Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike – GC – Preview 2

Are you ready to strike,
rebel-style?  If not, you’d better start swingin’ that lightsaber of yours
because
Star
Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike

is on its way.  Packed with more variety than ever before, Rebel Strike will
take gamers out of the cockpit and place them right in the middle of an intense
battle – on ground, with vehicle, shield or invisible force field to protect
you!  Then, when you make it out of that nearly-impossible-to-live-through
situation, you’ll pilot a familiar ship and be expected to perform another
miracle, saving a galaxy far, far away.

 

I’m not
sure what the first level in the full version will be, but in a special preview
disc released in stores last week (and is available to anyone who pre-orders the
game at participating retailers), LucasArts gave gamers the chance to re-enter
the famous Hoth battle from The Empire Strikes Back.  While Rogue Squadron I and
II had very similar objectives for this level, Rebel Strike is quite different. 
I had seen screenshots of a rebel (it was unknown who it was at the time)
running around a snow-covered battlefield, but it didn’t dawn on me that that
was the perspective LucasArts would give the player this time around.  That’s
just what they did though.  The rebel is none other than Luke, and after showing
a clip of him crashing his ship (taken directly from the movie!), Luke quickly
exits to avoid being crushed by an enormous AT-AT walker.  Then the game
switches over to you.

 

Your
first thought?  "Get me out of here!"  The game seems a little intimidating at
first, with literally dozens (perhaps hundreds?) of enemy troopers attacking on
foot and Tie Fighters shooting from above.  It’s very intense, and thanks to the
game’s easy-to-follow on-screen actions, figuring out what to do next is easy. 
Luke’s mission to do just what was done in the movie.  Risk your life by walking
under an AT-AT; use your grappling hook to climb up to the body of the walker;
use a lightsaber to cut through its thick exterior and throw a bomb inside the
hole to take it down.

 

Next,
Luke will have to hop on that ugly two-legged creature he rode in the movie (at
the moment I cannot remember its name).  Shoot your way through the troopers and
take out the ones commanding the powerful gun.  You’ll need the gun to take out
some walkers, three of which are about to be delivered to the battlefield in
about ten seconds…

 

When
that’s over with, you must then pilot the classic X-Wing fighter and protect a
fleet of allied ships from being destroyed.  Saving only one of the three ships
will allow you to pass the level, though it surely will not be very rewarding in
the full version.  The medal system is back, and you are once again being asked
to perform without many flaws if you expect to unlock any of the cool extras
that LucasArts is planning.  At this time, I couldn’t tell you what those will
be, but take a gander at the series’ past and you might be able to figure out. 
Everyone loves extra playable content, whether it’s a ship or an extra
character, so…

 

When
the demo’s over with (and you’ve used up all of the tissues), open your
bloodshot eyes and take a look at the other bonuses this special pre-order disc
has to offer.  There’s a video of concept art, something that every Star Wars
fan will love (whether you play games often or not).  If playing the demo wasn’t
enough, there’s a trailer of Rebel Strike to watch, as well as a trailer for
Gladius.  Better still, you get Atari’s Star Wars arcade game!  Released in
1982, this Star Wars game was developed by the original Atari, not Infogrames
(who recently purchased the Atari name and is now using it).  This game was one
of the first, if not the first hint at 3D gaming.  If you pay close attention,
you’ll see many similarities between it and the Rogue Squadron series.

 

At
participating retailers the

Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike

bonus disc will cost you no more than $10 (five bucks at most retailers).  Those
ten dollars then goes towards the purchase of the full game, which you will
undoubtedly want to get your hands on.  This short, action-packed demo is just
the tip of the Death Star.  The edge of a lightsaber.  The hair of a Wookiee. 
In other words, it’s only a small fraction of what the final game will have to
offer.

 

My
anticipation level is nearly life-threatening, so I think I’m gonna go watch
Episode II to calm my nerves.  Pick up the bonus disc and join me in my state of
extreme eagerness as we wait till the end of October to play the full version.