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Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

by Ed Shih - October 8, 2001, 2:14 am EDT

After spending a good chunk of time with Rogue Leader at the Gamer's Summit, I'm about to burst in anticipation of the day I can play this in my own home.

If you’ve read my initial Gamer’s Summit summary, you probably know how much I love this game. Even with a non-final version of the game, I can safely say that no other game has come close to capturing the experience of piloting through the classic Trilogy as Rogue Leader does. For a Star Wars fan like me for whom the actor who played Uncle Owen and the odds (according to C-3PO) of successfully navigating an asteroid field is common knowledge, this game is a godsend. Everything about the game screams Star Wars trilogy from the detailed hangars to the in-mission story continuity to the slick backgrounds on the menu screens. Of course, this would all be superfluous if the gameplay was crap, but fear not, the guys at Factor 5 and Lucas Arts have instilled Rogue Leader with gameplay that is tighter than...um...well, I’ll spare you some hackneyed Star Wars analogy and just say that the gameplay is tight.

I easily spent more time on Rogue Leader than on any other game at the Gamer’s Summit (4+ hours over the course of the whole trip, I think) and still didn’t get enough of it. Within that time, I managed to get fairly deep into the game, to the 7th mission. Seeing that there are roughly 10 regular missions in the game, you might get the impression that Rogue Leader is a fairly short game. This might be true if you’re looking strictly at the time it takes to complete all the regular missions, however, if you take into account the time spent earning medals and playing bonus missions, I suspect Rogue Leader will have provide a nice long gaming experience. As I progressed through the game, I barely beat the levels (often requiring all 3 lives and losing quite a few friendlies along the way) and earned a grand total of zero medals. I’m sure I need a bit more time on the game to hone my skills before I can even begin unlocking some of Rogue Leader’s hidden goodies.

Actually, looking so closely at the time needed to complete Rogue Leader is a disservice to the game. Rogue Leader isn’t so much about completing 1 mission after another to beat the game as quickly as possible as it is about experiencing the Galactic Civil War through the eyes of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles. The only reason why one should want to complete a mission quickly is to see what new and amazing things lay ahead.

Speaking of new and amazing things, here are a couple of the more spectacular sights that you can look forward to in Rogue Leader. Easily, the most memorable moment of my Gamer’s Summit Rogue Leader experience is the sight of Imperial Walkers wading in shallow water to attack Rebel troops in the Vengeance at Kothis mission. Seeing the hulking AT-ATs making their way towards the shore while surrounded by beautifully reflective and wavy water (with a downed Star Destroyer in the background) is truly a sight to behold. I wish I had a screen shot to show people, as this really must be seen by all gamers. Hopefully one will surface online soon. Another cool moment came when playing the penultimate regular mission, which takes place above the 2nd Death Star before its shields are down. Listening to Lando give the order to pull up and then seeing the Imperial fleet positioned behind your Rebel frigates and cruisers builds up the anticipation...when the huge swarm of Ties approaches you to begin the final battle of the Galactic Civil War. “There’s too many of them,” indeed.

I could go on about Rogue Leader for a while longer, but I don’t want to over do it...that and Billy doesn't like impressions that run on and on. Oh well. Let just add that I think this is the must have title for the GameCube launch. Already, it is technically brilliant, has excellent gameplay, and carries one of the best licenses of all time. I would not be surprised in the least if Rogue Leader is the best selling GameCube game of the year; it’s that good. Oh, and that assessment has nothing to do with the fact that I know who Phil Brown played and what has 3720 to 1 odds. Don’t believe me? Go to your local Cube Club and experience it yourself, then you’ll understand. And if you still disagree, well, then I’ll just have to find a Wookie to tear your arms out of your sockets.

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Genre Shooter
Developer Factor 5
Players1

Worldwide Releases

na: Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Release Nov 09, 2001
PublisherLucasArts
RatingTeen
jpn: Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Release Mar 22, 2002
PublisherLucasArts
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