Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

"A great RTS: almost as good as the Command and Conquer series."

INTRO:
I'm a big Command and Conquer player (and heck, RTS in general), and I think it's safe to say that Galactic Battlegrounds ranks up there. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, RTS means Real Time Strategy. In RTS games, you build and maintain bases and armies as well as gathering resources. Galactic Battlegrounds is no exception to this, except that it has it's own features. Also, I've never played Ages of Empires (which this game's engine is based off of) so I won't do any comparisons. Also, I will be reviewing the Saga version, not just the original one. Basically, the Saga is the original plus the bonus campaigns in the Clone Campaign set. But overall, this game is quite fun.

GAMEPLAY: 42/50
The gameplay in Galactic Battlegrounds is pretty good, although sometimes it can be rather slow and confusing. There is so much to build and so much to do that it can overwhelm new RTS players. Basically, if you have played Starcraft or Ages of _____, then you have a good idea of how the gameplay in this game works. You start with a command center (usually) and several workers. The workers build and harvest for you, and the command center allows you to build more workers. Instead of just money, there are four different types of resources. Each building may require only one resource, or several. There are many different methods of gathering these, such as fishing, mining, and farming. You can also trade with ally players and NPC groups. Overall, there is so much to do in this game, although some of it could be improved on. For example, some structures take too long to build. Plus, as I said, GB can be a little confusing at times with so much going on.
Units have stats, like in an RPG. For example, a soldier will have less attack power and less HP (health) than a tank. Command and Conquer has a similar system, although these stats are not displayed. This game is not an RPG though; it's REAL TIME strategy. In short, the game is an RTS with RPG elements.

STORY: 27/30
RTS usually have some story, and GB is no exception. First, you can control 8 (!!!) factions as well as 8 campaigns (although one is a training mission). The factions include Empire, Rebels, Republic, Separatists, Trade Federation, Gungans, Naboo, and Wookies. The Naboo faction does not have it's own campaign, but it is sort of mixed in with the Gungan one. Each other faction has their own campaign with six to nine missions. There is a good, yet basic storyline in these campaigns that could of had some improvement. Overall, it's decent, and the only problem is the lack of in-depth storyline. But hey, it's a RTS after all; they don't need to have a perfect story. Plus, you can make your own campaigns! I'll describe that later.

MUSIC: 24/25
Classic Star Wars music in an hour-long overture, without much of a pause between each song. It's literally one huge song, since you can't change and it goes in one order. That's the only problem: not being able to select a song. But the fixed order is good, and so is the music. Star Wars music is always excellent, although repeated a lot. If you don't know what I mean, watch the movies or play a SW game.

SOUND: 19/20
The sound is pretty good, except for some of the blaster firings and movement noises. Some of them don't sound right or they sound too weird for their source. However, the sound in this game is still great.

GRAPHICS: 26/30
GB's graphics are outstanding, with some small issues. First, sometimes the graphics are TOO big, since you can't see a large area. This is a problem, I prefer being able to see a larger area than a building or two. Also, the game tends to lag and freeze if there are a lot of units, and the scroll rate is not too great. Aside from minor issues, the graphics are clear, detailed, and just plain good.

CONTROLS: 23/30
This is where GB starts to get a little iffy. The controls are usually decent, but some units will go off and do their own thing, even when you tell them to stay put! Some of the units are too sluggish, and as I already said, the scroll rate is too slow. There is quite a bit to do at once, and even with so many controls, the game can still be confusing. It's not very bad though: the controls are above average. It's mainly the AI's fault as well as the other factors of the game.

CHALLANGE: 24/25
GB can be quite difficult at times, just like Starcraft. As a matter of fact, some missions are near impossible, even as early as the second and third ones in the campaign! Thankfully, there is a decent training campaign to help out, with a full storyline too! Some missions are rather easy, but overall this game is difficult.

REPLAY: 28/30
This game can be so much fun at times, for several reasons. First, there are eight campaigns in all, each with at least seven missions. That makes 56 missions. In addition, you have a fair multiplayer engine, as well as a map editor. But that's not the half of it. The map editor let's you create your own missions! This sounds great, and it is, but the mission editor has some shortcomings. First, the triggers are tough to handle sometimes, and they don't provide as much power as the professional missions. That's not a big deal though, for the mission editor is still a lot of fun! I've created three campaigns, each with six missions. It's a blast, and something to keep you occupied for quite some time.

Total Score: 213/240
Percentile Score: 88/100
Grade: B+
Final Score: 8/10

TO RENT...OR TO BUY...
If you are a big star wars fan, and you like RTS games, then buy this. Buy it especially if you like Ages of Empire or Starcraft, and you want a fair challenge. As I said, this game is fun. It's not up to par with some of the Command and Conquer games, but it's still a nice, solid one. Enjoy!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03