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Date |
: Jan 17th, 2002 |
| Genre |
: Editorials |
| Developer |
: N/A |
| Author |
: Jin-Ning Tioh |
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The Force is Strong With This One...
"It surrounds us, and penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together..." Old Obi-Wan Kenobi might have been referring to power of the mystical force, but there is a power in our universe that is equally as powerful as any force - Star Wars related franchise and games.
When LucasArts released X-Wing just a few years ago, gamers everywhere were released from the confines of their couch watching the Star Wars movies or merely reading about the Clone Wars. Suddenly, they were free to chase down TIE Fighters from the cockpits of their X-Wings, fighting against the influence of the evil Galactic Empire. Nearly every game released was a certified winner and TIE Fighter, Dark Forces, Jedi Knight and so on ranked among some of the best PC games ever produced. Reviewers raved, and gamers publicly heralded them as classics. However, that image has suffered greatly over the past few years, as it started to appear as if the company was milking the Star Wars name more than it was concerned about making top-notch games. Titles such as The Battle for Naboo, The Phantom Menace, Rebellion and especially Force Commander simply failed to live up to the Star Wars standard.
Recently however, LucasArts seems to be making something of a comeback, releasing its latest real-time strategy game, Star Wars : Galactic Battlegrounds not too long ago to rave reviews from most major sites. An artful blending of the tried-and-true engine and gameplay of Age of Empires II combined with the storytelling, art, and design of the seasoned Star Wars designers, LucasArts certainly seems to be recapturing some of the old magic. While it would be naive to think that the game would be as well received if not for the Star Wars license because in truth it's about as innovative as indoor plumbing, who cares? At this point, it has been so long since LucasArts released a top-tier Star Wars game that gamers simply wanted the joy of watching an army of AT-AT walkers lumber through the snow with stormtroopers swarming around their feet and Rebel soldiers holding the line. Innovative or not - That's a lot of fun.
Hopefully, this trend will continue to prosper, with several new and innovative Star Wars related games on the horizon. Here's a short preview on each :
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| Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic |
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| Platform |
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PC |
| Developer |
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BioWare |
| Publisher |
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LucasArts |
| Release Date |
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4th Quarter 2002 |
From the creators of the massively popular Baldur's Gate series, comes a 3D role-playing game of Star Wars origins, filled with lightsabers, blasters, droids and the mystical force - Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic. Taking place some 4,000 years before the Star Wars movies, players are thrust into the role of either a scoundrel, scout, soldier, bounty hunter or even a Jedi guardian. Traveling through some eight new and familiar worlds such as the barren desert world of Tatooine and the sprawling city of Teris, players must complete a multitude of quests and tasks in order to succeed.
Sticking to the same perfected formula used in their Dungeons & Dragons based role-playing games, BioWare hopes to make this promising title appealing and accessible to both Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons fans alike. As in other role-playing games, players take control of a party of adventurers after creating a main character from a selection of three different races and six classes. Once done, the universe is yours to explore, with hundreds of items and non-player characters scattered throughout the galaxy. From blasters to lightsabers, dozens of objects and weapons are available to adventurers. Characters will also have to constantly choose between actions that will push him / her towards the light side or the dark side. Depending on your character's dynamic alignment, NPCs will react to you differently, characters will be privy to different items and players will be able to unlock different force powers. Players will also travel in between destinations on the starship Ebon Hawk, which will act as your mobile command base.
During combat, gameplay will be somewhat similar to that of the Baldur's Gate series, taking place in real-time. BioWare has promised to make the combat sequences more action-oriented this time round, to avoid having players pausing in the heat of battle to give out orders. A surprising feature which is often popular among console RPGs will be minigames. In several sequences, players will be able to control their destinies instead of simply viewing traditional cutscenes, even hopping into a turret to fend off incoming hostile fighters.
To recreate the rich and diverse universe of Star Wars, BioWare has created a brand new 3D engine to take full advantage of all the latest graphical features of the GeForce 3. In addition, to match all the recorded dialogue in the game, a proprietary lip-synching technology to match the speech patterns of the characters' lips have been created. Characters will also have a number of facial animations and body movements to relay feelings that range from pain to happiness. Each model has individual fingers, eyebrows that arch and eyes that move. With each model being rendered with a high polygon count, even the clothes and hair blow realistically in the wind. So far, the graphics engine looks to be rather impressive, and will hopefully live up to expectations when the game is released.
From what we have seen and heard, Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic promises to deliver both an exciting experience and to drive the Star Wars series full-tilt into the wonderful world of RPGs. Unfortunately, players will have to wait till the end of 2002 to witness this. Definitely one to keep an eye on. |
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| Star Wars : Starfighter |
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| Platform |
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PC |
| Developer |
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LucasArts |
| Publisher |
: |
LucasArts |
| Release Date |
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1st Quarter 2002 |
Earlier this year, LucasArts released its critically acclaimed space-combat simulator Star Wars : Starfighter for the PlayStation 2 platform. Following in the tradition of Rouge Squadron, players command a variety of starfighters including the Naboo N-1 Starfighter and the Guardian Mantis into furious arcade-style space or atmospheric battles. So naturally, both gamers and members of the press received a pleasant surprise at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo when they saw Starfighter plainly running on a PC at the LucasArts booth. According to LucasArts, the game was originally designed for the PC to start with, so the decision to port it back to the PC was an easy one. Gamers reeling from the catastrophic disaster which was Star Wars : Battle for Naboo can now rejoice as little has been changed in terms of gameplay, and several bugs including the frame rate issues that plagued players during large-scale battles fixed.
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All this takes place during the events of Episode I : The Phantom Menace, although the storyline only runs concurrently with the general happenings across 14 single-player missions. Players bear witness to events happening at the time as one of three main characters - Rhys Dallows, Vana Sage, and Nym. Rhys Dallows is a Naboo fighter pilot, orphaned from Bravo Flight when a meeting with the Trade Federation turns ugly. Flying the elegant Naboo N-1 Starfighter, Rhys's ship is fast and deals out damage with basic laser cannons and proton torpedoes. Vana Sage is an ex-pilot turned mercenary. She worked for the Trade Federation briefly, but now seeks payback after being double-crossed in her Guardian Mantis, a highly maneuverable ship armed with sensor guided Nano missiles and Ion-enabled sensor tags. Nym is a space pirate whose base was destroyed in retaliation for the hijacking of a Federation freighter. Flying the Havoc muscle ship, he has an impressive arsenal to unleash, including dual triple-laser canons, energy bombs, and a Plasma Scourge. Unfortunately, the Havoc muscle ship is slower compared to most other ships. Each pilots starts out in their respective craft, but later, over 20 ships will be made available. Each ship is heavily detailed, both graphically and technically. Teaming up together, the threesome will soon find themselves head over heels in the battle against the Federation army, battling in the epic finale to destroy the Droid Control Ship over the planet of Naboo.
No doubt one of Starfighter's most innovative points is the ability to zoom in "sniper-mode". Allowing players to "snipe" at enemy fighters from afar, it also allows for a more enjoyable experience, giving players the opportunity to admire enemy fighters up close before blasting them into little shreds of scrap metal.
A clear graphical advantage is evident here. Improvements include an increase in texture size on all starfighters, making them appear more refined and smoother. Players will also tingle with pleasure watching as enemy fighters are consumed in a fiery explosion, with fighters realistically breaking apart into fragments that fly in every directions. Planets are also equally detailed, with Federation droid factory scattered throughout lava-based planets, and massive waterfalls towering on water-based planets. The final mission will also feature a massive Trade Federation station.
All in all, Star Wars : Starfighter for the PC seems to be coming along quite nicely. With more detailed textures, improved AI and a couple of minor tweaks, players can look forward to enjoying an addictive space combat shooter soon in the future. |
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Recently, online role-playing games have proven increasingly popular, with the release of EverQuest, Asheron's Call and dozens of upcoming massively multiplayer role-playing games. Foremost among these is LucasArts' forthcoming online role-playing game - Star Wars Galaxies, an ambitious game that is simply mind-boggling in sheer scope. Naturally, LucasArts has hired the services of veterans in the field, namely Verant Interactive, creators of the extremely popular online RPG EverQuest, to help ensure the successful passing of the Star wars universe into the online world. In a word, their collective experience really shines through in the ingenuity of Star Wars Galaxies' design. An impressive feat ndeed.
All this takes place during the height of Emperor Palpatine's power. The Rebellion against his cruel authority is already in full swing, and any remaining Jedi are being hunted down. Players will be encouraged to help shape the results of these troubled times. The game itself will make it fully possible to do so.
Similarly to most other online role-playing games, players will choose from up to eight different races, including Humans, Wookies, the Mon Calamari, Zabrak and a host of other recognizable races. However, players will have the freedom of customizing their character's appearance in thousands of different ways. From choosing a distinct hairstyle to getting your own tattoos, the amount of customization possible is endless. This level of customization and attention to detail in the character creation actually extends into the entire scope of the game, giving players and objects a level of detail and customization unattained in any other game ever created before.
Similarly ambitious as the ability to customize one's character is the ability to do practically anything - I mean ANYTHING. Save up credits to purchase a landspeeder and deck it out with custom parts. Determine the laws and regulations of a player-built town as the elected mayor. Build up droids from scratch and program their behavior. Catch, tame and train or even breed a variety of different creatures. Learn dozens of different languages. Become a Jedi serving the light side of the force, or serve the dark side of the force, with fear as your ally. Give quests to fellow players. Decorate your newly purchased home. Hang out in cantinas. Encounter scores of other NPC races as well. Make your fortune as a smuggler delivering goods or even as a hairdresser, creating custom hairstyles unavailable to characters by default. Witness awe-inspiring Imperial AT-ATs and Jawa sand crawlers crawling through the sands. Create some of the best items and equipment in the game instead of simply defeating monsters and other wild creatures. In a word, it is exactly like a virtually self-sufficient town, managed by players, serving other players.
Unlike most traditional RPGs, characters will gain skills instead of experience. The branching skill system promises to have something to offer players and characters of all walks of life, becoming accessible to just about anyone. Gameplay will offer a unique combination of combat, exploration, social interaction, specialized missions and daring quests. Players will explore multiple Star Wars environments on foot or in land vehicles. Traveling between planets will be accomplished through the use of public shuttles, which ferry characters from world to world, including the barren wastelands of Tatooine, the beautiful grasslands of Naboo, the underwater city of Otah Gunga and the swamps of Dagobah. Beautiful details surround each planet, with plants being blown by a breeze and day and night cycles which are beautiful to behold, with shadows being cast by each object gradually elongating at sunset, to finally fade away into midnight. Also, players will be able to explore these areas seamlessly, as no "zones" are contained within the game.
An anticipated space component will further expand the borders of dedicated players and fans, allowing players to purchase personal starships and starfighters, which can be used for travel or space combat. The expansion also promises additional worlds, playable species, non-player characters, creatures, and a variety of other elements. The outer-space sequences will be action-oriented but kept relatively simple. A dedicated team is already at work on it, veterans who worked on projects including the much heralded Wing Commander series and the unfinished Privateer Online game.
The anticipated space component of the Star Wars Galaxies online game will add personal starships and starfighters to the game, which can be used for travel or space combat. The expansion also promises additional worlds, playable species, non-player characters, creatures, and a variety of other elements.
Given its level of ambition, needless to say a lot of questions remain unanswered about Star Wars Galaxies. But if the team remains on track with its goals, players will then live two lives - Normal everyday life and a life and career in the engaging Star Wars universe. Star Wars Galaxies promises to be more massive and interactive than any game ever created, and has the potential to actually to bring the entire Star Wars universe to life. Definitely one to be on the look out for if you have the bandwidth and cash. |
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| Star Wars Jedi Knight II : Jedi Outcast |
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| Platform |
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PC |
| Developer |
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Raven Software |
| Publisher |
: |
LucasArts |
| Release Date |
: |
2nd Quarter 2002 |
Quite a few years ago, LucasArts managed to be the first off the mark to create a shooter which simply did not draw comparisons to either Doom or Duke Nukem 3D. Entitled Dark Forces, players assumed the role of Kyle Katarn, an Imperial defector who battles through stormtroopers, droids and bounty hunters in an attempt to prevent the Empire from crushing the Rebel Alliance. Soon after in '97, the sequel to the massively popular shooter entitled Jedi Knight : Dark Forces II was released. Jedi Knight managed to help revolutionize the shooter industry, standing out on its own due to its unique incorporation of role-playing elements such as character interaction and character advancement. It saw the return of Kyle as an adept in the force, with several force powers at his command, including force push and lightning. Players were allowed to gradually decide to turn to the light side or descended down into the dark side as Kyle's abilities grew. Now, several years later, LucasArts has finally announced the next sequel in the ongoing saga, entitled Jedi Knight II : Jedi Outcast, to be developed by the renowned developer Raven Software.
Several years have passed since Kyle Katarn avenged his father's death and saved the Valley of the Jedi from Jerec and his band of Dark Jedi. But when a new and menacing threat to the galaxy emerges, Kyle knows he must reclaim his past in order to save his future. Employing a unique mix of weapons including bowcasters and blasters, force powers and his lightsaber in a vast campaign filled with old enemies and friends such as Jan Ors, Kyle must now prepare to face his greatest challenge to date as a protector of the innocent.
Kyle will start out with his blaster and trusty lightsaber. The blaster is equipped with a scope that's capable of picking off stormtroopers and other enemies at far distances. Later, other weapons such as an Imperial autorifle, a bowcaster and thermal detonators will be made available, all of which will have both primary and secondary attacks. His most reliable weapons however, is his lightsaber and the force. When players activate the saber, the camera automatically switches to a third-person perspective, much like the way it did in the original Jedi Knight. While it'll be possible to wield the lightsaber in first-person mode, LucasArts says that saber control is much easier to achieve while in the third-person perspective. Most lightsaber techniques will prove familiar to the old hands of Jedi Knight, including the ability to automatically deflect incoming laser bolts. However, Kyle has found a new use for his handheld weapon - Saber throw. At will, Kyle can fling his saber outward toward an enemy trooper, slicing though them cleanly before returning back to Kyle, much like a boomerang. Unfortunately, this move will require force points. Other force powers include force push, force jump, lightning and another new ability - Jedi mind tricks. This ability can be useful in a variety of ways, from simply confusing guards into looking the other way while you sneak past, interrogating victims to extract information to manipulating them into unlocking doors into areas that were previously inaccessible. However, like any goody two-shoes Jedi, players must show discipline before committing to action. This is important, as your actions determine the reaction of several non-player characters towards Kyle. For example, if you simply storm through a level, slicing and dicing people mercilessly, most other characters will most likely shy away from you. However, if you practice more restraint and attack only your enemies, some characters that you'll encounter will feel comfortable around you and offer you advice that's crucial to the game or even open an otherwise inaccessible area.
A surprisingly smart and intelligent AI powers Jedi Knight II. Enemies will deftly change tactics and behaviors to deal with you depending on the situation. For example, if their numbers greatly outnumber you, they will put on a bold front and charge at you blasters blazing. If the odds are against them however, they will revert to more defensive tactics, running away and seeking cover behind objects scattered across the landscape. Morale also seems to play a role. If Kyle successfully attacks and kills an Imperial officer in front of his squad of troopers, the troopers will flee from Kyle, switching into defensive mode. Stormtroopers will also pick up thermal detonators players lobbed at them and throw it back in your direction. However, it will take much more skill to defeat Sith lords in lightsaber duels, as they deftly maneuver away from your swings and parry with blows of their own and strike when you leave yourself open.
Kyle must travel to several planets and locations in order to complete his missions. Among these is a large Imperial outpost surrounded by jagged mountains with snow gently drifting down, a hangar in the Rebel base on Yavin IV with R2 units scurrying around the hangar servicing several X-Wings and many other expansive outdoor areas. All this is rendered using id Software's popular Quake III engine, only with double the polygon capacity. In addition, the much heralded GHOUL technique from the Soldier of Fortune series will be used. As a result, Kyle Katarn and company will look better than ever, with real-time shadows on the ground, self-shadows onto themselves, and even have their own images reflected on shiny surfaces, like the black-lacquered interior of an Imperial hangar. Tons of eye candy will also be readily apparent, with lightsabers leaving red-hot scorch marks in any surface they touch, including the floors, walls and pillars. Bright flashes and a shower of sparks will also happen during intense lightsaber fights.
Raven Software has already long proven its expertise in the field of shooters such as its well known Heretic series. With such an impressive track record, we don't doubt their ability to produce another smash hit. Truly a title to be on the look out for. |
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