Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Action 1999 Windows LucasArts Shooter Third Person

The Force is NOT strong with this one

Like the movie this is based on, this game is a far cry from the best that the Star Wars universe can deliver, and falls a long way short of classic titles like X-Wing or Dark Forces. It's a pretty bad game by any standards, being bland and lacking in thrills, with some of the blame being laid firmly on the shoulders of its inspiration and some just on unimaginative design choices. The plot here follows the movie quite closely and tells a stripped down version of the convoluted tale of the disturbance in the Force, a besieged planet and the tragic fall of a great hero. The gameplay here is a variation on the classic third person adventure, where you'll explore various environments based on those seen in the film, while battling familiar enemies and solving the occasional puzzle. You get to play as a few different characters from the film, which adds a bit of appeal, but mostly this is a case of running around, whacking bad guys with your light saber or blasting them from afar with a laser gun. This is perhaps one of the worst uses of the Star Wars license and is up there with Yoda Stories and Rebellion in terms of lack of quality. The visuals might have looked good back in the day, but have aged poorly and now just look ugly. The gameplay too is just overly simplistic and very repetitive, with unexciting combat and bland level design, while enemies are just lacking in intelligence. There are also issues with the camera and the controls, while puzzles are just as unsatisfying as the combat, thus making this a game to avoid and pretend it doesn't even exist.

Action in which you embody many SW characters

One of the best features of this otherwise classic, prescriptive action game is that you will play as Obi Wan, Qui Gon Jin, will play as the Queen Amidala and also a captaion named Panaka. Quite a roaster of characters right there. Sure, playing as the dark, heavy breathing dark lord would have been nice, but well, I guess they had to have some antiheroes there as well! So, it's going to be all about action, in scenarios reminiscent of the feature movie of the same name. Thus, you will really be able to have a go at it, to really get to see through the eyes of those characters that I noted above, as you race from level through level to meet your tasks. Don't worry, while action is the focus, there is also enough dialogue and other ways to relate to the world of the game, from puzzle solving to some other bits that really stand out. You'll also get to see landmarks of the movie series, planet Naboo, Tatooine, through Coruscant and beyond. A truly diverse game, one for true fans of Star Wars, and for those that love an action packed adventure, with an emphasis on the action bits! Alternatively, see the shooter Dark Forces, which is more focused on first person action from behind a hefty gun, than anything else, while also true to the Star Wars legacy!

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