A fun and action packed game that is well worth picking up - even if you aren't a Star Wars fan!
The squad system allows you to boss your teammates to do different tasks and fight in different positions, this works well to give the game more strategy and depth then your average FPS and having a few characters around you does give the game more interaction and helps to make it more entertaining.
But as is often the case with AI controlled team-mates, they can become a liability in some situations; the main issue is if one of you squad gets a strong enemy approach him, he'll just sit there whilst getting pounded by the enemy until he dies. They don't try to move back or anything and in the middle of a battle you don't want to have to keep watching out for your squad for stupid things like that. The enemies are similar, but it's less noticeable. This isn't a major problem, but it can become annoying in some situations.
The controls are good, but can feel a bit clunky and generally not as smooth as other FPS that I have played on the Xbox. The frame rate still appears smooth, but the controls suffer when there is a lot on screen. Though I found it something you can get used to.
The melee attack can feel a bit overpowered, as you can take out loads of droids with it and not get hurt. Frequently I would resort to using the melee attack over the weapon as it is faster and more effective. Despite these issues, the gameplay is fun and action packed.
The graphics are, overall, very good. Some of the enemies and textures are a bit jagged, but the overall environment is detailed and has a lot going on and at a decent framerate.
The sound is good and feels very much like a Star Wars game. The usual Star Wars background music and sound effects work well to bring you into the Star Wars universe and the voice acting is performed well.
The length of the game is it's main problem, it took me 1 week to complete it on medium difficulty, but there is a online multiplayer (haven't tried it myself, haven't heard that it is all that great though) and the single player campaign will have you coming back again on harder settings.
Overall it is a solid effort, but with a bit more polish to get rid of the chunky feel and a longer campain this would have been so much better. But still it is one of the best FPS on Xbox, and well worth considering now it can be found at a budget price.
PAL review.
>1-4 players
>In-game Dolby Digital
>System link 2-16
>Communicator headset
>Online multiplayer
>Friends
>Voice
>Content download
>12+ : Violence and bad language.