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Meets expectations with a few reservations

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 44 / 46
Date: February 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game has long been anticipated by Star Wars fans all over the world. "Finally, a Star Wars strategy game that makes us more in control of the myriad of options that could be explored in the Star Wars universe."

Controlling both the land and space (or one of both) of given planets is really the core of the game. You build space fleets and land units to withstand the enemy's (may it be the rebellion or the Empire) attacks. You will find that spending a lot of time on the main screen is a necessity. The main screen being aligned planets, some of which you own, some of which are enemy-controlled, and some are unexplored/uninhabited. Here is where you have control of the building process, unit production,etc. Economically, the more planets you control, the more credits you earn (by building mines, etc. on the surface of the planet). Upgrades for units, weapons is also a fundamental aspect of the game. Rebels send spies (for the most part, our fellows R2-D2 and C-3PO) to steal technology from the Empire to upgrade the tech tree (always for a fee though), while the Empire builds research facilities to conduct research and upgrades technology. The game, you will find (for strategy games gamers), is reminiscent of Rome:total war which remains an excellent standard of strategy games.

I have only started playing EOW for a couple of days, but it doesn't take long for acquaintance. If you feel bombarded with a great deal of facets you think you need to remember to stay ahead in the game or grounds you need to cover (what certain upgrades do, best ways to defend, attack, unit strengths and weaknesses), do not be alarmed. The tutorial in the beginning is really helpful; and in-game info is also useful.
The music, another fundamental aspect for a successful game, will delight the fans. Music from the 6 movies is sporadically included.
But here is where I found the game lacking. For someone who has diligently experienced previous Star Wars games on more than one console, I am confident (and i am sure a lot of people out there will agree), that there is no flawless Star Wars games. The developers of whichever game have to screw it up one way or the other, whether it be in in-game malfunctions, to bugs, indifferent attention to detail, etc. This game is no different, for a very obvious reason. While the space fighting is entertaining, given the difficulty in envisioning a perfect space fight, the land fighting (taking place on planet surfaces) is NOT exciting. Let me explain. First of all, the building process, as i have said earlier, is different than other strategy games. You do NOT build on ground like, for example, Command and Conquer, but build by clicking on a planet on the main screen (aforementioned). Once you're on the ground for a battle, you are stuck with what you have already built. This may prove logical to some, while anathema to others. I personally like the idea. The only things you will be allowed to build are turrets, or healing facilities on "build pads". But what is unacceptable is this: you are not allowed to produce units while on the ground. You are stuck with what you have already produced on the main screen. (or if you are the invading party, the reinforcements you have already assigned for a given planet [sounds complicated now, but really, very easily explained in the turorial]). A few sporadic units come out from the barracks, but you cannot control their quantity. This, obviously is a bad idea. You may end up losing the whole planet (the battlefield landscape is very small considering the fact that the whole planet is at stake if you lose that one area, another nuisance) with no production options to assist you. Again, this factor may appeal to some.
Now for the excitement level which i have scrutinized earlier. The fighting itself is not fun. The units move slugglishly at times (not as a result of computer specs), and the view itself -while alterable- is not entertaining. The fire-exchange is not of any challenge. It is hard to explain why i didn't like the fighting itself, but i am sure other reviewers will comment on the same thing. However, it is fair to note, that this deficiency is well compensated by the whole atmosphere players are drawn to.

The mere fact that you are controlling a whole universe, needless to say, a STAR WARS UNIVERSE will always remain a compelling factor in deciding to buy this game. My only disappointment lies in the playability of battles. I play strategy games more than any other genre, so I am picky when it comes to (1) the world in which you are playing; buildings, upgrades, graphics (which is excellent in this game), financial aspects, ease of controlling the fundamentals for you to focus and worry on the fighting itself,etc , (2) the storyline; what is the ultimate goal of the game? what is compelling you to waste endless hours of playing? and (3) the playability factor, reaching excellence in Rome: total war (although you're controlling hundreds, and sometimes thousands of troops) , Warcraft 3 (even if sometimes it gets sloppy when full armies on two sides are fighting at the same time, no time to work magic,etc) , Command and Conquer generals ,and Lord of the Rings: The battle for middle earth (awaiting the 2nd installment).

I recommend every Star Wars fan, but more importantly, every strategy games fan to give this one a shot. Overall, this is a very entertaining game, as you take control of the star wars saga. Disappointments are inevitable. But such is the case in every other game. There is no perfect game... yet.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy.

Building on Rebellion

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 17
Date: April 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

'Star Wars: Empire at War' is the game most gamers and Star Wars fans were hoping for when they got 'Rebellion' many years ago. 'Rebellion' was a real time strategy in which you built fleets and conquered the galaxy planet by planet in an attempt to overthrow the Empire or subdue the Rebel Alliance depending on which side you chose.

'Rebellion' was lacking in many areas. For one, there was ground based combat for the player to control. Sure, you could make armies of Storm Troopers and AT-ATs, but the outcome of the combat was decided by the computer and the player had no say in tactics or strategy. The player couldn't even watch the battle on the ground.

Second, in 'Rebellion,' the player never got to control any of the heroes. That is slightly misleading. The player would send the heroes, such as Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, on missions, but again, the player really didn't have any say in the success of those missions.

Third, and perphaps most importantly, 'Rebellion' bogged down in the minutae. You had to manage resources, troop deployment, and production on a galactic scale. Those things aren't bad, but the user interface wasn't ideal and to prepare for a single large battle could take thirty minutes.

'Empire at War' improves on all those elements. Want to crush Rebels with AT-ATs? No problem. Put togehter your army and land then on the nearest inhabited Alliance controlled world. You'll be stomping Rebels in no time. Watch out for speeders though, or your walkers will get tripped up. The point is, you control the land battle.

Want to Han Solo into the battle above Yavin IV? You got it. You can control the heroes. Each hero has their own special abilities. The Millenium Falcon, controlled by Han Solo and Chewbacca, is fast, well armed, and has an ability to be made invulnerable for a short period of time. Darth Vader is extremely efficient in the skies and can crush vehicles and lay waste to soldiers on the ground. How the heroes are used is up to you.

Resource management and production is more fitting to a Star Wars game in 'Empire at War.' Simply taking control of a planet provides the credits needed to run your armada. Need more? Okay, build a mining facility or send a smuggler to steal them from the enemy.

There are several other improvements over 'Rebellion.' Instead of blindly sending your fleets across the galaxy, you can watch their progress along the space lanes. They may encounter unexpected resistance at Naboo on their way to Tatooine. The pace of combat is quicker than in 'Rebellion,' in which you could watch an A-Wing battle a Star Destroyer for 20 minutes. The various space and ground units are more iconic and recognizable from the movies or the extended universe. The worlds included in 'Empire at War' are far more recognizable from the movies as well.

There are a few areas that could be improved. It'd be nice to have more say so over the deployment of facilities on a planet. You may have decided to build a barracks, shield generator, and ion cannon, but you can't decide how they are laid out. This prevents you from using strategy on the field to a degree.

I was a little dismayed by some of the missing elements though. You can't build a Super Star Destroyer (SSD), as seen in 'The Empire Strikes Back.' The Death Star is available, but no SSDs. The B-Wing and TIE Interceptor are also missing from the game. I also would have liked an option to play or use the Old Republic or The Seperatists and their units. Then again, their inclusion wouldn't have been "The Empire" at war. I was also a little puzzled that some volcanic worlds from the extended universe were included, but there was no Mustafar from Episode 3.

Once you get over the learing curve, the game is not difficult to master. Fleet building is not complicated, and planet conquering gets to the point where it is almost by the numbers or by the book.

The game offers a campaign setting for both the Rebellion and the Empire. Both were good stories, although I felt the Rebellion's campaign was too short and too easy. The Empire's story seemed a bit longer, more creative, and more challenging. There was a good mix of cinematics and 'holo images' used to move the story along.

Overall, I'd recommend this game to Star Wars fans. Die hard fans of real time strategies might appreciate it if they are fans of Star Wars, but other games will more likely suit their playing styles better. I think the game cries for an expansion with additional units that I mentioned add or an opportunity to play the Old Republic or Seperatists. One of the best parts of this game is the ability to change from the third person view to a cinematic view. It is best used when you have your fleet set up and ready to go, and you just want to sit back and enjoy the battle.

Overall Grade: 4 stars.

Reviewing Collectors content

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is worth 4.5 stars, but the collectors content isn't. For $10 dollars extra, it's just not worth it. One of the screensavers is nice, and the extra maps are good, and the shiny box is cool, but not for the price. For a excellent review of the game, check out the other review. My advice is to get the normal edition and save the money (for Jedi Acadamy?).

Fun but its missing something

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: March 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The concept and gameplay is great in my opinion, but they took too many short cuts on the sound and graphics. Multiplayer is annoying if you use a router or have a firewall because it disconnects a lot. Nice game but it could have been ALOT better.

A real star wars Rebellion

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: August 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Star Wars Empire At War is the way the old Star Wars Rebellion
game should of shipped back in the 1990's. The graphics are excellent and the game is not as long and slow as the original Rebellion game. the only thing they need to improve on this gamewould be to add more of the chracters from the original rebellion game like Admiral Griff and Thrawn on the Empire side and Wedge Antilles on the side of the Republic , they could also expand the game out by adding a Clone war addon and also base a
addon,on the events of Knights of the old Republic.

fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 6
Date: September 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

when i first played this game i was amazed at the graphics, for new players, start out with the tutorial until you get the hang of the interface

Multiplayer and Support are lacking

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 7
Date: April 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game is not a bad RTS, though it could have been so much more!

The real failing for me is in the complicated multiplayer setup for which I have still found no good solution... :(

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