Empire-at-war
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Star Wars Retrospective: Episode V marches off to war
It's been nearly two months since the last installment in GameTrailers' look back at the catalog of games based off of George Lucas' magnum opus. The series returns today with the crackle of blaster fire, the hum of a recently activated AT-AT, the whistle of an armed thermal detonator -- you see, all the games featured in this episode focus on those titles that let you relive the film's major battles. From RTS classics like Galactic Battlegrounds and Empire at War, to the best-selling Star Wars game of all time, Star Wars: Battlefront 2, we can't help but get misty-eyed recalling some of our great galactic campaigns. We just... we lost so many good men on Kashyyyk...
Petroglyph Games speaks about their new MMO
Not long after the first official announcement concerning the partnership of Petroglyph Studios and True Games to develop a new MMO, we now get treated to an interview with company co-founder Joe Bostic. In this interview, we learn about some of the company's plans for their new MMO, and how it will be different than every MMO we've seen thus far.If you're wondering why this is such big news at the moment, let us remind you that Petroglyph studios are the developers of Star Wars: Empire at War and Universe at War. This in itself leads the logic-minded individual to believe that their MMO project may have an RTS flavor, although Mr. Bostic neither confirms or denies this in his interview. They do mention the fact that this game will be based on a micro-transaction business model, and they will begin releasing early-stage testing opportunities for players to get involved in the development process.
Empire at War coming to the Mac
The Mac version of Star Wars: Empire at War won't be ready for Santa's sleigh, but Aspyr Media reports they've entered the testing phase, and the Petroglyph strategy port should be available in February. MacBook and Mini owners with integrated graphics won't have to worry about the game's performance, either. According to lead programmer Brad Oliver, Aspyr's goal is to make sure Empire plays well on ALL Macs. That is, until the expansion pack is ported and Tyber Zann assumes control of your hard disk.See also: Holiday 2006 best bets for Mac gamers KotOR franchise to continue, says LucasArts Star Wars PC collection ships
Star Wars PC collection ships next week
While browsing the LucasArts store yesterday, I noticed a new collection that brought back fond memories of the LucasArts Archives from ten years ago. Star Wars: The Best of PC will be available starting next Tuesday (11/21), and will include the following titles: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (2002) Knights of the Old Republic (2003) Battlefront (2004) Republic Commando (2005) Empire at War (2006) Star Wars Galaxies 14-day trial Hardcore Star Wars fans may scoff at the "Best of" title when classics such as Tie Fighter, Rogue Squadron, and Shadows of the Empire are absent from the box. But this isn't a bad assortment at $40, and it offers a little bit of everything for PC gamers on your holiday shopping list who enjoy different genres. How many of you plan on picking this up, either for yourself or someone else?
Metareview - Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
This is turning out to be the season of strategy expansions, with AoE III: The War Chiefs and Dawn of War: Dark Crusade already available, and BFME2: Rise of the Witch-king shipping in four weeks. The just-released Forces of Corruption extends your Star Wars: Empire at War experience by adding a third playable faction, the Zann Coalition, to the galactic struggle. Much like the Hutts, it's all about profit for crime lord Tyber Zann, and he intends to plunder the considerable resources of the Empire and the Rebellion with the help of IG-88 and a new rancor-summoning Force witch. Yoda joins the ranks of the rebels, while the Empire now has Dark Troopers. Yahoo! Games (90/100) enjoyed blowing up Ewoks, but also appreciates the authentic environments: "Some maps, like the one set on Cloud City on Bespin, or the scene of Zann's infiltration of Coruscant, are genuinely creative, occasionally approaching a Diablo-like focus on one or two main units without a wider force to distract you." GameSpot (81/100) likes the new criminal element, but warns of performance issues: "There's a price to be paid for some of the huge battles and missions that you'll undertake. Even with most of the graphical detail settings set to low, the expansion had frame rate issues running on a midrange machine that ran Empire at War just fine with the details set to high." Game Informer (75/100) recommends this expansion for extended universe fans: "If you're one of those guys (or gals) that can quote every line from every movie, but you've never heard of Grand Admiral Thrawn, then Forces of Corruption isn't for you. Meanwhile, if you know the details of how Darth Maul was trained, or who exactly Aayla Secura is, then come on in to the pool. The water's fine!" See also: Metareview - Star Wars: Empire at War
Empire at War's first expansion is corrupt
It would appear LucasArts and Petroglyph listened to fan feedback when planning Forces of Corruption, the first expansion pack to their strategy title Star Wars: Empire at War. Some of the new maps that were on display at E3 are 40% bigger than the originals, and a new base layout screen allows for easier customization of your buildings. There are also 13 new planets including Bespin, Mustafar, and Kamino.However, the most important addition is the new underground faction that uses deception and corruption to taint all sides of the Force. Throw in the Super Star Destroyer Eclipse, and new heroes Luke Skywalker and Yoda are sure to have their hands full. Wars not make one great? Bah! Forces of Corruption will be available this fall.See also: Metareview - Star Wars: Empire at War
