Guest DarthMaulUK Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Rebellion! Thats how the opening credits start and it brought back the memories of that original Star Wars RTS with so much scope and depth, it scared so many people away from playing it. The UI settles you in extremely quickly, its well planned, logical without being daunting and the Tutorials are well constructed to ensure that by the time you are ready to take on the galaxy, you know what you are doing. Either as the Rebels or Empire, you are thrown into the story of Episode IV as you struggle to remove the Rebel threat or destroy the dreaded Death Star. It's fantastic to be part of it. Afterall, it was New Hope that kicked this conflict off. Before you can take control of a planet, you need to have jaw-dropping space battles, provided that your enemy has a space station or fleet above a planet. With your attacking fleet coming out of hyperspace, the traditonal RTS views comes into play(you can also zoom right out and get an excellent total overview), making unit selection easy and the fog of war means that you will need to plan your attack. Risking fighters can be costly, as some ships brush them aside with ease, so thinking a fighter rush could bring a swift end to a battle, you will need to think again. If your attack is going really well, you can view the battle in the new Cinematic Mode, and its just like being thrown into the Battle Of Endor! Focusing on the exchanges between capitol ships, the destruction of ships and watching fighters whizzing around really shows how much time developers Petroglyph spent re-creating something that no other Star Wars RTS has managed to do - excitement! Each space map also has it's own hazards to watch out for, which can have a bearing on your weapons and communication systems making you re-think your strategy! EaW also features a neat retreat option (unless you have Moff Tarkin in your fleet) so if you feel that you just can't win, your fleets will hyperspace out but expect losses. A sense of achievement comes over you after a space victory, especially if it was a close call but the action doesnt stop there. In order to have total control of a planet, you will need to prepare for ground assault. Although not as stunning as the graphics of space, ground battles are just as furious, putting the whole emphasis on attack, if its you doing the invading. Reinforcement points are scattered over the map, meaning that the attacker must capture these in order to increase the amount of troops they can bring into battle. Each point has a set number of additional units you can bring into play, so thought needs to go into your unit selection. This adds to the action again and really prevents the game heading down the traditional RTS route of building up a large force, having one major battle and the one with the most units wins. Ground maps have 'build pads' which can be captured by infantry and this will aid any assault or defence. Any structures built in the galactic map will also help the defender and will build additional units during combat. The Galactic Map is the place where you manage your planets, build and send your fleets into battle. Theres enough variety here to keep you busy playing for hours, or you can scale the planets down just to a few. Unlike some RTS games that use an overview like this, Empire At Wars map is in real-time so every decision you make has an impact somewhere and you need to be on your guard incase of attack or Rebels trying to steal technology or credits (if you are the Empire). It might sound like lot to do, but never before have I felt so involved in an RTS game. Moving units around the map to defend other areas and create strongholds keeps the pace fast - just like in the movies - and you can build up forces to plan your next move. The whole experience is kept simple thanks to the way resources are gathered. Its just money! Each planet yields credits, that fall into your galactic bank account and your daily rate can be increased thanks to Mines and Smugglers. You can expect to control the normal count of Heroes, who if used correctly really can swing a battle. Boba Fetts seismic charges are incredible as Hero units all have their own unique abilities, including Chewbacca being able to steal an AT-ST or even an AT-AT! Empire at War never set out to be Rebellion and in all fairness, its not. It just hasnt got that level of strategy. However, what is does do, is bring Star Wars gaming to the masses (and I dont just mean the low specs needed to play) and I've come away feeling that Star Wars fans and RTS fans will get months of fun out of this and for those entering the RTS genre for the first time will be extremely happy with their purchase. 9.1 /10 DMUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xsoy Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 nice to have a review from someone who is actually capable of making it objektive and partially put aside the pressure of the community nice work, and nmostly i agree with ya btw - xsoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge2211 Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I don't know about that, it seemed to be bordering on a bias towards the game... Favoring the side we like isn't objective, even if we like it. EaW also features a neat retreat option (unless you have Moff Tarkin in your fleet) That is hysterical! I love all the little things they put in like that. Long live Imperial overconfidence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FleetAdmiral AK Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Nice review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Snake Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Rebellion! Thats how the opening credits start and it brought back the memories of that original Star Wars RTS with so much scope and depth, it scared so many people away from playing it. {snip} * THATS A REVIEW!!!! TO HELL WITH U IGN!!!! Edited by Darth333: * Not necessary to re-post the entire review... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Snake Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 ok darth thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrotoy7 Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 lolz... for all the polish and tweak, somethings been lost in EaW IMO that was there Rebellion. Sure tis fun, but 9.1/10 gosh no I'd give it a 7.5 but havent had long term exposure so this may change ... @DMUK... In the original SW script and Radio Dramatisation, Tarkin actually considers his retreat quite seriously and was just about to order it after discussions with Admiral Motti who was encouraging Tarkin to try and topple the Emperor. To throw suspicion away from him and Motti, Tarkin boasts about 'the moment of Triumph' when another officer walks in on their seditious conversation mtfbwya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotalBiscuit Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 THATS A REVIEW!!!! TO HELL WITH U IGN!!!! Edited by Darth333: * Not necessary to re-post the entire review... I smell fanbois... Basic fact of the matter is that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I happen to agree with much of what IGN says and I don't think this is an astounding game. It's good, like IGN says, but it's flawed.. like IGN says. Whether you want to scream, shout and get all righteous about it isn't really relevant. IGN is not going to change their minds and if they have any backbone, neither is anyone else in their opinion of this game. At the end of the day, it's only a game. I like the game, but it's not God's gift to the world that's for sure. TB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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