User blog:1hs444/Off Topic: 1hs444 reviews, Star Wars Rogue Squadron

Hey guys! As some of you might remember, back in April I introduced the template. It was kind of out of place, but now I am ready to finally use it (Seeing as how community revamp is going, and how Unicorn Hydra is finally finished for me)

So, if you don't know what Off Topic is, essentially it allows you to post [polished and well made] off topic blogs that aren't too relevant to THDF.

Lastly, I would like to apologize for copy/pasting the big bold numbers off of Dab1001's review series on HN. (It's just bold 7 font size)

So, without further ado, I'm going to review a game I'm in a love/hate relationship with; Star Wars Rogue Squadron, released to the Nintendo 64 and PC in 1998.

Gameplay
Okay. First off, I'd like to state that this game is amazing in gameplay. Gorgeous. Unlike the flying game Star Fox 64 (also on the N64), this game focuses on non-linear exploration through a cockpit, and easily more engaging dogfights. While the flight ceiling isn't much higher than Star Fox 64, a full range of motion and seamless cockpit POV makes for a great gameplay experience.

Framerates aren't exactly "optimal" in Rogue Squadron, and this can lead to some troubling issues successfully locking onto enemy fighters. I tend to find myself using ships with a high fire rate because accuracy is hindered by the framerate this much. Also, the design of the game is very similar to flying portions from Star Wars Battlefront 2, and “Star Wars Battlefront” set to release in just mere days from now. Goes to show how timeless this game really is.

Rogue Squadron is a game that would have benefited immensely from splitscreen, which easily would have earned it a more notorious name, especially if the alpha build drivable AT-ST's made their way into actual multiplayer. However, I don't necessarily blame LucasArts for this mishap, given how big the game was.

While you are given three lives in each of the 19 missions (three of which are bonus missions), once you've used them, it's back to the start. Most of these missions go on for at least 15 minutes, and lives burn up fast.

Essentially in terms of gameplay, lots of great ideas and little restraint hindered by difficulty and framerate issues. Good ideas used in other games aren't even touched here, but the sheer amount of inventiveness puts it on par with more modern flying titles.

9.5/10

Only lacking a few features we really didn't, or couldn't expect LucasArts to pull off at the time, Rogue Squadron is definitely one of the most fast paced realistic shooters on the N64, even if the framerate says otherwise.

Story
I'm not that into reading dialogue in games. Don't get me wrong, reading a Wikia page on a game is a good experience, but if I have a controller in hand, I want to listen to the story, not read it.

Rogue Squadron gives us a lot of dialogue, once again rivaling Star Fox 64. However, most of the dialogue is chatter heard over comm channels, and a narrator describing ships in boring detail. Cool. While there is a couple cinematics that portray the story arc of Rogue Squadron, most of it is told through the iconic yellow scroll Star Wars intros are known for.

Only this time, the yellow scroll is duct tape tying a jumbled mess of story together. We go from being on Tatooine, to helping a guy on a planet, to helping another guy on a planet, rescuing an imperial defector, rescuing another imperial defector, rescuing a Rogue Squadron pilot, stopping world devastators, and playing a twisted version of the Death Star trench run.

While the game is beyond fun, the plot is almost completely nonsense rushing from point A to B to C and so on.

7/10

''While showing us primary characters such as Wedge, Han and Luke, its shaky rushed plot definitely needs more of the Force. Despite that, it gives us introduction to Crix Madine, a pivotal plot character in Star Wars.''

Design
While there isn't too much to say about design, a few notable points come to mind.

Firstly, amazing detail to the models of the ships. Even un-drivable TIE ships look stunning, and make you believe the N64 went up a generation. Most notably, the X-Wing has astonishing detail, and very customized, unique controls that set it aside from the other ships.

Environments aren't just nice, they're incredibly detailed with not a whole lot missing. Plenty of maps with lots to do in them.

While the flying vessels look good, buildings are mediocre, and infantry models literally are just sprites straight out of the 8-bit era.

Nonetheless, the game is to the point of needing an expansion pak for greatest performance, which is both a strength and weakness, depending on if you have one.

8.5/10

''Weak graphics, strong graphics, great design and definitely above average, Rogue Squadron is on target with a few issues. 16 missions well designed missions, with four extras including the use of an AT-ST, Rogue Squadron does not disappoint. Environments ranging from the Cold Hoth, to the metallic Death Star, you'd probably find the design favorable.''

Overall
Rogue Squadron isn't just a good game, it's a fantastic lesser title from the platform with plenty to do, but plenty to be desired for. With great gameplay, a lackluster story and truly impressive design, I'd recommend it to anyone searching for a good game to play.

8.3/10

Thanks for reading.  1hs444   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯