Links
X-Fire Screenshots.
Official Website.
Introduction
Empire at War is LucasArt's third attempt at a Star Wars Real-Time-Strategy game, the game is roughly set in the "Episode 4, 5, 6" universe, so no Darth Mauls or irritating Jar-Jar's here! It takes 2.5GB Hard-Drive space, and minimum requirements state you'll need 256MB RAM and at least a 1.0GHz Processor. I'm play testing the game using 735MB RAM and a 1.6Ghz (2000+) Processor.
Gameplay
Where Star Wars RTS's have failed before, Empire at War tries to put right. The previous two suffered from boring, repetitive gameplay and abysmal graphics. The most recent was based around the Age of Empires II engine, stuck in a perpetual isometric view, with fusions between the first two episodes and the last three mixing around, altogether feeling a bit thrown-together. I stress of course that the game tries to overcome these problems. The chaps at Petroglyph have helped though, they've been behind the scenes helping with a lot of C&C and Civilisation titles.
The singleplayer campaign can be played through either side (Rebellion or the Empire), I'm currently playing through the Imperial campaign and enjoying it thoroughly. You're presented with a useful tutorial to start with, and within half an hour you're ready to be let loose into the proper thing. Like Rome's Tactical map, and LoTR:BFME's Living map, EAW presents you with a galaxy of famous planets from the films (Such as Yavin, Alderran, Tatooine) and from the expanded universe (Kessel, Nal Hutta, Bothawui) to take over and liberate from those pesky Alliance-Types.
Though confusing in writing, once you've played a few hours and grown used to the system of galactic conquest, the map is extremely easy, and quick to use. A planet can be empty, controlled by pirates, or by the Rebellion - Each planet has three space slots, and a ground slot to juggle your horses around in. Every planet you control has spaces to put buildings in, and a chance to build an orbital space station in. Money is generated over time depending on how many planets you have, and if you've put a mine on them. Units are built in this map by using a barracks that's been place on a planet, vehicles by a factory, and space-ships by an orbital station. This means you can have all sorts being built at once over multiple planets, move them altogether and then form a big offensive on an enemy planet.
But because the map is in real-time, the enemy can retaliate at any time, stealing back a particularly badly defended planet of yours, tearing your level-three space station to bits with Mon-Calamari cruisers. You're given the option to "auto resolve" battles like this, and ones that you initiate, in case you can't be bothered, or the odds are in your favour. You might loose a few more units than usual, because the computer calculates your odds of survival over the others, ignoring little tactical nuisances that human-players would make.
Moving your horses onto a planet that's being defended in space by enemy ships or space-stations will initiate a "Tactical Battle".. Which basically means you're going to have a bit of a scrap now. The screen fades to black and the map loads up. Every planet has a unique space map, and a unique land map to fight upon. Your ships hyperspace in to view, and you're immediately put into a fight. Your little tie-fighters shifting into formations, visibly dodging and weaving in between asteroid fields as you guide them over to where the enemy lies in wait. Your Acclamaitor Star-Destroyers launch their bombers and fighters, big blue engines firing up so they can crawl into battle, firing torpedoes and laser-battery fire around in all directions.
Ground battles are a more sedate affair, compromising of a single unit or troops landing down on the planet (once you've cleared out the big-boys orbiting around the place). You've given a limited amount of horses to call down from your now peacefully circling fleet high in space, which land using an imperial shuttle, and are ready for battle. You increase the amount of troops and vehicles you can call down by 'capturing' more reinforcement points.
The light-side
The good bits.. Let's see how many I can name. The time that General Veers pops up and takes you to the Imperial Prototype Testing-Grounds to test-drive the first ATAT. Calling in your first Imperial-Class Star Destroyer, watching as its huge form makes the correlian cruisers look like little Umpa Lumpas. Bringing the lark lord himself out to saw infantry to little pieces using his lightsabre, crushing buildings from the inside using the horse, and lifting and tearing vehicles apart with one of his two special abilities. Watching as a snow-speeder deploys its towing cable and knocks a big walker over in a matter of moments, and blowing up a bastard of an artillery units using the handy scout speeder-bikes.
Single-player battles can be dictated by you, taking over pirate planets and rebel installations. This is good to work your way up, earning more money to build bigger fleets.. This all culminates in the big single-player story battles that are displayed in big red flashing arrows, they're harder than the others, and you're encouraged (but not forced) to build up your horses before attempting these. If you want you can send in a shuttle full of stormtroopers against Admiral Ackbar and his merry men.. And get duely slaughtered.
Oh, and how could I forget? If you've a destroyer orbiting above your land battle location, you can call in a bombing-run! That's always satisfying.
The dark-side
'Course.. There are bad bits. Very bad bits.
Think back to the days of early C&C Games, where you can to search an entire map for a little pocket of 3 or 4 men to end the current mission, eventually finding them in that corner that you missed the first time round. Searching for these guys isn't fun, and is very time consuming. Land battles can feel a little haphazard, and certainly not nearly as epic as the big space battles. Little touches like unit abilities make up for this (Stormtroopers can take-cover, ATAT's can drop men, Vader can horse-push infantry away, and ATST's can shower the ground with covering fire.) These battles can feel a bit.. Rinse Wash Repeat, scouring the land for the enemy, taking over reinforcement points and build-pads whilst you saw through the resistance over and over again.
Sights and Sounds
The graphics, put simply.. Are good. Though nothing compared to the visual delights of Rome: Total War, they definitely do the job. You can tell units by a glance, accurately modelled TIE-Fighters and Stormtroopers sifting across the maps, capturing build-points (on which turrets, and bacta-tanks can be built) and taking out other infantry with green and red laser fire. And they've got the sizes sorted out at last - Problems before being that rancors were as short as humans, and troops looked just as tall as the enormous rebel transports. The buildings are enormous, dwarfing men and vehicles alike - ATAT's tromp over walls and flatten smaller people underneath their big clumsy feet - The sizes depicted so accurately that stormtroopers can drop from their underbellies on wires.
Space battles are epic (as can be seen in my X-Fire profile picture gallery) with laser fire skimming everywhere, chunks of space stations breaking off, smouldering as a group of X-Wings slip underneath and make a surprise attack. And who could possibly ignore the original orchestral score by John Williams, with the imperial march blaring through your speakers, drifting back to other quieter pieces of soundtrack, seamlessly, when the enemy retreats.
Bits I've not tried yet.
There are pre-set mini campaigns that allow you to take part in special pre-planned battles, like the assault of the kessel spice mines, or the battle of Endor. Multiplayer offers a 1v1 Campaign much in the same vein of the singleplayer - One person taking the alliance, the other taking the empire, battling to take over an entire galaxy. Land-Control skirmrishes (that can be played as a 4v4) involve taking over all the reinforcement points and holding them for a set amount of time. And don't even get me onto the rebel campaign yet - I've simply not been inclined to play as.. As.. REBEL SCUM!
Conclusion
It's a good game, but will take a good while to get used to due to the interesting interface. PC Zone gave this game a good 85%, declaring it the best Star-Wars RTS to date. It has a very rich and immersive singleplayer storyline, nice additions to maps with floating laser or missile installations and anti-infantry turrets. The space battles are delicious, and genuinely frightening at times (such as when your engines are knocked out, forcing you to put all of your power into your next attack).
Like PC Zone, I think 85% would be a decent score.
If you're a SW Fanboy like myself, this will be an excellent exploration of the Expanded universe, and great fun unlocking new units. For fans of the RTS genra, it's also a fantastic game. If however, you're just mildly interested, I suggest playing the demo and seeing if you like the premise of the game (As the demo isn't a very good portrayal of the final product.)
Score :
at lucasarts and the crappy patch
