Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter

"Good for the casual gamer, great for the Star Wars fans!"

Being both an avid video gamer and a dedicated Star Wars fan, I had been eagerly awaiting this title for quite some time. I own Star Wars:Starfighter, and thought it to be a good game and a great first step on the PS2 for Star Wars. Would Jedi Starfighter live up to and surpass it's older brother? Or would it falter from sophomore blues?

Presentation: (9/10)
Jedi Starfighter is presented in a similar fashion to Starfighter. The menus are easily navigated, except this time around there is a nifty animation that allows you to move between your choices. One downside to this was that I have noticed the game freeze twice during this animation, forcing a restart. Not a horrific experience, but something which should have been cleaned up before pressing the game.
The pre-rendered movies for the game are spectacular, and if you are a Star Wars fan, you can expect the traditional title scroll with the eventual pan to a spaceship. The extras are also a treat, especially the preview for the new Star Wars: Bounty Hunter game. All in all, Jedi Starfighter leaves little to want in the presentation department.

Gameplay: (9/10)
Simply put, gameplay is everything. A game can have really wonderful graphics and a cool concept, but if it isn't enjoyable to play, you probably aren't going to be willing to drop $50 on it. Jedi Starfighter does not disappoint in this department. The control for your ship is rock solid and exactly the same as in Starfighter. The zoom feature still seems fresh, and can make picking of Trade Federation Fighters an enjoyable experience.The new ships available and the gradual progression of their weapons capabilities make the game extremely fun to play, and even more fun to go back and play through the missions with the different spacecraft. In the case of the Jedi ship that you pilot, it can channel the Force as a weapon in different ways. Very cool to see, and for the most part effective.
The targeting system is well structured and you always feel as though you are in control of the situation, despite being surrounded by enemy fighters. The levels are once again of the mixed variety, so you will be in space for some, over land for others, and even have a mission over water. Each level consists of primary objectives required to win the level, bonus objectives to get get extra ships/levels/production material, and hidden objectives to unlock two of the bonus items(which I won't name here).
The variety of land, sea, and air based enemies really makes this game a heck of a lot of fun to play, because you will be required in some levels to go between the sky and the ground to meet objectives, or just save your own butt.
Finally, the edition of the cooperative setting in the Storyline mode is an absolutely fantastic idea. So if you have a friend that has time and a passion for Star Wars, load it up and have some fun.

Sound: (9/10)
Although LucasArts hasn't always put out the best of games under the Star Wars franchise, one thing they always seem to get right in their Star Wars titles is the sound. From the voice-acting, to the sound effects, to the wonderful and inspiring music of John Williams, Jedi Starfighter is a treat to listen to. All the sounds are authentic and well used. There is an amazingly well established balance between the music, effects, and voice-acting. This would get 10/10 but for the fact that the music and effects are old hat.

Graphics: (8/10)
Starfighter was a very attractive game, and Jedi Starfighter definitely doesn't disappoint in this area either. Overall the graphics have the same ''feeling'' of Starfighter. The space-based levels are simply amazing, and in my opinion, rival most of what has been offered so far on the PS2.
One issue that still remains from Starfighter is the framerate dip. It seems to happen most when certain special weapons are used, multiple ships are firing/or are on screen, or when new objectives are presented(usually meaning that the game skips a beat when loading new hostiles in real time). While this is a bit annoying, it doesn't significantly disrupt the gameplay to be a real ''problem.'' Just something I hope they fix in the future.

Lasting Appeal: (7/10)
You will beat this game in about 4 hours. It's really that simple. But the heart of this game to me really isn't the beginning to end aspect, but the replay value of it. With the number of extra ships you can earn, the 1-2 player bonus missions, and the cooperative mode, this game is almost as good as a sports game. Some people will be disturbed to beat a $50 game in such a short period, but in this case, it isn't a back breaker like it would be in an action game where there is only one character or one way to beat the game.

Basically this is a personal choice, and it IS your $50, but I feel that this game is definitely worth the purchase price, and most certainly worth a reduced Used Price, as I'm sure some will be popping up soon.

The Star Wars Fan vs. Regular Video Gamer Score is 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/18/02, Updated 03/18/02