What killed off most of the fun of solo play, was the distinct lack of urgency and Star Wars "feel". The culprit in this case was the always lethal combo of missing story and lack of campaigns. Sorry LucasArts, but those sad tournaments and missions just didn't deliver the incentive for Star Wars fans to keep playing. BoP however introduces a rather thin plot, involving the rebels plan to acquire a starfighter plant in a distant corner of that galaxy far, far away. Of course the Empire isn't particularly thrilled about such goings on and plan to squish the rebel troublemakers. Like LucasArts' past space sims, the missions are played out in extremely linear fashion. Thus, if you fail to achieve a mission goal, the story will not move forward until you get it right.

As far as enhancements go, you can expect to see six very nicely produced cut-scenes that help move the story along. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to fly the rebel B-Wing, a virtual flying fortress of firepower, though somewhat lacking in the speed department. The B-Wing can be flown in the missions and tourneys found on the original XvT disc, thus adding some challenge to original game.

Video acceleration by way of 3Dfx is offered, though the end result is something of a mixed bag. Sure, the graphics will be somewhat more detailed and smoother looking, but the speed increase is negligible at best. This is especially noticeable when the screen becomes filled with enemy ships or when some of the larger craft come into view. The action can, will and does slow down to a crawl. If you're thinking of getting BoP for the acceleration it will give to XvT, you’re better off getting the patch (1.14) off LucasArts' website or elsewhere.

Speaking of big craft, BoP introduces a Super Star Destroyer (Wanna fly it? Fuhgedaboudit!) to the fray. These colossal ships are almost frightening in their size and it's pretty cool to buzz one in your suddenly very tiny X-Wing. Any fan of the films who remembers these behemoths as the largest non-Death Star ships in the series will be pleasantly rewarded.

As far as missions go, if you've played Tie Fighter, you'll know the drill. BoP carries on the same tradition multifaceted mission goals which require almost as much brain power as they do an itchy trigger finger. The missions are still linear and are curiously missing the introductory voice-overs for stating mission goals. But once you are actually in flight, the desperate rebels will be screaming in your ear. Or if you fight for the dark side, the Empire's droll (always), English-accented henchmen will constantly preach their malevolence.

No doubt about it, BoP is a definite step in the right direction. But I still was left feeling somewhat disappointed. A few questions still linger in my mind? Why was the advent of 3Dfx acceleration so thoroughly underused? Where's the greatly missed mission editor? And why is the wingmen AI so flimsy they have trouble obeying even the simplest of orders? And while the advent of the B-Wing was a cool addition, watching a Correllian transport (read: Millennium Falcon) fly is no fun--when can we fly one? And again, of course: Why wasn’t this thrown in the original package?

For what it is, an add-on, after all, is an add on, and BoP does a does decent job of delivering single player action to X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter. For that reason alone, it is worth recommending. But while the new graphics, missions and other enhancements are nice, it's all starting to feel a bit old. LucasArts needs to take a lesson from some of the technological gimmickry that Origin is using on their flight engine and graphics for Wing Commander: Prophecy. Until then, the force is still strong with the X-Wing games, but it's not as mighty as it used to be.

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