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| Star Wars: Starfighter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full Review: | ||
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Are you fed up of dusting crops? Are you desperate to prove you can pilot your ship better than anything the Trade Federation can throw at you? Well, this game gives you that opportunity. You really can become the pilot of a starfighter!
The game is set during the events of Star Wars Episode One : The Phantom Menace. However, unlike previous Episode One titles, it gives a totally different perspective to the events. You don't follow the jedi, or Queen Amidala, instead you are thrust into the cockpit of powerful starfighters, and fight the evil Trade Federation from a different angle. You will meet new characters Rhys Dallows, Nym and Vana Sage, each with their own unique craft to pilot. The freedom to use new characters with a different storyline to the movies has allowed the creators (Lucas Arts) to create a game that makes Star Wars as good as it should be. | ||
| Gameplay | ||
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The gameplay is exceptionally good. The control system in Starfighter is perfectly balanced so as to allow a good deal of control, without confusing the pilot. The first mission gently acclimatises rookie pilots to their new method of control. Initially you'll face stationary targets, which will become better shielded, then start firing back, and finally move to avoid you.
Once you learn the finer details of the controls, you'll find yourself flying through canyons quicker than Luke Skywalker in a T-16 trough Beggar`s Canyon! The craft are extremely manoeuverable, even at high speeds and in close quarters, such as flying through docking bays.
Whilst the analog sticks control movement, the normal buttons are used for lasers, secondary weapons (such as the powerful torpedoes) and also cycling through nearby targets. The finishing touch to te controls is the clever "zoom" function allowing the pilot to target fighters that are too far away to see. It'll make it easier to target those Womp Rats back home! Initially there are three different ships to fly, but later success allows secret ships to be found. Each of these craft have varying manoeuverability, and also boast different secondary weapons to play with. With the superb manoeuverability of the craft, you'll be able to show the Traade Federation that Size Matters Not! Rhys Dallows, the pilot of the traditional Naboo fighter has proton torpedoes, whilst Nym has energy bombs and a plasma scourge. Vana has one of my favourite weapons, which allows you to tag a craft, and then fire sensor guided Nano missiles. It really is great to watch. The missions vary nicely, including ground based battles, and space dogfights! There are many differtent worlds visited, and plenty of new scenery to keep an eye on. The 14 missions in the basic game each have objectives to complete to finish the mission, but also have bonus objectives, allowing the pilot to gain medals. With these medals, bonus missions and secret craft are unlocked. You'll be able to go back to any of the missions in the game and use a different craft including that of a certain evil jedi! Another gem to unlock is the 2-player game, comprised of a canyon race and a capture the flag style game. This reward can only increase the lastability of the game, and certainly adds to the fun! The word epic is thrown around a lot these days, but when you are taking part in a mission in Starfighter, and you gaze out of the cockpit, you can not help but feel like part of an epic war. The scale of everything happening around you is truly impressive. Instead of being left alone, there will always be a fellow fighter helping you are asking a favour, and there's always another bad guy to shoot down. The use of wingmen controls here is also very helpful. You can send your wing to fight your target with you, or to protect it for you. Your wing will also report in upon request, and even provide cover. You aren't the only one fighting for your side! With laser fire from both sides, and on occasion, ground fire lancing upwards, it really does feel like a big event, not just some tiff between a couple of enemies. Its not just the objectives and medal targets that keep you playing, the missions are so much fun, you'll come back again and again. | ||
| Graphics | ||
| The graphics are amongst the best on any console around today, and will probably remain this way for some time. The first level with the canyon resulted in my jaw actually descending to the floor. Its not just the superb visuals though, its also the amazing texture detail, the fantastic designs of the ships, the phenomenol explosive effects and the super rippling effects on the water levels. The frame rate in the game is well sustained no matter what is happening on the screen. When you are engaged in the fantastic battles, any slow down wouldn't be noticed anyway, so it isn't really a problem. | ||
| Sound | ||
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In the history of Star Wars games, no matter what the quality of the game itself was, the sound was always good, and Starfighter certainly has superb sound. The famous music from John Williams is present throughout the missions, and is carefully placed in the missions so that it suits the action taking place. It turns from a great game into a real life experience. You leave your home for a while and become totally imersed in the story of Star Wars.
The sound effects are of equal standard, with crisp laser fire, and realistic collision sounds. Every explosion is so real you may even duck out of reflex. So, you're probably expecting the voice acting to be a let down. Well, it really isn't. In fact, its clearer than Darth Vader on a frosty morning! Its always there to keep you company on those dangerous missions. | ||
| Overall | ||
| Overall, I have to say that the force is with this game, and it provides the perfect opportunity for young apprentices to train! This is the quality we expect from the playstation 2. It was Do, or do not, and they did! Its more than just a Tremor in the Force. In the words of C-3PO, "Thank the Maker"! | ||
| Score | ||||
| Gameplay Its lovely to have fun in a Star Wars game. Not so good in multiplayer. | 9.3 | |||
| Graphics Lovely textures, nice ships, but nothing ground breaking. | 9.1 | |||
| Lastability Lots of missions and secrets, but not a huge variety. | 8.8 | |||
| Sound Traditional Star Wars music, decent voices, nice sound effects. | 9.7 | |||
| Overall A good Star Wars game, certainly worth looking at! | 9.2 | |||
| Alternatively: | ||
| You could also check out Bounty Hunter, for a different view of the Star Wars universe. Moving outside of the cockpit, and into the shoes of infamous bounty hunter Jango Fett, you take on your enemies face to face, armed to the teeth with amazing weapons. | ||