Star Wars: Starfighter

The Good
Ok, let's set the scene. I've played Starfighter on the PS2 to death, and I've recently passed a few tests for the Special Edition on the X-Box. So playing Starfighter for the PC was a mix of 'Been there done that' and 'Oh no, not again'.

With that out of the way, there is certainly nothing wrong with Starfighter. This PC conversion is unscathed from its previous incarnation, which is a good thing.

Graphically, there isn't much that will push the limits of your PC (of course, that all depends on the system setup you have). Everything is in good order, with little in the way of bugs found anywhere. Cut scenes here and there add to the presentation nicely, and the sound is (as is always the case with Star Wars based video games) sweet.

The Bad
What makes Starfighter on the PC such a problem for me is that I've played it to death ... there really isn't anything else to do. At least with the Special Edition there was something new to play around with (mainly in terms of the multiplayer options). Here, there are no multiplayer options at all, let alone what was originally on the PS2. That's the biggest problem with this, and I'm sure many will be frustrated with it the same way I am.

Many will also find controlling the ships difficult. Unless you have a joystick or a gamepad for your computer, playing this game with a keyboard is a pain in the rear end.

In the end, it's the lack of any PC exclusive features that hurts Starfighter's PC debut. Which is a shame...

The Bottom Line
If you really want to shell out for this PC adaption, or haven't got the consoles to play the original editions on, then Starfighter is still a worthwhile purchase. The game has some solid values in place, including a well written story and some solid single player action.

But for those of you who have, like I, played the game to death in a previous form, then there's no real need to shell out. No new features is disappointing, and therefore the multiplayer options are few. So in the end, the choice is up to you...

The Good
Starfighter was released during what is arguably called the dark times of LucasArts. Many considered their Episode I work to be some of their worst after having a long standing success rate from Day of the Tentacle all the way through to X-Wing Alliance. There were, however, two saving graces during this time. One was Episode I Racer. The other is Starfighter, a game that takes the best elements of the X-Wing franchise on PC and turns it around into an arcade style action title.

For the most part, it does the job well. There's an original storyline that takes an ordinary young man and puts him behind the flightstick of a Naboo Starfighter, as the Trade Federation battles for control of Naboo trading routes. While the said X-Wing franchise had its own story, as did the N64/Gamecube Rogue Squadron franchise, Starfighter was the first title to really delve into a true tale behind the action, as three characters learn to get along with each other for the better of the Galaxy.

Between the nice cutscenes is a solid flight sim. It's easy to say the game has been dumbed down somewhat from, say, X-Wing Alliance, but since this aimed at a different crowd compared to the PC title, that would be a little harsh to suggest. Instead, it's far more action based and that helps in the long run.

The Bad
There are a few obvious downsides to Starfighter. For one, there isn't as much replayability compared to Rogue Squadron. There are medals to win and one or two other ships to unlock, etc., but it doesn't really seem as detailed to me. Thankfully, though, the single player missions are strong enough to keep the game afloat for a good deal of playtime.

Secondly, there's no real meat to the multiplayer options. In fact, you have to unlock it first before you can play it. Yes, that's an incentive to play the game out, but even when you do there isn't that much to it. A few dogfighting levels, and that's all you get. Far more could have been achieved here, all things considered.

The Bottom Line
Starfighter, in my eyes, was what LucasArts should have worked on in the first place instead of the terrible Episode I title that dragged them down from such high heights. They've been up and down ever since, but Starfighter ranks as one of the highs ... thankfully.

The Good
S.W.S.F. is basically a starfighter sim-shooter which takes place at the time of the Phantom menace You play the part of 3 characters who each have their own reasons for repelling the Trade Federation, and won't they have an awesome graphical adventure in doing so. The planetary missions are stunning and cover a large surface area, you can fly into craters and valleys without graphical glitching (for the most part), and in space missions you can gaze at the beautiful planetary background. This is not all, the ships leave glitering ion trails, and you can have a sadistic laugh as the Trade federation fighters burn and crash to the ground. Some of the missions are also quite challenging especially mission 9 the bombing of the factory on Eos as the factory defences realy pound your ship, but the sensation of ducking through valleys and strafing the factroy with bombs has excellent replay value.

The Bad
My biggest qualm about the game is that it is just too easy (especially space bound missions). Your ship can take severe weapon fire before you are shot down, but hitting a planet at speed will kill you instantly, as i said only mission 9 is really that challenging. This shortens the lifespan of the game. Graphical glitches as I said are rare, but the most irritating is on eos, if you fly high the surface fogs out and vanishes causing you to lose your bearing and being an ugly boil on a pretty much graphically polished piece of software. The voices in the game are also a bit corny in dialogue, but sometimes hilarious The trade federation commander of the lander seems to be doing an impression of Dr. Evil. But this is a minor fault.

The Bottom Line
As with the movie it is based on. Looks great but is simplistic and a bit hollow. Good news if your a bit rubbish at games, but for a serious gamer you might feel a bit short changed after parting with 45 quid. Perhaps better to rent it out or lend it off your mate as the novelty wares off.