If there is a series that I can name as the most influential and epic in my whole career as a gamer, it would be Wing Commander. No other franchise managed to engross me as much, and no other storyline ever got me hooked as the one set in the war between the Terran Confederation and the Kilrathi. It's still the series that I would like to see remade the most in the whole gaming pantheon.

While that doesn't seem to be on the menu, the creator of the series Chris Roberts announced today the next best thing: a spiritual successor to Wing Commander is in the works and will soon bring us back into space.

The project is twofold: a single player story-driven player part with limited multiplayer and co-op named Squadron 42, and a main sandbox MMO titled Star Citizen. Both are in development exclusively for PC, with financing raised through crowd funding.

The engine used for the game looks extremely powerful, and the visuals we saw so far are breathtaking to say the least. Star Citizen in particular will probably please many fans of sandbox games, as it will allow players to choose whatever they want to do in the game, and will feature constant updates and the possibility for players to directly influence the universe around them. For instance if you discover a previously unexplored jump point, it will be named after you.

Honestly I'm finding myself at a loss for words in describing my excitement for this project, so I'll let Chris Roberts himself introduce it in the video below (the second video is the full version of the trailer). After you watch it you can head to the official site to pledge your own support. You know you want to.

Welcome back Chris. Really.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/51135962

http://player.vimeo.com/video/51129845