Star Wars Jedi Starfighter Video Game Review (About In Description)
2Star Wars: Starfighter was one of the earlier PS2 games and has the distinction of being the first Star Wars-themed game to appear on the system. Taking place simultaneously with the events in the Star Wars: Episode I film, Starfighter put you in the role of three different characters created specifically for the game. Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter is the sequel to the original Star Wars: Starfighter game, which has since made appearances on the Xbox and PC. The new game continues the story of Nym, one of the original characters, and drops the other two in favor of a new character, Adi Gallia, a Jedi Master with force powers. By dropping the two other characters, LucasArts has narrowed the storyline down to Nym and Adi and has put more focus on them by giving you more time with each. The new storyline can be quite engaging, and while the game plays very similarly to the original, a number of improvements have been made. That's not to say that the game is without its own share of flaws, however.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of Jedi Starfighter is that the events in the game occur simultaneously with those that take place in the Episode II movie. This will probably be important to a fair number of Star Wars fans, seeing as the game will be released two months prior to the film. Many will undoubtedly pick this game up while hoping to catch a glimpse of the events in the movie, and for the most part, they won't be disappointed. Not only will they be able to interact with a few of the characters in the movie, but they'll also pick up a number of hints that are dropped throughout the game. They'll also be able to fly a number of ships that, as of this writing, have been viewed only in the Episode II movie trailers officially released by Lucasfilm.
You'll start off in the role of Adi Gallia, who was formerly a student in the charge of Mace Windu, a notable Jedi Master and member of the Jedi Council. In the game, Mace Windu has caught wind of a plot being lead by the mysterious Count Dooku, a man who is attempting to draw star systems away from the influence of the Republic, thereby diminishing their power and reducing the sway of the Jedi Council. Count Dooku has enlisted the help of Cavic Toth, a malicious terrorist with chemical weapons who is bent on taking control of the Karthak system and its rich natural resources. Toth begins his power play in earnest, enlisting the help of the Trade Federation and a group of mercenaries known as the Saboath. Adi Gallia is charged with preventing this invasion, since the majority of the Jedi are drawn away into other mysterious events, which will undoubtedly be revealed in the upcoming movie. One of the first things you'll do as Adi Gallia is enlist the help of Nym, who reluctantly joins in the fight.
The Jedi Starfighter is a new craft, which will also be seen in the movie. Sleek and triangular, it's a craft of simple yet effective design. Rather than using a set of secondary weapons like Nym's Havoc, the Jedi Starfighter offers only basic lasers and agile maneuvering. Adi Gallia's proficiency in the use of the force fills in for the lack of alternate weapons, however. Initially, you'll have force shield available, which brings up a protective field that prevents damage to your ship for a limited amount of time. Later, you'll gain force lightning, which emits a powerful electric blast that can arc from ship to ship, causing more damage. This attack works only on smaller craft, since the larger ships are more insulated and therefore immune to it. Much later in the game you'll gain force reflex and force shock wave, which offer more powerful offensive and defensive uses. Force reflex slows time and lets you inflict more damage on enemies, as well as increase the maneuverability of your ship. Force shock wave sends out a circular blast that damages all enemies in your immediate vicinity.
In the missions where you find yourself flying as Nym, you'll have the powerful Havoc spacecraft at your disposal. Almost the polar opposite of Adi's Jedi Starfighter, the Havoc is a beast, with less maneuverability and much more armor. This ship also has a wider variety of secondary weapons that improve as you progress. You'll start off with energy bombs, of which you'll have an unlimited supply, though they take time to replenish as you use them up. As time goes on, you'll acquire powerful missiles, proximity mines, and cluster seeker missiles as well. Toward the end of the game, you'll even gain control over a planetary cannon, which is particularly devastating when used against larger and slower targets such as Trade Federation frigates and missile boats. This weapon is quite entertaining as well, mostly because it feels as if you have a miniature Death Star at your command.
The control in the game is almost identical to that which was used in the first game, with a few additions. Instead of using the D-pad just to issue commands to your wingmen, as was the case