Star Wars: Empire at War Collector's Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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.

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Product Description:
Star Wars: Empire at War (Collector's Edition) is a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game that is, quite simply, amazing in its scope and grandeur. This game has all the elements that both hard-core Star Wars fans and dedicated strategist gamers are looking for. In Empire at War, you must fight battles in space and on the ground, giving the game a dual-layered design that forces you to operate on both an involved strategic level as well as a tactical level. Add epic-looking battles with dozens of great touches, outstanding sound effects that you've come you've come to expect from LucasArts, the contrasting play styles enabled by playing either the rebellion or the empire, and a broad array of unforgettable characters, and you've got a game that lets you truly immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe.


Land battles are highly enjoyable and extremely challenging, involving heavily armored AT-ATs and more. View larger.

Fight epic-looking battles in space with outstanding sound effects you've come to expect from LucasArts. View larger.

As a player, you'll be involved in virtually every aspect of the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire. View larger. The storyline of Star Wars: Empire at War occurs between the two trilogies through the end of "A New Hope." As a player, you'll be involved in virtually every aspect of the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire. You must simultaneously manage your economy, develop technology, build factories, planetary defenses, ships, and space stations, as well as get information on new planets and maneuver your various forces around the galaxy. Unlike some strategy games that are decided by who has hoarded enough resources to overwhelm the enemy, it is just as important to build your forces up in an intelligent fashion in order to take over the galaxy. And to ensure that you're never allowed to sit back and relax, everything all happens in real time, so if you spend too long considering what to build or where to send your fleet, you'll be inviting a massive, debilitating attack from the computer.
Star Wars: Empire at War has a huge number of variables you'll need to consider. Many planets have unique bonuses, such as allowing certain units to be created more powerfully or cheaply, thereby increasing your credit income by different degrees, as well as only allowing the largest ships like Mon Calamari cruisers and Imperial Star Destroyers to be built on certain planets. And the Empire and Rebels obviously both have their differences. The Empire usually generates a lot more money, which it can use to eventually overwhelm the rebel forces if left unchecked, but it has to find them first by sending out probe droids to seek out their forces. The Rebels, on the other hand, have far fewer resources, which can make them more difficult to play and learn, but they can steal technology and sneak raiding parties past many of the Empire's space defenses. And each of the two sides has their own distinct Hero units, which can be extremely powerful and can sway the course of battle greatly. You can use Palpatine or Mon Mothma to reduce a planet's production costs; C3PO and R2D2 to steal technology or hack into an enemy's turrets and turn them against their own troops; Darth Vader to force-push entire groups of enemy soldiers on land; or Boba Fett to crush concentrations of fighters by dropping seismic charges in space. To balance out these massive powers, both sides can hire generic bounty hunters to try and eliminate a rival hero from the game.
While the land battles in Star Wars: Empire at War are highly enjoyable and extremely challenging, involving heavily armored AT-ATs and more, the space battles are truly breathtaking. Seeing a Star Destroyer crawling with bright-blue ion energy, watching an entire wave of X-wings explode into flame, or witnessing a fully-armed and operational Death Star blow a planet to smithereens are unparalleled experiences in this galaxy or any other. And the visual and sound effects aren't the only thing that will amaze you during a space battle. The bigger units like space stations and Star Destroyers all have hard points pertaining to different systems. You can target these different systems to cripple ships in different ways, taking out their shield generator, weapons system, or engines to reduce their effectiveness, or taking out the hanger on Imperial capital ships to thin out their fighter cover. And as you destroy a cannon or shield generator, that piece will break off and float away, and while most ships eventually explode, the Mon Calamari Cruisers and Imperial Star Destroyers will actually tear in to pieces that continue to linger throughout the battle. What's more, you always need to watch out for ships the AI (artificial intelligence) might be hiding in asteroid belts, waiting to spring them on the flanks of your fleet at the worst possible moment.
The strategic layer of Empire at War takes place on a two-dimensional galactic map showing you all the planets. In the full campaign mode, you must consider and plan around more than 40 such planets, whereas in some of the simpler conquest scenarios, you may end up dealing with as few as eight or 10 of them. Instead of playing in the campaign mode, you can play multiplayer matches over a LAN or online with up to eight players. The LucasArts' matchmaking system makes finding an opponent easy, and if you are playing a head-to-head match against a friend, you have the ability to save a match and reload it to continue at a later time. Delivering a presentation that is as epic as the films themselves, Star Wars: Empire at War is ideal for any fan of strategy games, and absolutely necessary for Star Wars aficionados.
This Collector's Edition is also packed with bonuses, including five new playable Skirmish maps that span the galaxy from the shipyards of Kuat, to land and space battles on Ryloth and Polus. You also get exclusive concept art that illustrates the evolution of the game's look, and two screensavers that celebrate the Star Wars universe with X-wings, TIE fighters, and a demonstration of the Empire's ultimate weapon -- the Death Star. Plus the Collector's Edition ships with four wallpaper images and a 3D lenticular package.

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