In the not so distant future, humanity has ventured far beyond the confines of Earth and its solar system, out into the depths of space. However, the many advancements that made such exploration possible have not been accompanied by similar progress on the social front. The mighty Empire and the three gigantic corporations controlling the entire known cosmos are embroiled in an unbelievably tangled political crisis that threatens them all. Corruption runs rampant, reaching to every inhabited colony and planet. The only way that an individual can hope to be truly free is by abandoning the life of a surface dweller. However the pursuit of liberty among the stars also has its drawbacks. Among them are such perils as human space pirates, rogue AI computers that rebelled against their creators, and Empire patrol ships roaming in search of easy prey.

Star Wolves puts you into this scenario as a freelance bounty hunter. Starting with only an old converted transport and a cargo of hope, you can gain additional craft and recruit pilots, each possessing a unique blend of abilities and personality, to fly them in your service. Through firepower and the timely use of tactics, your squadron of up to six vessels can defeat assorted enemies and successfully complete over 40 missions ranging from straightforward assaults to stealth and hit and run. As the tale unfolds, your forces' skills and equipment will improve in preparation for even more daunting adventures ahead. With Excalibur Publishing preparing to ship the game in the UK and Scandinavia, we got hold of Russian publisher 1C's Anatoly Subbotin, assisted by designers Maks Bodrikov and Pavel Kondrashov of developer X-Bow Software, to tell us about it.