (courtesy of Digital 'F-29' Image Design), the emphasis is firmly on shoot-'em-up rather than spurious simulation.

Depending on how the player performs in the various missions, the plot varies accordingly, but it's very limited and never really deviates from the linear path. Epic is all very exciting - the sheer scale of some of the space battles is stunning - and control over the ship is superb, but you can't help wishing there was a little more to the game than just blowing everything up.

A touch more depth and this would have been a classic. Still, if you're looking for a high-class, no-nonsense 3D blaster then Epic's your game. Personally, I'm holding out for Epic 2.