Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
One of the most exciting things about watching a Star Wars movie is imagining yourself in the cockpit, shooting down TIE fighters and saving the galaxy from the evil Empire. Star Wars-themed flight simulators had enjoyed success on the PC platform for quite some time - but it took developer Factor 5 to work this magic on a home console, with Rogue Squadron on N64.
They repeated this flair with an Episode 1-themed sequel, Battle for Naboo, but like the movie it didn't quite measure up. Fortunately, this did nothing but strengthen Factor 5's resolve. A formal sequel to Rogue Squadron, returning to the original trilogy, became one of the Gamecube's best-looking and most eagerly-awaited release titles. And not without reason.
The stories of some of the game's missions are directly lifted from the movies, while others are inspired by their backstories (or just made up completely). The game spans the most exciting parts of the entire trilogy, from the asteroid field and Death Star run of A New Hope, to the battle of Hoth of The Empire Strikes Back, to the battle of Endor and second Death Star of Return of the Jedi. Between these movie milestones lie conflicts like a raid on an Imperial prison, or retrieving the Empire's plans for the second Death Star. While sometimes the story can give the game that good old Star Wars feel, more often than not it's just in the background.
If you've played a Star Wars flight sim before, you'll know there's nothing more exhilirating than shooting down TIE fighters. Or at least, you'll probably think that. Rogue Leader has squadrons of TIEs to spare, to be sure, but there's another challenge for young Rogue Squadron pilots to face: capital ships. Throughout the course of Rogue Leader, you'll have to shoot down three Imperial Star Destroyers (two of them in the Battle of Endor), and unlike some other games which had attempted this before, Rogue Leader doesn't make taking down Star Destroyers an impossible feat. Of course, you'll also be returning to Hoth, tying up AT-AT walkers with tow-cables and shooting up AT-STs and Probe Droids. You'll do bombing runs with a Y-Wing on sensitive Imperial installations. You can even pilot the Millenium Falcon if you play your cards right. More than a nostalgia trip, Rogue Leader is solid space- and atmosphere-fighting fun.
Beyond being a Star Wars game, the reason most people looked forward to Rogue Leader was how astounding it looked. Lighting, shading, attention to detail - the graphics are a great accomplishment, with slowdown only in the most intense of instances. Rumor had it that Lucasfilm asked the graphic artists for Rogue Leader to tone down the effects, because the game looked better than the original films. The game's sound effects and music make it seem like an even more intrinsic part of the Star Wars saga, mostly taken directly from the original movies.
After getting used to the game's challenges, the 10 main missions probably won't last too long. But there are another five bonus missions unlockable with certain numbers of points - points earned by getting Bronze, Silver, or Gold medals in missions (based on your performance, things like accuracy, lives lost, completion time, et cetera). There are also upgrades in the game, always hidden away in a dark corner somewhere - once you get them, all your ships will be more powerful. And there are a handful of unlockable ships too, like Darth Vader's TIE, the Slave I, and the Naboo Starfighter.
Not just a treat for Star Wars fans, Rogue Leader is a joy for anyone who likes flight simulation, or just blowing stuff up. It's a solid title, and while it may not last long, it'll probably give you a few adrenaline rushes along the way.
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