Unlike most Digital Leisure games, or even the HD DVD version of
Dragon's Lair that was recently released,
Space Ace HD isn't designed to be played in any DVD player (or in the case of
Dragon's Lair, any HD DVD player). Instead, this disc isn't simply a menu-based movie... well it is, but it's one you need a Windows machine to start up and Windows Media Player to run. So while the game itself doesn't stray that far from Digital Leisure's formula, the ability to play it does. Which is really odd since it changes the audience that the company has typically tried to hit, namely, pretty much anyone that could play their games.
Like other older laserdisc based games, the controls are of the action button/twitch based variety. You are presented with a scene and you have to quickly decide what button you should press. Sometimes it's the fire button, and sometimes it is the need to move in a direction. You will have to think fast though because you are given very little time to react. This game doesn't give you any chance to breathe because just as soon as you get out of one perilous scene, you are in another one.
This isn't for everybody; in fact the only people that would really find this a good purchase are the ones who've already played the game and want to take it home with them.
