There have been many Star Wars games to hit the arcade through every successive console family. Many of these games have become staples in the drive of gamers everywhere, but a select few have never achieved a level of acceptance along the lines that the others have. Of course, I’m referencing to the strategy games. First there was Rebellion, when gamers were expecting Starcraft meets Star Wars; we received Stratego in a galaxy far, far away (I still liked it). Next to be released was Force Commander, it had been expected to be 3D Star Wars – but we got crap (and nobody liked it). Years later, we received a Star Wars RTS in the form of Galactic Battlegrounds. It was received with a lukewarm reception for being Age of Empires with a coat of paint; yet, many enjoyed it (I loved it). So now we finally receive Empire at War and what do I think of it?
The one thing you need to understand about this game is that it isn’t your conventional RTS game, nor should it be because it is better for being what it is.
"The one thing you need to understand about this game is that it isn’t your conventional RTS game, nor should it be because it is better for being what it is."
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There are unique elements in the game that make it a cut above the rest. Being simply epic in scale, it is unlike almost anything else – all the while being Star Wars through and through. Everything that you felt as you watched a Jedi leading a strike force across the desert plains of Geonosis or as you watched as the Rebels lead that desperate attack on the imperial fleet during the battle of Endor can be relived from a certain point of view.
When I say that don’t assume it’s a bad thing in the sense that your father who you thought was dead, is in fact one of the most ruthless dictators who ever lived and he is now trying to kill your friends and turn you into a miniature version of him. No, what I am saying here is this gem of a game takes place in the extended universe, or in the section of the Star Wars which isn’t featured in the movies. In this case, it takes place between Episode III and right into the original trilogy. In Empire at War, instead of looking at many different factions the focus is kept on the Galactic Civil War between the Rebellion and the Empire. To begin you can choose a skirmish, start the campaign which sends you packing following a set storyline, or you can choose the always fresh Galactic Conquest mode.
In Galactic Conquest mode, you start out with a few planets, troops, and a pile of credits to mess around with. Then as you travel to different planets, you’ll then proceed to build up your economy and army by building factories and mines respectively. As you go on the offensive you will need to destroy any possible enemy forces in the space above the target planet and then on the ground of that rock. Then of course you build up more factories and mines and thus forth and so on.
Well, it isn’t entirely that simple. Certain planets offer bonuses for you of increased production, production of certain types of units, bonus attributes for certain units, etc. (it is worth mentioning at this point heroes tend to accomplish some of the same things for whatever planet they are on) however most of these things you won’t realize until you take up shop there. These bonuses don’t change from game to game, so it’ll take a few rounds to figure out your particular battle strategy.
Once you have a decent amount of galactic real estate, is it time to head off to take a break and pick up some power converters? No! One of the most interesting elements of Empire at War is that you need to have defenses on each planet because the enemy will be constantly attacking your forces. Wouldn’t it just suck if a fleet of Star Destroyers loaded with storm troopers dropped out of hyperspace right next to the planet where you’re getting all your money from and all you have is an ewok guarding it? Unless we are talking about Wicket the Killer Ewok (type in SimonSays as a cheat on Galactic Battlegrounds), you bet. You’ll have to make sure you have active defenses and offenses. It is the mix between strategy and unpredictability that makes Empire at War more of a strategy game than many claim to be. Also, I should mention how the Rebellion is known for their excellent espionage network (crafty Bothans) and the Empire can build an army like nobody’s business (crafty slaveholders); so if you tend to be the sneaky bastard type, don’t pick the brash Empire and vice versa.
The battle is of course what everyone is curious about and let me tell you it is a blast. Watching your different units scurrying about the screen attacking this and that, doesn’t feel much different than other games other than it distinctly feels like Star Wars -- you can watch speeders go after an AT-AT or the AT-AT step on enemy troops. When you switch to the cinematic camera (and its pointed at the correct object) and watch your X-Wing speed across the screen, S-Foils locked in closed position it feels like a scene from one of the movies.
"It’s in the balance of all these aspects where Empire at War shines."
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It’s in the balance of all these aspects where Empire at War shines. You are trying to take control of the galaxy, and it’s a battle on multiple fronts. My one major complaint is how the skirmish mode is setup within the series. As well as the other aspects are done in the game, I want to be able to have my cake and eat it too. By this, I mean that I expect to kick back and play a Star Wars RTS game in the sense where I’m building my troops wherever I have my troop centers in the system and so forth, just like a contained section of the battle that survives on its own. However I feel hindered by the insertion or reinforcement points which are predetermined and just don’t work as well in a skirmish when you want to figure out where the units are coming from yourself (save for in space when you can spawn fighters from your capital ship). Another unfortunate aspect is that when all of your money is used up, its way too damn hard to earn more. It’s more of a hassle really and definitely needed a bit more polish.
Graphically, the game seems a bit like Darth Vader’s head. In the space battles you have sleek designs and shiny ships all over but once the helmet comes off and you get to the planet surface it’s like his face; normal but has some scarring around the edges. As you watch the space battles they look nearly like what we would see in the movies themselves. Lasers and explosions of different colors snapping, crackling, and popping about and a myriad of varying size battleships; Hardly a flaw can be seen. But sadly when you compare the space battles to the level sizes and certain textures in the ground levels, you feel like you are treated to bantha poo-doo. They just don’t hold up in comparison to their space-dwelling counterparts.
Most developers of games based off of movies can to learn a thing or two about sound design from the folks that make the Star Wars games.
"The perfect blend of music and sound in this game is damn near educational."
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The perfect blend of music and sound in this game is damn near educational. John Williams’s always-thrilling score and Ben Burtt’s sound effects are something which effectively throws you into the experience every time. Voice acting is fairly decent; it leaves a little to be desired but unless George Lucas slipped a video game clause into James Earl Jones’s Episode III contract, it couldn’t be helped.
In terms of control you have your typical RTS mouse and hotkey controls front and center. In this case the motto is "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it". What I would have liked though was a bit better of an organization system for this fast-paced, multi-faceted game. Something more like the easily accessible in-game information indexes that Rebellion has, for example, would have been a welcomed aspect. It would be especially useful for when trying to find units of a certain variety. It tends to get a little daunting to keep track of bonuses for building on certain planets, or even to find out which side gets what bonus.
As great as playing against AI is, I enjoyed my time most when squaring off against my buddy. It’s great when you choose a side, load up the multiplayer Campaign, and get ready to conquer the galaxy over a long haul. For those that just want a quick taste loading up Land Skirmishes are alright, Space Skirmishes are better, but for a nice mix between RTS and Star Wars Battlefront choose a Land Control game where you try not only to eliminate your opponent but to capture the reinforcement points.
With multiple game modes and freshly exciting gameplay I found Empire at War a game of enjoyable contradiction; different, yet filled with the familiar comforts of a universe I’ve loved since my childhood. It brings you into the Star Wars experience on a grandiose scale from planet to planet. It will last in the minds of most fans for light years to come. Check this game out; the force is strong with this one.
