View All (57)

Third time is the charm for LucasArts as they hit a grand slam with their new Star Wars real-time strategy game.

The old adage about the third time being the charm has proven itself to be right again with LucasArts' third attempt at the real time strategy genre, and you can take it to the bank when I tell you this time they hit a grand slam. Empire at War has already achieved award winning status and is being held as one of the best strategy games of the year. And we're only two months into it!



LucasArts and Petroglyph Entertainment have truly out done themselves with this game. Not only does this game utilize the usual RTS attributes in a way unique to the Star Wars universe but makes a near seamless transition into space battles where blasting away your enemies is more colorful than the fourth of July due to the absolute killer graphics.



Beyond the amazing visual and technical aspects of Empire at War there is a truly all around completeness to the game which has been lacking in some of the more recent LucasArts titles. They took their time with the game and did it right especially when it comes to the gameplay. The game boasts two main campaign modes. One is the story mode with separate story lines for both the Empire and Rebellion that parallel each other very well.



Then there is the Galactic conquest mode similar to the story mode but without the missions leaving you free to plan the campaign as you see fit. This mode also gives you a chance to play online for when you get tired of beating the hell out of the AI. Actually if you're not too careful in this game the AI might actually beat the hell out of you. Rarely have I seen an RTS game with such an adaptable AI component. It will hit you where you're weak and avoid the planets where you have half a fleet of Star Destroyers waiting to crush all comers.



The units in the game are unbelievably diverse allowing you to control everything from Tie Bombers and ATAT's to huge Mon Cal Cruisers. Even better is the fact that there are no real uber units that can level the entire battlefield. Each unit type has its own weakness' up and down the line. However one thing that was unnecessary to add to the game were the large number of hero units. Vader and Obi-wan I can understand and it's nice to see Mara Jade and other expanded universe characters getting their dues but fifteen hero units is pretty redundant if not flat out overkill.



Considering the whole package (which is exactly what LucasArts has brought to the table) Star Wars Empire at War is a sure fire hit and is worthy of the praise it has been receiving so stop wasting your time reading this review and go play it already!

Review by Bret Callinan.