Jedi Starfighter

Inspired

Jedi Starfighter is inspired by the success of its predecessor, and borrows its name from the Jedi's craft of choice; the Jedi Starfighter. In game terms, it's the same team and the same sort of premise, so I'm looking forward to playing it. The game will run parallel to the events of the new movie, but the game will actually be released several months prior to the film, so it won't give too much away. Fifteen story-based missions will be included for one or two players, borrowing worlds and environments from the film. The ships on offer will be the Jedi Starfighter itself, the Havoc from the original game, and the Zoomer and Freefall. These will skim along the surface of various planets and fight in enormous space battles with more than 40 types of starship and capital-class vessels, including some notable enemy craft from the upcoming Star Wars film. It will be our first taste of Attack of the Clones, so a lot rides on its success. The introduction of Jedi pilots for these ships means that various Force powers will be available, something lacking in the first game. Amongst the pilots' abilities will be Force lighting (which saps the power systems of enemy ships and renders their pilots unconscious), Force shield (which creates an energy-based deflector shield) and Force shockwave (which produces a powerful energy surge that radiates multi-directionally). My personal favourite though is Force reflex, which simulates the exaggerated reflexes and perception of the Jedi Knight pilot by shifting the world into slow motion, although whilst in slow-motion players will retain th normal turning and shooting abilities of their craft.

A New Hope

Like the original game, Jedi Starfighter follows the exploits of two unlikely heroes, Jedi Master Adi Gallia and alien pirate Nym, who forge an alliance to fight the nefarious Captain Cavik Toth, his Sabaoth Squadron and the evil Trade Federation. The game features a completely original narrative, but intersects with key events from the film including a cinematic battle which is presumably the finale of the film. Adi's mission is to foil a plot that could spell certain doom for the Jedi, while Nym (who returns from the original game) is fighting to reclaim the home planet from which the Trade Federation drove him. Before events kick off the game will ease you into things with a mini training campaign. The actual single-player game will have Adi piloting the Jedi Starfighter while Nym flies a Havoc, which has been upgraded from the original game with three new weapons - cruise missiles, cluster missiles and proximity mines. We don't have much information on these, but I'm sure you can use your imagination. The two player co-operative mode will also include additional supporting characters and ships. Reti, a crafty Toydarian, pilots the laser and chaingun-equipped Zoomer, while Jinkins, Nym's right-hand man, flies the laser and drone fighter equipped Freefall. Visually the game will build on the tremendous effects used in the first game, with cutting-edge graphics and spectacular effects that take a page out of the film's book. The game is also said to be deeper and more detailed than the original. We can't wait.

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Jedi Starfighter screenshots

Star Wars Starfighter review