Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected, it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flying from either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fight their way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the lives of three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period as Star Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallel those of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict against the Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective. Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it can take weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock the game's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes, and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including Darth Maul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).
Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing through an enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaseless procession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw an overwhelming number of 3-D objects on the sc at once--such as a mission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen large capital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, with lasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, and constant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.
The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic, and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on at once that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only real drawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up and prevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetary missions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high. Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and no
Amazon.com Review
Star Wars Starfighter is finally here, and, as expected, it serves up Wookiee-sized portions of action and adventure. Flying from either a first- or third-person perspective, players must fight their way through 14 sprawling missions that weave together the lives of three seemingly unrelated pilots. Set during the same time period as Star Wars: Episode I, the events in Starfighter parallel those of the movie, letting players participate in the conflict against the Trade Federation from a slightly skewed perspective.
Although the main missions can be completed in an afternoon, it can take weeks to earn the bronze, silver, and gold medals that unlock the game's bonuses. These include extra missions, a few two-player modes, and the ability to choose any ship for each mission (including Darth Maul's incredibly powerful Infiltrator).
Most of the missions are intense, involving efforts like racing through an enemy-infested canyon or defending a base against a ceaseless procession of droid air and ground forces. The game engine can throw an overwhelming number of 3-D objects on the screen at once--such as a mission where more than 50 hostile fighters swarm nearly a dozen large capital ships. The beauty of these large battles is mesmerizing, with lasers crisscrossing, massive explosions thundering all around, and constant radio chatter alerting players to new threats.
The controls for the various fighters and bombers are extremely basic, and combat is straightforward, but there is always so much going on at once that the game mechanics almost need to be simple. The only real drawbacks to the game are a few bugs that occasionally crop up and prevent us from completing missions, and the fact that planetary missions have a low "ceiling" that prevents us from climbing very high. Even with these faults, the game exceeded our expectations, and no arcade, action, or Star Wars fan with a PlayStation2 will want to miss it. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros: No Jar Jar Stunning graphics Exciting, massive missions
Cons: Some mission-stopping bugs Simplistic combat will disappoint simulation fans looking for something along the lines of X-Wing Alliance
Amazon.com Product Description
Star Wars Starfighter brings Lucas Arts-quality air and space combat to the PlayStation2. It combines the action of Rogue Squadron with the plots of the X-Wing series for an engrossing gaming experience. The story, which is inspired by the motion picture Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, will have you trying to save Naboo from invasion by the treacherous Trade Federation. There are three pilots from which to choose, each of whom has a different ship: Rhys is a cocky Naboo pilot-in-training. His Naboo N-1 starfighter is quick, agile, adept at dogfighting, and armed with proton torpedoes, laser cannons, and deflector shields. Vana, a Naboo expatriate, roams the galaxy to contract her services as a gun for hire. Her ship, the Guardian, is ultrafast and equipped with stealth capabilities, sensors, tracking devices and a variety of weaponry. Nym is an alien pirate who lives a Robin Hood existence in the shadows of the Naboo system. He pilots the Havoc, a starship that's outfitted with powerful bombs, lasers, a rotating turret gun, and heavy shielding.
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