Review By:  Jared Black
Developer:	Factor 5
Publisher:	LucasArts
# of Players:	1
Genre:	Flight/Action
ESRB:	Teen
Online:	No
Accessories:	Memory Card
Date Posted:	12-16-01

If you’ve been following our coverage of Rogue Leader for any length of time, you’ve no doubt gotten the sense that this is one gorgeous game. Early screenshots promised the most realistic representation of the Star Wars universe yet, and the finished product meets and exceeds the early promises. Everything is rendered with such painstaking detail that things such as ship models actually look better than the original movie models they’re based upon. The texture work is simply incredible, and puts all other early GameCube efforts (except perhaps Luigi’s Mansion) to shame. The first time I saw a TIE pass by me at close range, my jaw (almost literally) hit the floor. They looked good from a distance, but they looked even BETTER up close (instead of becoming blurry like in past Star Wars efforts).

It’s not just that the textures are sharp however, as they’re also awash with every type of "map" effect you can think of. Bump mapping creates a realistic 3D look (the walls in the Death Star trench run are one huge example of this), while reflection mapping creates highly reflective surfaces that accurately reflect the surrounding environment as it is. Everything that would give off light in the Star Wars universe is treated as a light source here, and each lights up every surface it comes near in a highly realistic manner. It’s the little touches like laser fire lighting up a tower seconds before hitting it that really immerse the player.

Additionally, the sheer amount of geometry being pushed around is astonishing. Each mission is absolutely enormous, stretching for miles and miles in any direction. Everything in the level can be seen in a realistic manner, with absolutely no slowdown, draw-in, pop-up, fogging, or any of the other problems that plagued last generation’s games. If anyone is still confused by Nintendo’s 6-12 million estimate (with all effects) being low compared to MS’ and Sony’s polygon numbers, just show them Rogue Leader and they’ll understand.

I could continue to rant about how all the other effects (like volumetric fogging) and little details make this one of the best-conceived graphic efforts ever, but I think you get the point. Rogue Leader is one sweet looking game, and is definitely the perfect game to show off to your friends who mock you for having a purple system with a handle.

Sound-wise, you’re literally playing a Star Wars movie. The music is a perfect mixture of tracks pulled from the movies themselves and original compositions. Sound effects are pulled straight out of the movies, including everything from the scream of a TIE going down to some actual voice acting. The best part is that all of it sounds wonderful on even a simple stereo TV setup, but for you audiophiles the game also supports Dolby Pro Logic II.

Highs:

• There’s never been a more realistic presentation of the Star Wars universe.
• The control scheme has been refined, and adding the d-pad for giving orders to wingmen is genius.
• There are a bunch of extras to unlock and getting all the medals will prove to be quite challenging.
• If you’ve got the hardware, the game supports both Dolby Pro Logic II and progressive scan.

Lows:

• It’s a rather short game, and a lot of gamers don’t care about unlocking extras or collecting medals.
• Minor problems with the camera system and radar.

Final Verdict:

As great as Rogue Leader is, it’s more of an evolutionary title than it is a revolutionary one. It takes the basic format of the first Rogue Squadron, tweaks both the control scheme, and gives it a tremendous graphical upgrade that rivals any effort on any platform. The result is the best Star Wars game ever, as well as the best GameCube launch title.

Overall Score: 9.5

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