Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Reviewed by Mr. Shades
Ok - I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan out there, but I do follow the
franchise and was curious to see what Factor 5's new edition to the
genre of N64's shoot 'em ups would be like. The game revolves around
the exploits of Luke Skywalker's newly formed squadron of rebel fighter
pilots (Yes, Wedge Antilles included) as they battle the evil Empire. For
those of you looking for a time line, Rogue takes place where Return of
the Jedi left off. The Empire is shaken - but far from beaten. You pilot 5
different rebel craft initially, with more available as you progress
through the game, but more on that later. The game engine is what everyone
wanted more of when they played Shadows of the Empire. Imagine the cool
Battle of Hoth sequence from SOTE with stunning graphics and an incredible
musical score - and you have Rogue Squadron.
Graphics 9 out of 10
To fully appreciate the graphics in Rogue, you've just got to have the RAM
expansion. From the beautifully textured environments right down to the
individual paint jobs and battle scars on each of the rebel fighters - Factor
5 and Lucasarts appear to have spent some real blood, sweat, and tears to
completely immerse you in the Star Wars universe. The only graphical
drawback to the game is the noticeable fogging present on most levels.
Although it does not detract from the gameplay in the slightest, it is
somewhat annoying. The fog is mostly off in the distance, and doesn't
interfere with your view of the invariable TIE Interceptor screaming
at you head on. The little things also make a huge difference. The fact
that you can actually see things like stormtroopers running in terror
as you begin to strafe an imperial complex, or banthas roaming around
the sand dunes of tattooine just add to the atmosphere, and make Rogue
one heck of a gaming experience.
Music and Sound 10 out of 10
Rogue's music really shines. From the second you turn the game on, John
Williams' famous score blasts out of your speakers - and you never look
back. If you have Dolby surround sound, Rogue will knock your socks off.
The music is as close to perfect as MIDI sound can get. The sound effects
are flawless as well. From the screaming TIE engines to the 'blat' noise of
rebel blasters. This game has it all. Surprisingly, the game features quite
a bit of voice acting as well. Luke and his squad mates chatter back and
forth as they complete various mission objectives, and even Han and Chewie
show up for a cameo (maybe even more *hint*). All told, Rogue's sound is so
good, you'll swear it's a CD game and not a cartridge.
Game Play-Fun 8 out of 10
Rogue will definitely keep you coming back for more. With a "medal
system" (reminiscent of Blast Corps) players earn either Bronze, Silver,
or Gold medals depending on their performance during the course of a
mission. Things such as shot accuracy, enemies destroyed, and even the
occasional hidden objective factor into your overall grade. By earning
gold medals, players can uncover hidden levels and spacecraft. Also,
hidden throughout the levels are weapon upgrades that can dramatically
influence your craft's performance in battle. On the downside, the game
does experience some slowdown when played from the first-person cockpit
perspective, but the game is more fun in the SOTE third person view anyway.
The game also bogs down during exceptionally large explosions, but you
always have the option of playing the game in a low res. mode which is a
bit faster. Be warned! Rogue can be extremely frustrating at times.
Missing 1 tiny mission objective causes the level to immediately end - which
is sort of sad because you simply can't explore the wonderfully detailed
levels to their fullest and still complete your mission objectives. For some
reason, the tow cable that was used with the SOTE snow speeder is clumsier
here too. I'm not sure why this is, but you'll see what I mean after your 5th
or 6th attempt to trip up an Imperial AT-AT. Lastly, another word of caution.
This game is *not* an X-Wing/TIE Fighter clone. If you're looking for a white
knuckle, adrenaline inducing, flight sim - Rogue isn't it it. However, if you're
looking for perhaps the best shooter that practically defines the genre for
the N64, you've found it.
Overall 9 out of 10
Overall, Rogue is a visual and audio masterpiece. Star Wars never looked
so good on a home console system. The medal based achievement system
lets players of all abilities enjoy it without throwing their controllers
at their TV sets in frustration while the added goodies keep the experienced
gamers trying for that *last* gold medal. If you are a Star Wars junkie - buy
this game immediately. If you are a shoot 'em up fan - this is your game.
Otherwise, give this one a rent before plunking down $60.00at your local
software store.