November 7, 2005 - "Execute Order 66."
The Emperor's curt delivery of this death sentence to the Jedi feeds into one of the few sequences in "Revenge of the Sith" that has any degree of subtlety. The fall of the Jedi, literally stabbed in the back by the clone troopers is such a downer, I really think THQ Wireless shows some huevos for actually casting the sequence into a mobile game.
You control a set of Republic Commandos engaged in battle with the Separatist's droid army. Two or so screens deep into the battle with the droids, the Emperor comes over the air and issues the dreaded Order 66, and your boss battle is a showdown against one of the Jedi. Thankfully, the Jedi put up a little more of a fight in the game than they do in the movie.
Order 66 is more than a shooter, however. There is a serious ribbon if strategy that runs through the proceedings, as you must choose which type of troopers to send into the conflict. Each of the troopers has a different battle specialty, whether it's long-range fire or a spread shot or a shield. You must choose three troopers from the available stable, which grows with each successful mission -- you only start with long shot and spread. And if picking the right kind of trooper with the most advantageous firing pattern or skill isn't enough to weigh on your mind (and thumb), you can also switch the squad's formation and trooper placement during the battle with the "#" and "*" keys, respectively.
I like a good shooter, but I really like a good shooter with brains. That's what's happening in Order 66, thanks to these clever additions. You can constantly change your strategy on the fly, such as choosing to put the spread shot trooper in the front with headed down a diagonal corridor.
When you finally do fight your way through a battalion or two of droids (collecting health-replenishing Bacta the entire way), your Jedi encounters play out like very traditional boss battles. Pattern and/or behavior memorization really plays into your chances for victory. One of the Jedi that is adept at batting back laser fire throws his lightsaber at you from across the room if you get far enough away. So, you have to fall back, wait for him to hurl the saber, then line up as many shots as possible before it returns. This is one of those situations where you'll want to quickly arrange the troopers into a vertical formation so you can have multiple shots stream straight ahead into the Jedi.
Order 66 may have some great action, but it's presentation is not its equal. The character sprites are extremely small, but that is a sacrifice made so the screen can host well over a dozen droids in addition to the three troopers. The levels are recognizable to hardcore "Star Wars" fans that know the difference between Megeeto and Kashyyyk by just looking at them. There are three health meters at the bottom of the screen, one for each trooper. Order 66 plays the familiar "Star Wars" theme over the title screen, menus, and dialogue boxes, but drops the score and offers laser blast noise during battle sequences.
You control a set of Republic Commandos engaged in battle with the Separatist's droid army. Two or so screens deep into the battle with the droids, the Emperor comes over the air and issues the dreaded Order 66, and your boss battle is a showdown against one of the Jedi. Thankfully, the Jedi put up a little more of a fight in the game than they do in the movie.
Order 66 is more than a shooter, however. There is a serious ribbon if strategy that runs through the proceedings, as you must choose which type of troopers to send into the conflict. Each of the troopers has a different battle specialty, whether it's long-range fire or a spread shot or a shield. You must choose three troopers from the available stable, which grows with each successful mission -- you only start with long shot and spread. And if picking the right kind of trooper with the most advantageous firing pattern or skill isn't enough to weigh on your mind (and thumb), you can also switch the squad's formation and trooper placement during the battle with the "#" and "*" keys, respectively.
I like a good shooter, but I really like a good shooter with brains. That's what's happening in Order 66, thanks to these clever additions. You can constantly change your strategy on the fly, such as choosing to put the spread shot trooper in the front with headed down a diagonal corridor.
When you finally do fight your way through a battalion or two of droids (collecting health-replenishing Bacta the entire way), your Jedi encounters play out like very traditional boss battles. Pattern and/or behavior memorization really plays into your chances for victory. One of the Jedi that is adept at batting back laser fire throws his lightsaber at you from across the room if you get far enough away. So, you have to fall back, wait for him to hurl the saber, then line up as many shots as possible before it returns. This is one of those situations where you'll want to quickly arrange the troopers into a vertical formation so you can have multiple shots stream straight ahead into the Jedi.
Order 66 may have some great action, but it's presentation is not its equal. The character sprites are extremely small, but that is a sacrifice made so the screen can host well over a dozen droids in addition to the three troopers. The levels are recognizable to hardcore "Star Wars" fans that know the difference between Megeeto and Kashyyyk by just looking at them. There are three health meters at the bottom of the screen, one for each trooper. Order 66 plays the familiar "Star Wars" theme over the title screen, menus, and dialogue boxes, but drops the score and offers laser blast noise during battle sequences.
Closing Comments
Order 66 is a great action-strategy game for mobile phones. The
fact that it successfully integrates the "Star Wars" license -- and even fills
out a sequence from the film -- is only to its credit. It's a game worth
playing to the end, so you can unlock Anakin Skywalker and really start
beating down the droid army and Jedi scum. I tested the game on a Sony
Ericsson 701, by the way, and had none of the presentation or interface
issues that have been discussed elsewhere.
IGN's Ratings for
Star Wars: Republic Commando: Order 66
(Cell)
| Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| out of 10 | click here for ratings guide |
|
| 8.4 |
OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average) |
|