Full Review: The Force wasn’t with LucasArts this time…
Obi-Wan plays well and is occasionally a fair amount of fun. Unfortunately, this is about the extent of the positive things I can say about the game. Originally slated for PC release, LucasArts decided to instead publish it exclusively on Xbox. Sorry to say, but unlike Halo (which was also originally scheduled for the PC), the game feels more like a rushed port with some fatal design errors than a finished product.
The story was originally intended to loosely follow the new Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace, but for the most part the only detectable story is what you’ve seen in the movie. There are a small variety of locations, most of which appeared in the film, yet what you do in these locales isn’t often relating to the film in anyway. Although some levels’ initial cutscenes might make it appear otherwise. There are no real transitions between areas; you are just in one place one level and somewhere else the next, a problem that is more due to the lack of story than anything else. The only real major intertwining with the movie outside the locations is the final battle (which, I might add, I found somewhat disappointing) and the last level or two prior to it. Relating to the movie or not, the game is extremely thin on story and ends up just being lists of objectives and hoards of enemies. While the objectives themselves are varied somewhat, at the end of most areas you will find yourself in an “Everyone knows I’m here and I need to escape” situation.
The single most irritating thing I found throughout the game was the voice acting. It was simply terrible - there just isn’t another way to put it. Obi-Wan sounds like he has a cold the whole way through, and while the other character’s voices are decent, you rarely hear them and when you do it’s often the same line over and over. The soundtrack is alright, though nothing new, and kicks in at somewhat appropriate times. Unfortunately, it tends to drop a frame or two in the middle of play should a track change occur, which, needless to say, can be extremely irritating. The general sound effects are decent, though nothing out of the ordinary, the most satisfying of which is the deep hum of your lightsaber (which you’ll be using a lot).
The control scheme isn’t that bad either, though lightsaber battles tend to consist of you wildly jerking the right thumbstick around, swinging your ‘saber in one of five or six motions (there’s basically attack left, attack right, cut down, block, and a couple more elaborate swings). The camera is in a somewhat poor location, it tends to get stuck on objects or it places your character right in the middle of the screen, making it impossible to tell who or what is coming at you and from where.
One of the earliest, most forgivable flaws are the graphics: while not outright terrible, they leave a lot to be desired with needlessly rough, low-poly characters, blurry textures, and a rather limited scope of movements. Obi-Wan is animated fairly well, but the rest of the characters’ movements are restricted and choppy at best. The effects are occasionally impressive, but nothing that hasn’t been seen before and executed better. The cutscenes use the in-game engine, but don’t really do much to progress the limited story and leave a good amount of room for improvement. Basically, this game looks like it was designed for a PC a few years ago, reminding me a lot of the Episode 1 game.
The one and only true saving grace of this game is that at times it can be fun. It isn’t always, and at times it’s outright frustrating, and even boring, but it certainly has its moments. The second to last level in particular caught my attention; with a room filled of force throw-able objects and endless hoards of bots. Using the force powers can be enjoyable, though slightly irritating in the poor one-on-one multiplayer matches. AI can be extremely stupid, often running into things and shooting other enemies, but this can add to the fun simply by allowing you easy passage through some enemy-infested areas. The gameplay is simple and far too straightforward, but somehow LucasArts managed to throw some enjoyable moments into an otherwise disappointing game.
