Reviews / previews
These
are good
times in
the
universe
of Star Wars fandom.
Of course, you've seen
the Episode I trailer 200
times now in Real
Video, right? So, it's
clearly time to move on
to Rogue Squadron 3D,
LucasArts' new
fly-and-shooter that
puts you at the controls
of Luke Skywalker's
very own X-Wing and
more.
Well, not quite so fast.
It's not that Rogue
Squadron isn't good; in
fact, it's fantastic. It
aces the main test of
any game, which is that
it's a hell of a lot of fun.
But if you're a hardcore
simhead waiting on the
next level of
brain-busting game
difficulty and serious
flying after X-Wing vs.
TIE Fighter, be warned
now-this ain't it. You'll
have to wait on this
spring's X-Wing Alliance
for that.
Rogue Squadron is Star Wars, arcade style-akin to the flight level in Shadows
of the Empire. It plunks you into the cockpit as Luke in the time following Star
Wars, before he started his Jedi training in The Empire Strikes Back. And it's
a delicious blend of superb, detailed graphics (with 3D acceleration required,
it better be), canny strategic planning, and lightning-fast action.
Each of the 16 missions in the game's four chapters gives you different,
story-based objectives, from defense of Mos Eisley in the first mission to
such tasks as picking up a high-level Imperial defector or taking out a
weapons factory. Whatever the task, the action levels are constant: you get a
brief cut-scene, it fades, and bang! the fur starts flying.
Rogue Squadron is extraordinarily addictive. The missions are easy to fly but
deceptively difficult to complete. You won't always know why, either. Time,
efficiency, and above all, attention to mission objectives are what score you
enough to finish a mission and perhaps get a medal (which helps boost your
ranking). But you may not know exactly what you need to do until you've
flown a mission a number of times. Your wings will help at times, but mainly
it's left to you to get the job done. You get three ships for each mission; crash
twice, and you're still in the ball game. (We did say "arcade.")
The ships are the standards you're used to-the
X, A, and Y-Wings, plus the Airspeeder and a
new addition, the V-Wing Airspeeder. You'll
use these to pop at TIEs, Walkers, and ground
installations. The handling characteristics are
just incredible; with good throttle control, you'll
be able to turn on a dime and fly the narrow
canyons and city spaces. The variety of
camera perspectives adds to the fun: cockpit
view serves up graphics that make the flight
seem realistic, while going to chase camera
lets you admire the view while trying to drop
onto a TIE's six.
Rogue Squadron does commit one serious, unforgivable sin-no multiplay. In a
game of this nature, it's almost a no-brainer to let X-Wings go up against TIEs
again. Whether it was time, performance, or something else that caused
LucasArts to skip over this, the excuse just won't wash.
Fortunately, the lack of multiplay doesn't
detract from the sheer fun of the single-play
performance. You'll figure out the broad AI
patterns the computer serves up, but the
action is so frenetic that there's still plenty of
challenge for any level of flier, and the quest for
rankings provides tons of replay value. No
question, Rogue Squadron tips the needle on
the fun-o-meter; don't miss it.-- Don St. John / GamePro
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