Independence War Deluxe is still impressive from a technical viewpoint. The combat is very strategic and requires lots of thought (ships have an upper and lower shield and you need to try and hit them between the two for best effect), the missions are very atmospheric and some even involve lateral thinking (how do you escape from a battle when your jump drive is disabled, and your carrier's fighters have all been destroyed?). The last time I tried to play it though, there were numerous problems with getting the Glide emulator set up correctly (the game was either software rendering or Voodoo only).

The sequel is much more arcadey and simplifies the combat, but still hold up remarkable well (especially the atmospheric music). It's much more open, with the ability to freely explore and build resources between missions; but it ends on a cliffhanger (sort of), and there was never a third game.

Jefferson Clay is still one of my favourite in-game characters though.

Loved iwar2, but going back to it now after all this time will be like meeting up with an old ex who is now 20 stone and has a fanny like a clowns pocket.