More LUKEwarm Than DASHing (Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire (N64))

Member Name: scream4bruce

Product:	Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire (N64)
Date:	15/08/08 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Decent 3D action shooting

Disadvantages: No saving in - stage, single button strafing, the Swoop stage

The N64 game of 'Shadows of the Empire' - a multimedia project where the story takes place between 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' - is a mix of genres, with the player assuming the role of Dash Rendar.

The opening snowspeeder level was seen to be a highlight of the game - to be able to trip an AT-AT with a harpoon and tow cable was like a dream come true for the Star Wars fan. To their disappointment, there was only one other stage of similar style, but the makers must have took note of this - two games of the type would be released ('Rogue Squadron' and 'Battle For Naboo').

I hated the stage where Dash had to ride the Swoop through Mos Eisley - it felt too fast for it's own good! Thankfully, much of the game sees the player in control of Dash Rendar on foot, viewed from either a third- or first-person perspective. These were perhaps my favourite sections of 'Shadows of the Empire', however, there is no auto-fire and the default weapon has to recharge - though this is to prevent use of turbo-fire. Also, auto-aiming takes out precision shooting, but because the visuals can appear blurry it's not so bad. The control of Dash with jet pack on is well handled.

With single button strafing there's no running rings 'round the enemy. As such, and unfortunately, boss battles can feel like a race of attrition, especially with the lacklustre weaponry. Whilst a loss of life allows the player to resume as they mean to go on, I do feel that there are fights where it would be impossible to avoid doing so (at least once and on the higher difficulty settings). Since the bosses are a significantly greater challenge than its preceding level, there being no save points in the stage is a shame, and players might consider building up the number of lives by performing well on a previous level.

I've only been able to complete this game on Easy (much to my dismay), but I've found 'Shadows of the Empire' to be a decent enough game.

Summary: Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire for N64