Star Wars Jedi Starfighter
- March 19, 2002 16:45 PM PST
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Jedi Starfighter should be more than just a vanilla sequel as LucasArts is making a lot of thoughtful, exciting additions.
A Long Time AgoThe original Starfighter was one of the first dazzling PS2 games of 2001, and Jedi Starfighter looks primed to continue that streak in 2002. The game?s story revolves around Jedi Master Adi Gallia and the pirate Nym, who is a returning character from the first game. The unlikely duo pairs up to fight the evil Captain Cavik Toth as Nym strives to reclaim his home world from the Trade Federation, while the fate of the Jedi order rests on Adi?s mysterious quest. LucasArts hopes that this story, which intersects with key moments from the Episode II film, will be a more compelling part of the game than it was in the first Starfighter, but the cut-scenes weren?t up and running yet in the preview version, so that?s still unknown.
But it?s already clear that LucasArts fixed the original game?s other major shortcoming: minimal multiplayer action. Jedi Starfighter will provide the option to play through each of the 15 single-player missions in two-player split-screen cooperative mode?a truly impressive addition. Once you unlock bonus missions, you?ll also be able to tackle standard two-player dogfighting and other mini-games.
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away
In the preview version, the missions felt comfortably familiar yet different enough to be exciting. In one, Adi and Nym dealt with an assault of sea-based subs and destroyers, while in another, they assaulted a space station brimming with turrets. The controls were very responsive, and a new objective tracker that highlights key mission goals at all times was a big help. The five training missions should also get newbies rolling.
Visually, there weren?t dramatic improvements over the original, but a lot of the scenery sported more detail. The new weapons?Adi?s Force Powers and Nym?s missiles and mines?were also a blast to deploy. As long as the final wave of bug-fixing and tuning goes smoothly, Jedi Starfighter should sizzle with more awesome space combat this March.
