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Rogue Squadron III - The Sequel You're Looking For?
Thanks to GameSpot for their review of Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike for the GameCube, rating the Factor 5-developed sequel that arrives in stores this week. GameSpot pronounce it a qualified success, saying "the parts of the game that stick to airborne and space combat are quite solid", but "the on-foot missions... [are] where Rebel Strike really falters." With the title including "a cooperative two-player version of Rogue Leader in its entirety", and IGN also being somewhat positive, recommending the "superb two-player cooperative mode" as "an absolute must play", although suggesting "if you were only a casual fan of the last [game in the series]... you [should] rent first", is this what you'd consider a good use of the Star Wars license?
"Is this game linear or are you flexible? "
Still linear. We're talking a cheap sequel here, not a revolutionary update. I'm under the impression that Factor 5 is more about game technology (sound, etc) than about game making. That's not an insult, just the impression I've got. (I'd appreciate correction or clarification.)
"Derp de derp."
A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY...
I played "Rogue Squadron" on the Nintendo 64. I downloaded and watched in awe the tech demos of "Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader" for GameCube, eagerly awaiting the system's release. When I finally got it in my grubby little hands, I played endlessly for days and, even now, two years after its release, it's still one of the most enjoyable and best looking games for GameCube. I still play on occasion, attempting to get the last gold medals to unlock the final bonus mission. So, naturally, I was more than a little excited when "Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel" Strike was announced.
Again, I downloaded the videos and read all the previews. But this time, I was slightly skeptical. "Rogue Squadron 2" had been so phenomenal and had been so damn pretty, would "Rogue Squadron 3" be able to beat it? LucasArts and Factor 5 have now had years to perfect their GameCube development, but it is the same system. And, come on. We're revisiting the original trilogy AGAIN? After having had no less than fourteen hojillion games covering the same time period? But having played both the demo and now, finally, the release copy of "Rogue Squadron 3: Rebel Strike" (I'll stop writing the whole damn title and just refer to it as RS3 from now on) I can stop wondering how it's going to be, and give my own review of the game.
Quickly, before I begin, I have to be honest. I have not yet explored every single facet of the game. LucasArts is one of the best companies for those who enjoy bonus extras. In the submenus of the "Options" section of the game, there are selections fo unlockable audio commentary, and it was recently made public that RS3 would contain not only the 1980 arcade version of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" that the demo disk had, but also a version of the arcade game for "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back." And, as usual, there are unlockable levels (such as rescuing Princess Leia from the 1st Death Star or escaping Jabba's sail barges) and there are sure to be unlockable ships.
But I've played enough that I can give an in depth review of the game. So, here we go...
CONTROLS:
"IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, I USED TO BULLSEYE WOMPRATS IN MY T-16 BACK HOME!"
-Luke Skywalker, "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"
We'll start off with gameplay. After all, that's what everyone says is most important. Graphics are, of course, nice, but a game can look pretty and still be abysmal. Rogue Squadron 2 had very controls that were easy to pick up. Your ship went forward, the left shoulder button slowed it down, and the right sped it up. 'A' shot your main gun, and 'B' your secondary, if you had one. Sure, there were ways to do barrel rolls and use your targeting computer, but the basics were simple.
RS3 has stuck to the same set of controls for flying ships (we'll get to on-foot controls in a second). If you were comfortable with Rogue Squadron 2, you can easily pick up a controller and get right into the action. All of the ships handle differently, keeping true to the original trilogy. X-Wings are a solid mix of speed and maneuverability, A-Wings are fast with tight turns and low shields, Y-Wings steer like a cow but can take a beating, and so on. Likewise, the Snow Speeders and Speeder Bikes handle very well and the Speeder Bikes give a really great sense of speed.
My one complaint, which I (and everyone else) had in the RS2 and was sad to see carried on to RS3 was the twitch factor of the controls. The GameCube control stick has a large number of usable angles that the console hardware can recognize. So why does the slightest tilt send my targeting reticle flying to the side of the screen? While it's possible once you get used to the controls, pin-point accuracy is still hard to obtain.
Now for the ground controls (and note I included the Speeder missions above, as they handle like ships). I was nervous when it became clear RS3 would include ground missions. I enjoyed "Shadows of the Empire" for Nintendo 64 a lot, bu