As a confirmed Star-Wars nut from birth (it has been said that in my infancy, I bore a strong resemblance to Yoda), news of a new Rogue Squadron game was enough to set my heart a-palpitating. In my N64-playing youth, the first Rogue Squadron was my single most rented game and Rogue Leader was the first game I ever bought for my GameCube. Indeed, my love for this franchise is almost enough to get Betty Ford herself lusting after my wallet.
But enough pillow talk. At video game stores all across North America, pre-ordering the cumbersomely-titled Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike will snag you a special demo disk including, amongst other things, a one-mission playable demo of Lucasarts’ and Factor 5’s latest offering.
From what I’ve been able to discern from previews and the game site (rebelstrike.com, if you’re interested), the game, much like the Star Wars Arcade game, takes you on a journey through everybody’s favourite Sci-fi trilogy. From the tragic battle of Hoth, to the speeder-bike races on the moon of Endor, you’ll follow the main characters through all their trials and tribulations.
A startling addition to the tried-and-true formula of what I like to call “extra-orbital vehicular combat” (dogfights in space, for the folks at home), Rebel Strike adds third-person shooting action, reminiscent of Lucasarts’ somewhat older Rebel Assault for the PC, to the smooth, fantastic three dimensional combat for which the series is famous. For instance, the Hoth mission begins shortly after Luke Skywalker’s Snow Speeder is shot down and trampled by a mammoth, shambling AT-AT combat walker. In phase 1 of this frenetic combat hell, Luke must use his grappling magnet-thing to haul himself up to the underbelly of one of these behemoths, slash open an ingress with his lightsaber, and toss a grenade into the rumbling works of the infernal leviathan. (John Milton, eat your heart out!)
After that, Luke must blast his way through a squadron of Stormtroopers and mount a Tauntaun (think of it as a shaggy goat-kangaroo). Then, he finds himself racing forward and cutting a swath through an army of enemy soldiers, wielding flaming death like a Viking Berserker. Finally, having reached the relative safety of the crumbling Echo base, Luke must fight to and commandeer a tripod gun, with which he must destroy three AT-STs, yet more Stormtroopers, and even a few enemy fighters. Even after this, Luke isn’t in the clear, as he must then board his X-Wing fighter and defend fleeing transports full of terrified Rebels, against hordes of lethal TIE fighters and TIE bombers. All this insanity occurs in one mission, and serves as a taste of the fantastic action that is to come. Basically, the gist of what I’m saying is that this game is really fun.
As with its predecessors, the controls are intuitive, tight, and responsive. Everything is as it should be, and I, not having touched Rogue Leader in quite some time, was able to get back into the swing of things very quickly. It can only be assumed that in the full game, there will be a training level, much like the Tattooine levels in Rogue Squadron I and II.
The graphics, of course, are fantastic. The ships are gorgeously rendered, move fluidly, and are full of dynamic shadows and detail. Even the extra-vehicular models move fluidly and fit into the environment (as opposed to the barely-animated two-dimensional sprites of the original Rogue Squadron, and the somewhat jerky movements of Rogue Leader’s groundlings).
Not to be outdone by the visual, the aural aspect is awe-inspiring. Much like the movies on which it’s based, the game features a driving, orchestral soundtrack that seems to complement the action perfectly. That, and the lasers sound satisfyingly laser-ish.
All told, my taste of Rebel Strike has only left me hungry for more, and, true to the form of both Lucasarts and Nintendo, this sequel will not only extend the experience of its predecessors, but will also expand upon it.
Look for it in stores in North America in Fall 2003.
