Reviews

Battle Royale

What's your take on Star Wars? Is it a richly detailed modern parable whose universe just keeps getting bigger and better with each new cinematic and videogame spinoff? Or is it like a wheezing old relative who keeps trotting out the same old anecdotes but, due to failing memory, these anecdotes differ slightly each time he splutters his way through them?

If you're of the latter opinion we would suggest you look elsewhere for your next PSP purchase. If on the other hand Star Wars remains an intriguing and entertaining prospect, here's yet another reason to get excited.

The Brothers Clone

The Battlefront series – there have been five previous games on multiple platforms – enables players to take part in key battles across the Star Wars universe and influence actual conflicts from all six episodes of the long-running saga.

Elite Squadron (the third Battlefront game on PSP) features a substantial single-player campaign that follows the trials and tribulations of a clone trooper called X2. He was originally tasked with destroying Jedi under Order 66 (stop us if you've heard this one before) but decides to give up this unsavoury career and instead joins the Rebellion. Unfortunately, while X2 follows a path of righteousness, his clone brother, X1, takes a darker turn. This, as you could probably have predicted, leads to an almighty confrontation.

Aeriel Assault

As with previous Battlefront games, the action largely plays out in a third-person fashion, with players getting stuck right into the battling on foot and in various vehicles. The difference here is that for the first time you can conduct your campaign over multiple arenas so you can go from battling on foot to commandeering a vahicle and continuing in that way. Or perhaps start off in a dogfight in space before landing and continuing the assault onboard a starship itself.

Fans of the series will be delighted by the inclusion of the Heroes and Villains mode first seen in Battlefront II. This is just part of an impressive multi-player package that delivers 16-player battles and in-depth stat tracking (mmm... stats). And who wouldn't be over the moon at the prospect of playing the part of any number of well-known Star Wars characters? These include Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Kit Fisto and Darth Maul as well as characters from previous Star Wars games Renegade Squadron and The Force Unleashed.

There's also a breathtaking range of customisation options available for added replay value. Players will be able to build characters from the ground up assigning species, gender, appearance, physical attributes, armour and weapon combinations as well as unlocking additional weapons and objects that will add more versatility to their capabilities in battle.

Far from being a disposable bit of casual handheld gaming, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is very much a Star Wars game on a truly galactic scale. Who knows? Maybe even those whose faith in the saga has lapsed might find the breadth of options here irresistible.

GAME's Verdict

• Meaty campaign mode
• Fight on foot, in vehicles and in space
• Loads of characters
• Great multi-player options
• It's Star Wars, wahay!

• It's Star Wars, boohoo!

Review by: Simon 'Boba Fatt' Kirrane
Version Tested: PSP
Review Published: 11.11.09