Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

7.1
Good

Gameplay	6.5	"The ultimate Star Wars game for the everyday Star Wars fan."
Graphics	8.0
Sound	8.0
Value	7.0

By Mayur Gandhi

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The appeal of games based on movies is fairly obvious - we can play as the characters we see and love on the screen, we can fully immerse ourselves in the world laid out and most importantly we can pretty much relive the film in vivid and bold new ways. With LucasArts being the exclusive distributor (and a veteran game publisher to boot) of everything gaming and Star Wars conjoined we've seen both hits and misses over the past few decades.

Games like Jedi Knight and Rogue Squadron come to mind when searching for those that have wowed us, whereas platformer titles like The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan and Jedi Power Battles have left much to be desired. Being both an avid gamer, as well as a Star Wars nut I couldn't help become a little enthralled with the possibility of a new and albeit good platform Star Wars game (we were due); one that looked really impressive and polished from the press materials put forth. But after spending some serious time with Revenge of the Sith for the Xbox, can I say that the anticipation was justified?

There are a total of 22 single player missions (17 single player story missions and 5 bonus missions) in Revenge of the Sith, and after playing through the first few you'll likely be happy with the detail that has gone into the control and the graphics of this game. Truly game developers The Collective can be showered with praise here, as they've learned from previous mistakes and as a result presented the user with a laid back and very fun, albeit somewhat easy, console action title. The controls are simple and fluid; your four main buttons control fast, medium and stabbing attacks, as well as jump. The triggers control block and force powers, and the black and white buttons control saber throw and mind control/lightning. In fact, one of the best features of this game is simply its intuitive control, which is very easy to learn and as such helps you on your way to creating melodic combos leaving separatist forces in pieces.

The levels themselves also present a few surprises as well, either with in-game animations or obstacles that force you to use your Jedi skills to pass through. Debris and large doors can be opened when stepping over a green glowing disc, coupled with the use of right trigger to call upon the force. Stepping on a blue disc will help supercharge your jump and allow you to reach seemingly impossible distances. There are also doors, and panels that you must plunge your lightsaber into and carve openings with. These are merely a few of the delights witnessed from the prequels that developer The Collective has translated very well into their game.

However, these nicer points aside the flaws begin to appear in the gameplay. The enemy AI, for one, is fairly dull and uninventive, much like that of the robot armies in the movies. While there are times you'll find yourself stuck at points, a few retries should easily help you overcome the few difficult obstacles in the game. I also noticed several times during the game areas where I would become stuck, and would need to suffer a very jarring hit from an enemy to free myself. And while there are some reviewers who've commented that bashing enemies in becomes far too repetitive, I felt that there wasn't enough of an enemy threat thrown at you, and when comparing this game to a similar action title like Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King, the epic scale of the film is translated onto the console in somewhat underwhelming fashion. That is, where you fight hordes of Orcs in ROTK, it would have been nice to see the same kind of numbers thrown at you in this game.

On top of these minor nuances, the levels themselves are far too easy for a seasoned gamer, and while there are some bonus objects strewn through the levels, you'll not have a hard time beating this one in a matter of hours. Sadly, the game leaves a sense of emptiness, considering most gamers will pass through this one like a hot knife in butter.

As far as the audio and video is concerned for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, I was stunned with the detail in the character design, animations, the cutscenes and the environments. The Collective has done a nice job with the detail of this game, and working with Nick Gillard (stunt coordinator of the film) they have captured the essence of the Jedi in their prime. The game also boasts footage from the record-breaking movie which is a treat for those who aren't weary of spoilers (those who are should hold off on this game until after seeing the film).

On the whole, this is by far the best looking Star Wars game to date, and while in recent months we've seen some really beautiful looking Xbox titles released, fans of the series and gamers alike will be satisfied with the detail brought to the table. The biggest complaint is the lack of interaction with the environment over anything else, while there are times you can fully interact with explosive barrels, I wanted to see my saber leave slash marks on the walls and floors, more visual damage from my relentless swinging of my weapon as seen so beautifully in the later instalments of the Jedi Knight series.

The audio presentation is equally impressive, and frankly has never been an area that leaves a person wanting more with a Star Wars title. John Williams score booms throughout, and the only thing that left me puzzled was the lack of authentic voice cast. You'd think Lucas would have slipped something into the actor's contracts concerning this matter (once again, a comparison with LOTR: ROTK leaves Episode III in the dust in this area as all the actors did voice work in that respective title). However, the sounds of the battle come through clear and precise, and this is merely a minor issue of minute puzzlement.

So where do I lie on the game? A little divided as it probably shows. The first time playing through this game I had a lot of fun, and I definitely feel that Revenge of the Sith has that ability to easily entertain for short-bursts, though there's not much to keep gamers plugged in. There is unlockable content, such as the game's movies and lots of production art, as well as four multiplayer missions and a bevy of 2-player dueling maps and characters. All in all, the game itself, while not a bad effort, will leave any regular gamer with a bad case of buyer's remorse.

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