Star Fox: Assault

"Linear gameplay is so 1997..."

After how much I had hated Star Fox: Adventures, I thought this would be another lame game that disgraced the Star Fox name... boy, was I wrong. This game takes you back to Star Fox 64 and adds quite a lot to the mix including levels where you get out of your ship and blast things with new weapons in a third-person view. Plus, the multiplayer will keep you coming back for more.

-=Story=- 5/5

The story was a bit more unique than I expected for a shoot 'em up game. It starts off with Fox and company pursuing Andross' stuck-up nephew as he tries to take over the galaxy like his uncle almost did. As you take him on in combat, he is destroyed by a strange insect-like creature called an aparoid. You discover that these creatures are growing in numbers and attacking rapidly. It's then up to Star Fox to take down this new enemy before it's too late. The story also has a few twists that you may not expect, plus a few encounters with Star Wolf.

-=Graphics=- 9/10

The vehicles and characters all look great in this game. The environments are large and unique, and there are a diverse amount of enemies. The action is easy to find with large, flashy explosions and lasers, and the animations of characters as they move are fluid and realistic. While most of the visual effects are impressive, it sometimes becomes a bit too much when everything appears shiny and there are fifty explosions occurring at once.

-=Sound/Music=- 8/10

The music in this game suits the Star Fox series well, and there are many tunes you may enjoy. My favorite is the music for Corneria in multiplayer mode. The sounds are all well done, too. A laser sounds like a laser while rockets sound like rockets. The voice acting doesn't sound much like the original game and it may get on many people's nerves. The characters also seem to have changed their personalities a bit, too. Falco isn't as arrogant and Slippy is more annoying, but they're tolerable.

-=Controls=- 3/5

For the Arwing and Landmaster, the controls are very much like the original controls that you're used to. However, the pilot controls are a whole different story. They take a bit of getting used to, but pressing L slightly down to strafe and all the way down to roll gets a bit frustrating. You may have to switch around with the different control styles until you find one that suits you.

-=Gameplay=- 14/15

The single player gameplay is action packed, just like many Star Fox fans like it. Some missions in one player mode have the classic linear Arwing flying where you go through a stage until you reach the end like usual. However, the majority of them take on a new type of gameplay. Based similar to the All-range mode of the classic Star Fox 64, this mode usually starts off with Fox traveling on foot. You must then destroy a set number of targets which show up on your radar as red dots. This is fun because it breaks away from the linear style found in most missions of the Star Fox series and allows you to take on your enemies in whatever style you want. You can jump in and out of Landmaster and Arwings to aid you in battle, and you can collect and use a variety of weapons. The enemies usually spawn in large numbers, so mowing them down with machine guns and explosives can be quite fun. Once you destroy all of your targets, new targets may appear or a boss might attack. I think it's a great addition to the Star Fox game. Plus, each mission has 3 types of medals to collect and 2 secret flags. Your wingmen will also accompany you on your escapades, but they are still dumb and require your help a lot. They will, however, provide you with extra supplies in certain missions.

Single player isn't everything, though. Multiplayer mode is what makes this game shine. It has all the gameplay of the ground mission for the story mode, plus a LOT more. There are many levels to play in, and you can unlock a lot more by beating missions on story mode. There are much more weapons and powerups to collect, and you can unlock new game modes as well. If you have some friends, invite them over for a shoot out in your favorite level. It's a blast. You'll find that this game is like Halo in its crazy way of addicting players.

-=Replay Value=- 5/5

There's so much to do in this game that you may just have to schedule a few all-nighters with your friends to get it done. Be sure not to overlook the multiplayer.

----==OVERALL SCORE: 44/50 = 8.8/10

---==Conclusion: If you're a fan of Star Fox that doesn't like ground-based combat, try expanding your horizons a bit. This game is worth the time to play if you can get past its flaws. The gameplay is a new twist to the Star Fox series, not a hindrance.

---==Final Line: Buy it if you love to play multiplayer, but you might want to rent it first.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/05