Star Wars The Force Unleashed

Relevance to Films:

Takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Graphics:

 Starkiller (avatar) and other humanoids resemble human appearance closely, relative to lifelike character features. Much detail given to attacks in game. Both basic and advanced attacks show grand, illustrious game design. Objects used during combat display affects of being tampered with. Environments are ellaborate both indoor and outdoor. Great amount of detail given to each particular aspect of atmosphere.



Storyline:

Game begins as player controls Darth Vader, searching Kashyyyk for Jedi. Vader finds a young boy, Starkiller, who is strong in the force and grows up as Vader's apprentice. Main objective becomes immediately clear, as Vader sends avatar to relinquish galaxy of all remaining Jedi. After breaking into several imperial facilities, Starkiller saves Juno Eclipse, Jedi Master Rahm Kota, Princess Leia Organa, and senator Bail Organa. Ultimately, Vader's wish is for Starkiller to defeat Emperor, leader of Sith, so he and avatar can rule galaxy together. Only at end of game does player decide to fight Vader or Emperor.

Gameplay:

Action Adventure Game. Appearance of face and body not customizable by player discretion. Name not customizable. Difficulty structured as Apprentice, Sith Warrior, Sith Master, and Sith Lord -- from easiest to hardest, respectively. Avatar gains strength by using basic attacks, and developing advanced techniques from repetition of special attacks Force Push, Lightning, and Grip. Finding hidden artifacts throughout game also enhance avatars abilities. Combat is in constant motion, and not turn based. Revolutionary combat style which enables avatar to use environment and surrounding objects in fighting strategy. Avatar uses light sabers. Color crystals are customizable after unlocking content updates.

Obstacles:

Avatar objectives vary between puzzles, and combat objectives. Certain scenarios call for X number of enemies to be defeated, bosses to be defeated, or navigating through confusing maps. Combat difficulty dominates game. Developers make NPC's easy to defeat, compensating for difficulty of effective fighting strategies. Difficulty lies in number of enemies spawned at any given time. Enemies in large number fatigue avatar and weaken attacks.

System Interface:

Game made available for XBOX 360 and PS3 and PC. Controls mostly easy to master, finesse separates good, bad, and ugly players. Menu screens offer easy navigation from option screen, save/load screens, and customization tools.

Star Wars Battlefront

Relevance to Films:

Battlefront takes place before time frame of original trilogy, described as prequel era. During time of Clone Wars, far before Episode IV: A New Hope.

Graphics:

Early developed graphics system. Character avatars blocky and generally shape-like in design. Each faction noticeably different from next. Each weapon noticeably different from every other. Clothing and armor for each class within particular factions differ in color, and size. Environments are detailed well, battle damage affects initial design layout.

Storyline:

Four separate modes of gameplay. Campaign Mode, Galactic Conquest Mode, Instant Action and Muliplayer. Each game mode pits two factions against each other. Campaign Mode follows historic timeline of either Galactic Civil War or Clone War. Galactic Conquest Mode enables player to strategically take control of planets in given regions of galaxy until all planets fall under their control. Instant Action drops player into any battle they so choose. Multiplayer pits players from around the world in battle at any location in game.

Gameplay:

Player, in all game modes, chooses one of five different classes among given faction to battle with. Game pits two factions against one another with set amount of reinforcements. Whichever faction runs out of  reinforcements first, loses. Around each battlefield are Command Posts which player or teammates can capture, and claim as their own. After each command post is seized, player and teammates spawn at new location, but opposing faction may still take command post back. If all command posts belong to one faction, battle over. Several vehicles in game aid each faction either in additional speed or firepower. During battles, special characters spawn for temporary use by player. Jedi including Count Dooku, Mace Windu, and Luke Skywalker are playable in game.

Obstacles:

Each class among faction use different weaponry and wear different armor. Certain classes aid more at specific times. General soldier class is effective for standard kill tactics. Grenadier class is effective for vehicle demolition. Loot is dropped after enemy death, providing extra ammo, armor, and health when supplies run low.

System Interface:

Game made avaliable for XBOX, PS2, PSP, and PC. Game runs much smoother on gaming systems, rather than on PC. Lag affects game quality while playing on PC, particularly in Multiplayer mode. XBOX, PS2, and PSP systems do not experience this drawback.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

Relevance to Films:
4,000 years before rise of Galactic Empire (time frame of first movie). Galaxy is not divided into factions. Rebel forces fight against the Empire. Conflict resides in differences between forces of Sith and Republic. Other influences exist in Mandalorian powers, and alternating planets species. Jedi race is mercilessly hunted. Jedi Masters make up a council to best decide their fate for future.

Graphics:

Crisp for time of release (2004). Edges of objects do not interfere with texture of immediately adjacent objects. In certain positions, character outlines become strangely angled and break lifelike illusion. Faces are rather specific in their structure, but convey a general shapiness in design style, typical to older developed games. Facial structure quality decreases as character grows more distant from intended target. Minuscule detail on items, mostly pixelated when viewed up close. Objects usually small made larger in relation to character distance reveals blurriness. Great detail given to objects in far off vision, though distance to objects does not vary if objects are purposefully set as background ornaments. Odd shadow display under characters at times, as if illuminated in stadium. Shadows spread under character in each four diagonal directions, unrealistic in terms of natural shadow placement, especially in natural sunlight. Clothing sticks to avatar body, and does not move freely on character. Generic lines and outline to armor and clothing, small detail given to makeup of clothing.

Storyline:

Begins with cut-scene of two Sith Lords, Revan and Malak, two all powerful entities, and their chase of the Star Forge. Character given to player (the avatar) is recent recruit of Republic, mysteriously transferred to Bastila Shan's ship, same day she is taken and held hostage on Telos. Past of the avatar is unknown. Renowned pilot of the Republic, Carth, joins the avatar after escaping the seized ship. Bastila's safety, as she attains a vital key to success in war, is essential to the prosperity of the Republic. Bastila harbors power of Battle Meditation, allowing her to see what her opposition is going to do before they do it. Carth and avatar must save Bastila from gang control and escape Telos before Malak destroys planet. They free Bastila and flee Telos in the Ebon Hawk seeking refuge on Dantooine. Bastila meets with members of Jedi Council and reveals a bond she shares with the avatar that connects their feelings and insights. Council decides to make avatar a Jedi, in hopes that with Bastila's help the whereabouts of the Star Forge, an extremely powerful weapon capable of turning the tide in battle, will be found. It is the primary objective of the avatar to locate Star Maps, contained on different planets around the galaxy, to discover actual location to Star Forge. Travelling to Tatooine, Manaan, Kashyyyk, and Korriban to retrieve these Star Maps, Malak becomes reoccurring threat. Ebon Hawk eventually boards Leviathan, Malak's battle ship. Bastila is again taken hostage. After visiting final planet, the coordinates to where Bastila is being kept lead Ebon Hawk to an Unknown Planet. Bastilla has fallen to the Dark Side, and now lends powers to  Sith. The avatar then travels to location of the Star Forge in attempt to stop both Malak, Bastila, and the use of Star Forge.

Gameplay:

Role Playing Game (RPG). Avatar is fully customizable. Appearance portrait fully customizable. Name: customizable. Able to play as male or female. Choosing an avatar class: Soldier, Scout, and Scoundrel, sets difficulty of gameplay from easiest to most difficult, respectively. Combat personalization is distributed between Attributes, Skills, and Feats. Skills break down: Computer Use, Demolitions, Stealth, Awareness, Persuasion, Repair, Security, and Treat Injury. Attributes Break Down: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Soldier Feats: Armor Proficiency: Light, Medium, Heavy, Power Attack, Power Blast, Blaster Pistol, Blaster Rifle, Heavy Weapons, Melee Weapons. Scout Feats: Armor Proficiency: Light, AP: Medium, Flurry, Implants, Rapid Shot, Blaster, Blaster Rifle, WP: Melee Weapons. Scoundrel Feats: Armor Proficiency: Light, Critical Strike, Sniper Shot, Blaster, Blaster Rifle, Melee Weapons, Sneak Attack I, Scoundrel's Luck. Experience gain grants higher levels, topping out at level 20. With each level increase, player gains points to spend on new Attributes, Skills, and Feats for their avatar. In game experience propels the avatar down the path of light, or the path of dark. Conversations with computer controlled  Non-Playable Characters (NPC) dictate how you are viewed around the galaxy, and the plot line the player will follow. Combat is in constant motion, not turn based. Primary attacks reoccur, while secondary attacks (Special Attacks) are manually used by the player. Weapons are broken down into: Blaster, Rifle, Heavy Weapon, Melee, and Light sabers. Only Jedi use light sabers. Each style of weaponry has upgradeable components to strengthen the damage of that particular weapon. Armor is broken down into: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Cloaks. Only Jedi use Cloaks, Medium and Heavy armor is attainable using Feat points when levelling up.   

    
Obstacles:

Much of game includes solving puzzles to advance plot. Many times, light side or dark side affiliation aids or makes tasks more difficult. Rarely is an objective complete by simply killing X number of enemies. Often times, most obvious solutions are not necessarily best. Many upgrades to weapon and armor pieces are subtly hidden throughout planets walked among by avatar, and expedient gameplay will make player miss hidden  treasures.

System Interface:

Made for PC and XBOX, compatible for XBOX 360. Easy navigation between main title menu, options menu, and save/load screens. Several files open for use, no re-writing previously saved files. In game controls easily managed in actual time, or by using the select button to pause action and strategically plan attacks.

Star Wars Galaxies

Relevance to Films:

After destruction of Death star in Episode IV: A New Hope. Before Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Instances in game give opportunity to relive moments before and after present time frame.

Graphics:

Vast environment. Thousands of characters on servers. Playable character (avatar) customizable during character creation and in game. Facial features and body features allow over one-hundred adjustments to character appearance. Eight different species available to play as. Zabrak, Human, Transdoshan, Wookie, Sullustan, Rodian, Twilek, Mon Calamarian. Playable as either male for female. Environments vary according to planet. Atmospheres vary from vast and desert like, to claustrophobic and luscious with foliage. Architecture varies constantly; rounded small buildings, grand buildings with sharp edges, and combinations of both. Each piece of armor, and every weapon have different features and characteristics. Creatures in game vary from small to large, cute to disgusting, friendly to ravenous. Player ships differ between Rebel and Empiric faction. Ship parts and weapons make no two space ships similar. Clothing options vary in color, texture, appearance, and length. Droids can be small or large, with over twenty-five different individual droids. Vehicles vary in color, size, speed, and generic shape. Every individual attack shows different animation. Attacks differ between all nine professions. No two attacks share same animation.

Storyline:

New recruit of Empire in transit to work for Emperor. While in space, Han Solo and Chewbacca rescue the avatar and take him aboard Millenium Falcon. They take refuge at Tansarii Point station. Avatar learns basic fundamentals of navigating his/her profession, environment, and atmosphere. After fixing Millenium Falcon, Han Solo and Chewbacca take avatar to Tatooine. The avatar makes his own future among the galaxy.

Gameplay:

MMORPG. Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. Player assumes the characteristics and behavior of avatar as their own. Nine professions, Medic, Jedi, Bounty Hunter, Commando, Entertainer, Trader, Commando, Spy, Officer. Each individual career path hails special qualities other professions don't. Playable characters actively communicate with members of game society. Combat is in real time. Special attacks are granted according to level. Levels are granted according to experience. Experience gain increases as character experience increases. Ninety attainable levels.  Solo and group combat available. Special attacks readily available according to cool down timer. Each profession has forty-five expertise points to customize their career path even further. Game relies heavily on life simulation, and co-dependency on other player professions. Combat professions rely on Entertainers and Traders for best equipment and attribute boosts. Trader and Entertainer career paths rely on combat professions for income. Currency system using credits. Bazaar terminals serve as active player market. Player vs. Player combat and Player vs. Everything combat (PvP and PvE). PvP Combat wages profession against profession, and expertise against expertise. PvE Combat wages profession and expertise against the given strength of Non-Playable Characters (NPC's). Communities are formed when players affiliate themselves with Guilds, and reside in player made cities. Guilds are organized and tiered in a hierarchical manner. Opposing guilds can wage war against one another. Faction delegates players into Rebel or Imperial. Faction members are either On Leave, Combatant, or Special Forces. When On Leave, members of opposing faction, PvE or PvP may not attack you. When Combatant, PvE members of opposing faction may attack you, but not PvP members. While Special Forces, both PvP and PvE members of opposing faction can attack you. When health completely diminishes once, avatar is incapacitated for brief time. When health completely diminishes twice, the avatar is dead and must clone at the nearest cloning facility. All items and credits are retained when cloned.   

Obstacles:

Gameplay relies heavily on quest objectives and combat difficulty. Levelling to greatest possible strength is accomplished by completing numerous objectives of "Legacy Quest," a chain of quests that take avatar from level one to approximately sixty-five. Obstacles in quests vary from defeating X number of enemies to collecting X number of items. Large chunks of experience are granted after each leg of Legacy Quest is completed. PvE NPC's are classified as either regular, elite, or boss. Regular foes can be defeated solo. Elite foes can be defeates solo or more easily in a group. Boss enemies require group efforts to defeat.

System Interface:

Game made available on PC only. Game uses a pre-determined set of binds and keyboard operations. Keymap, Graphics, Sounds, Chat, User Interface, and Miscellaneous options are fully customizable under player discretion. Game play drastically (negatively) altered if played without mouse. High quality computer suggested for best gameplay. Lag plays major role in overall quality of game. Slow Internet connections make gaming experience unbearable.