We have come to it at last … The end of Star Wars in movie form will be complete with the release of the final prequel, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. We shall watch the tragic fall of a young and prideful Anakin. We shall witness the subtle political weaving as Palpatine seizes a more complete power and so becomes emperor. We shall see the fall of the Jedi order.
This is the film that completes them all. It ends the prequel trilogy and lays the final groundwork for the films that chronologically follow. Coinciding with this landmark event is a bevy of complimentary items, including Clone Wars cartoons, a graphic novel, a novel, a soundtrack complete with music videos, and (of course) all the toys and kitsch merchandise you can shake a lightsaber at.
Unprecedented Collaboration Generally speaking, the quality of a Star Wars game is directly proportional to how closely it adheres to its source material, or at least the spirit of that material. Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ is great, in many respects, due to how brilliantly it captures the feel of the Star Wars universe. It doesn't stray from the themes and motifs present in the movies or attempt to fashion its own brand of Star Wars.
Revenge of the Sith creates an even more authentic Star Wars experience, as it doesn't take place thousands of years before the Republic or deal with ancillary characters. Revenge of the Sith follows the final movie almost exclusively, focusing on our two main heroes: Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi.
Luckily for us, the developers at The Collective (they're the brains behind the surprisingly excellent Buffy the Vampire Slayer™ video game) seemed to have struck a gold mine of collaboration with LucasArts and LucasFilm. These developers were able to visit the set during filming (lucky dogs) to study the characters, the movements, the story, and the emotion. They sat in on meetings to be sure they were on the same page as far as implementing finalized art and crafting the appropriate environments. They also bore witness to "The Duel" to help them create the single greatest lightsaber fight ever witnessed in a game. The game and the film were literally created hand in hand—a feat that no other Star Wars game can lay claim to.
Though getting behind-the-scenes access to the last Star Wars movie is impressive enough, The Collective didn't stop there. They brought stunt coordinator and lightsaber fight guru Nick Gilliard to the studio for a week to actually train the animators in the proper techniques and fighting styles. Even more of a treat was the arrival of Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), who not only gave them further insight into Anakin's fighting style, but also the ways in which his style and movement reflect the dark and arrogant character within.
Play Time With such unprecedented access to the filming and design of the movie, it would be a great shame indeed if a great game wasn't fashioned to go along with it. Luckily, sitting down and playingRevenge of the Sith is rewarding enough to sate any Star Wars fan's needs. Ostensibly, it is a third-person action game, much in the same vein as Ninja Gaiden®. It's a blazing-fast and quick-witted game that rewards reactionary strategy and exploration of its deep combo system.
The combo system itself brings Ninja Gaiden to mind, with its fast and strong attack buttons that, combined, create a brilliant collage of different techniques. Slicing and dicing through enemies has rarely been this fun, and when you add the various Force powers into the mix, you'll have a bag of tricks that will entertain you for hours.
Leaping down onto a group of battle droids with a strong aerial saber attack, sending one flying back into another group with a Force Push, and then slicing through the mass with a lightning-quick, six-move combo before flinging your saber through a train of newcomers, while deflecting blaster bolts all the while … It's pure satisfaction.
The Movie Itself Beyond the gameplay, little more could instill such giddiness as seeing actual footage from the movie in the Xbox title. The game starts just like the film, with the standard opening crawl, but the similarities don't end there. Instead of moving straight into the game engine and into the first mission, you'll be treated to an exhilarating scene from the opening of the film that launches you straight into the first mission. This isn't just an opening treat either. You'll be privy to a large of number of snippets from the film throughout the game.
Spoiler-wary folks beware! If you want to be spoiler free, play the game later, after you see the movie. For those of you who scrape together every last bit of Star Wars gossip, this game will be Christmas come early.
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith marks the last film and perhaps the last game based solely on the events of a film. We all wait with bated breath for the release of the movie, and we all hope that it will fulfill our lofty expectations. From what I've seen, I can safely say I'm confident that the film will do all it should and more, and I know for sure that the game is one kickass Star Wars gaming experience.
