Star Wars Rogue Leader - Nintendo Gamecube Game Review

I've been following this game since it was announced over a year ago. I already knew that Lucasarts could create a great game after playing "Rogue Squadron", so I had high expectations for this sequel of sorts. Along with my expectations, as well as the expectations of all the other fans out there, there is also the fact that this was a launch title. Therefore it had to have the appeal to sell some systems. So is "Rogue Leader" everything it could have been? The short answer is yes, yes it is.

This game is with out a doubt the best "Star Wars" game ever made. The graphics, sound, control, and gameplay, are all great. Put them all together and you get one excellent game.

The graphics in Rogue are breathtaking. Some may say, that they are just an improvement over the original on Nintendo 64, but they are far more than that. The designers went to great lengths to create every little detail, which is what makes the worlds come alive. From the amazing lighting and textures, to the crazy amounts of geometry this game shows the power of the Gamecube. A couple of the noticeable improvements over the original are the detail put into the ships exterior and interior, and the explosion effects. The ships look like they were ripped right out of the movies. The exteriors look beat up complete with laser burns and grit, and the interiors look very nice with a massive amounts of flashing buttons and such. The environments are also quite breathtaking, with huge architecture/landforms, and volumetric fog/clouds.

The sound in this game is also top-notch, taking advantage of Dolby surround sound. Unfortunately, I have no good sound system to hook my Gamecube to, but the music, voice-acting and sound effects still sound great. Factor 5 went to great lengths to capture the feel of the "Star Wars" universe, luckily for them, they had access to the huge sound library from the films. This means that everything from the whining of a TIE fighter, to the sound of a laser blast sound 100% authentic. Factor 5 actually got the actor, who played Wedge Antilles, to do his own voice-acting. The other characters such as Luke and Han still sound great even without their original actors providing the voice.

The control in this game is near flawless. It's as if the Cube's controller was designed only for this game.(Sometimes I think that's true, cuz honestly, what other use is there for that tiny-ass D-pad?). The breaking and accelerating work extremely well with the "Digital Click" L and R buttons. If you want to slightly break or accelerate, then you slightly squeeze the L or R, and for all out breaking or accelerating, then you squeeze the button all the way. The other buttons are used very well, their position on the controller is basically based on how much you will use that button. I. E. the A and B buttons which are the primary and secondary weapons are easily accessible, and the X and Y buttons which are the camera switch view and the targeting computer are a little out of the way, cuz they aren't as important. And what of that damn Z button you ask, well luckily it's function is to roll, something which I rarely do. I've heard some complain that the breaking in the game is a little unrealistic, saying that you can almost turn around instantly when you break. I've got two things to say to that. First, these ships don't exist, so you go show me that it's unrealistic, and secondly, I find that being able to turn around immediately to pursue an enemy is a feature that I greatly appreciate, especially when dealing with those f*cking super-maneuverable TIE Interceptors.

So the big question is, does Rogue Leader have enough substance to keep ya coming back? Yes, it does. While the game may appeal more strongly to the "Star Wars" fanatic like yours truly, the average gamer will also to be able find some appeal in this game. The replay value is a little low, being as a person can get through the game in 10 hours or less, but the games point and medal system will keep ya coming back. The game also has some great new features, which both enhance the game play and aid the gamer. The targeting computer is the most notable of these features. Using it, you can identify primary and secondary targets. It can also be use simply to identify ships that are hard to see. When you are fighting ships that are mostly grey and black, and you are fighting in space, it can be to target them lil' bastards. Since this computer highlights enemy ships and structures, they become easily visible. The targeting computer is also now part of the mission objectives, the less you use the computer, the better.

Now for the bad news, luckily there is little bad news. The only real problem that plagues this game is the relatively short game play, but like I said the medal system does help remedy that.

The Good!		The Last Word(s): This is the best "Star Wars" game I've ever played.(Hey, I find it to be enough that it isn't the worst Star Wars game ever made…cough Obi Wan cough). Its great graphics and sound create an atmosphere that holds true to the movies. If you are looking for a great shooter on the Gamecube, what am I talking about, it's the only shooter on the Gamecube, if you are just looking for a greate Cube game, then look no further. All the elements are great apart, and when you put them together, you get one hell of a game. Final Rating: 95% Iconish
Great graphics and sound. Excellent control. It's Star Wars!
The Bad...
Relatively short game.
The UGLY.
N'sync might be in the next Star Wars movie, sure it has nothing to do with the game, but it's still an ugly thought.