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LucasArts have been trying to make a decent Star Wars strategy game for years but at last, with
Empire at War, it looks like they’ve cracked it. Aiming to erase unpleasant memories of the likes of
Force Commander and
Galactic Battlegrounds, this allows you to take control of the forces of either the Empire or the Rebel Alliance – both in space and on the ground.
The space battles in the game are the most immediately impressive element with some stunning graphics and a hugely impressive sense of scale. It’s much easier to control than similar titles such as Homeworld though and the developer’s previous experience with user friendly strategy games such as Command & Conquer is very evident.
The ground battles may at first seem slightly more mundane but you get all the classic trilogy technology to use, including outdated (in terms of the Star Wars timeline) leftovers from Revenge of the Sith). There’s no boring resource management either though which lets you get on with the actual strategy rather than the book keeping.
Your success or failure in either type of battle directly affects the rest of your campaign, including your ability to construct more units and their morale. There are also "hero" units for both sides, including Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, for that extra boost when your troops most need it. Quite frankly with graphics this good the game is already a must have for any Star Wars fan, but the gameplay is looking equally as good – making this one to watch for everyone. -- Harrison Dent
This preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game.
Manufacturer's Description
Control the fate of the galaxy in the all new real-time strategy game
Star Wars: Empire at War. Set a few years before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, the game will let players rewrite history, as well as experience the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith, the creation of the Rebel Alliance and Darth Vader's rise to power.
Using an entirely new game engine created by the Las Vegas-based developer Petroglyph, the game will feature beautifully rendered land and space battles set on memorable planets such as Hoth, Tatooine and Dagobah as well as never-before-seen environments taken directly from the Star Wars films and expanded universe novels. In the game, players can choose to join either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, building and setting up tactical forces that can be unleashed on the enemy in real-time 3D. All of the gameplay and action within Star Wars: Empire at War is persistent, meaning that strategic and tactical elements from previous events will have a permanent effect on the galaxy.
As players build, manage and progress their space and ground-based units, troops and vehicles, memorable Star Wars hero characters will begin playing a role in key situations. In addition to the single player campaign mode, the game will include a two-player Empire vs. Rebellion mode and up to eight player online skirmish modes.
