Building Your Jedi
Star Wars®: Episode III Revenge of the Sith™ the game may be all about nonstop Jedi action, but it is not brainless action at all. In fact, it is highly customizable, as you're given the opportunity to upgrade your favorite heroes (Obi-Wan and Anakin) throughout the story. After you complete each mission, you're awarded points based on your performance, and you can use these points to upgrade your basic combat abilities as well as your Force abilities. The question of how to upgrade them is up to you, but there are a few basic pointers that can help you bring "balance to the Force" … wait … balance to your abilities. That's the ticket.
Anakin employs Force Grasp.
Learning to Earn Skill
Surrounding your character portrait in the bottom left corner of your screen is the Skill Meter. Learning to maximize your skill meter will add much to your end-of-level experience points, allowing you to max out more abilities, achieve more diversity in your abilities, or both. Understanding how the meter works is of the utmost importance. Here's how it breaks down.
•Every time you kill an enemy, you're given points based on how skillfully you dispatched them.
•You also gain points if your enemies are defending themselves (though at a reduced rate).
•The rating of your kill breaks down into four categories: Fair, Good, Impressive, and Masterful. The higher the category, the more skill and therefore experience you get.
•Your Skill Meter will go up consistently if you're always on the attack, so even average kills can merit you masterful points if you're stringing together a long and very successful string of kills. However, your Skill Meter will lower when there are lulls in combat or when you find yourself blocking more than attacking.
Dooku's about to get his just desserts.
The Best of Both Worlds
Part of the benefit of playing both Obi-Wan and Anakin throughout the game is the difference in the experience. If you want, you can upgrade both characters in very different ways, allowing you to experience it all. If you're a hardcore fan of the series, I also suggest upgrading your abilities in ways that most fit the personality of your character.
Anakin is the strong-willed arrogant Jedi that bows to the will of the Dark Force (about halfway through the game, I might add). His specialties should reflect this. For example, you may want to make him the more aggressive fighter by putting lots of experience into straight-up combat abilities. Jump Attacks, Dash Attacks, and Critical Attacks are particularly up his alley. Jump Attacks give you a more flashy display of melee lightsaber prowess, Dash Attacks are viciously quick ways to dispatch a foe, and Critical Strikes are the deadliest of the bunch. Particularly satisfying for a budding Dark Lord of the Sith is the Choke Impale Critical Strike maneuver. This gem has you grab your enemy by the throat and stab through him for an instant kill. As for Force Skills for young Anakin, the Force Grasp is especially fitting. Remember all the debris he threw it poor Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. He had to learn that somewhere. In addition, Anakin will learn the Force Lightning ability halfway through the game. While we never see Vader employ the technique, few abilities are more suited for a Sith to upgrade.
Ready the Force Push.
Obi-Wan, by contrast, is more tranquil and in tune with the Force. Of particular note for Obi-Wan in the Force ability realm is the Force Heal (he brought Luke into consciousness in the first film), Force Push (he's always tossing droids this way and that), and Force Stun. Force Stun may seem an odd one, but it's the ability that allows him to disable droids and charm enemies into helping him out. How can you not max out the ability that will later allow Obi-Wan to utter, "These aren't the droids you're looking for." Classic stuff! As for combat, Grapples and Area Attacks seem more his style. While not the showoff Anakin is, Obi-Wan has displayed a sense of flash in the past. Plus, he's always getting down to fisticuffs a la his fight with Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones, as well as his tussles here with General Grievous.
As always, in the end, it's up to you to choose what suits you. After all, it could be fun to play opposites and give Obi-Wan all the aggressive abilities (though he's never granted Force Lightning). Either way, a balance of abilities and an understanding of the skill/experience system are key. Now, go kick some Jedi butt, and may the Force be with you, always.
By Alex McLain
