
<MAP NAME="boxmap-p8"><AREA SHAPE="RECT" COORDS="14, 200, 103, 207" HREF="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" ><AREA COORDS="0,0,10000,10000" HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thearmchairem-20" ></MAP><img src="http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/G/01/rcm/120x240.gif" width="120" height="240" border="0" usemap="#boxmap-p8" alt="Shop at Amazon.com">	Platform Playstation 2 Genre Flight Action Publisher LucasArts Developer LucasArts ESRB T (Teen) Released Q1 2001

- Generally very good graphics - Excellent sound - Good voice acting - Solid controls - Lots of extras

- Too short - Not very difficult - Some weak CG scenes

Review: Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (Playstation 2) Review: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (XBox) Review: Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter (XBox)
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Star Wars: Starfighter

Score: 8/10

There has been a lot of anticipation for this game, as it was considered by many to be a title that would help give a boost to the Playstation 2’s relatively saggy library in the months leading up to the title's release. In the end Starfighter offers a firm nudge far more than it does a boost. There are pretty graphics, nice sound, and solid control, but the game is very short and not terribly difficult. It remains a decent game, but it’s not nearly the Godsend that some gamers were expecting.

Starfighter takes place during the same time as Star Wars: Episode One and floats between three main characters: Rhys (a member of the Queen's guard), Nym who is a space pirate in a Robin Hood sort of way, and Vana Sage, a mercenary. It plays out better than a lot of games of this genre without getting too melodramatic in a grandiose space opera-like manner.

Looking at the visuals alone Starfighter is essential Rogue Squadron on steroids. Lots of detail, smooth frame rate, and very pretty lighting effects. Flying through the levels players can see well off into the distance (especially with the zoom feature), allowing wary gamers to keep an eye out for enemies instead of being hit seemingly out of nowhere. The cutscenes are reminiscent of the CG work that was present in the Babylon 5 series when the game is showing scenes involving the ships, but they are a little disappointing when it’s the main characters that are being shown. Nym and the gang look like something out of first generation Reboot. The characters’ detail is lacking. Nonetheless players will find themselves saying, "Ooo, pretty!"

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more than they’ll be complaining. Sound-wise the game has everything you’d here in the Star Wars movies, so that means plenty of good laser blast sounds, engine noise, and intermittent R2-like sounds. The music is straight out of Episode One as well, so there is lots and lots of very good orchestral pieces. What is particularly surprising is the sheer quality of the voice acting in Starfighter. The actors sounded very believable, like they really put a lot of effort into their roles.

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What really defines this game though is the gameplay, which really is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one side the control is rock solid and very intuitive. Even though just about every button on the controller is used, it only takes a few minutes to get comfortable with the setup. What hurts the game is that it is too easy, and as such too short. It shouldn’t take more than a week of steady playing to get through this game, even at the higher difficult levels, and this is while still leaving plenty of time for school/work/life. Carelessness is more likely to get you killed than any of the enemies in this game. There are extras that can be unlocked, but the meat and potatoes of the title still come in a fairly small serving.

Regardless, there are plenty of good times to be had in Starfighter. While it won’t redefine gaming, it still makes for a very nice addition to one’s PS2 library.

- Mr. Nash

(May 12, 2001)