Colony Wars is a combat fighter game set in space. Since 3095, the Earth Empire has spread throughout the universe, taking what it wants and destroying the rest - all in the name of sustaining life on Earth. The League of Free Worlds exists to offer resistance and hope to the plundered outlying colonies.
Colony Wars features advanced lighting and particle effects for the PlayStation, as well as a basic simulation of Newtonian physics. You join as a recruit in the League's fleet, completing missions in various fighters from a 1st person view inside the cockpit or a 3rd person view from behind your ship.
The game's gameplay involves cycling between weapons designed specifically to damage each type of target, with purple lasers draining shields and red lasers destroying them. Ships have separate meters for shields and armor, and you must manage these resources effectively during combat.
The campaign features branching missions and storylines that lead to up to five different endings, depending on your performance in previous operations. Your ship can be destroyed, but the pilot automatically ejects onto an escape pod, with the mission marked as failed and potentially putting you on a losing path.