Ares Rising
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Ares Rising is a space combat game built around a nonlinear campaign structure and mission-based progression. Players navigate from a central hub where they select missions, purchase equipment, and uncover story developments through emails and logs. In-flight, the game uses space-sim mechanics: power can be rerouted between shields, weapons, and engines; missiles and countermeasures are deployed strategically; electronic tracking helps lead targets; and wingmen can be commanded. Multiple flyable ships each come with a unique bitmap cockpit. A multiplayer mode exists, touting persistent pilot records.[2]
Development
The game was developed by Imagine Studios, a company founded in 1995 in Austin, Texas.[3] Imagine consisted of developers who worked on the game Privateer[4][5][6][7] as well as veterans from Northstar, Bethesda and others.[8] Ares Rising used the MythOS engine that was developed by Charybdis Enterprises for the game iM1A2 Abrams.[9][10]
In March 1998, Advanced Micro Devices reached an agreement with Imagine Studios to optimize the game with AMD's K6-3D microprocessor.[11] The game went gold on August 11, 1998.[12][13]