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For the first couple of days, the subscription servers were swamped
with
users feverishly trying to get into the game with very few were
actually
able to make it in. Frustrating, but understandable - even the
developers
were stunned at the number of people aching to get into the Star Wars
universe.
Once in, the character creation process begins. Choose from one of
eight
races, from the standard human to the more exotic Wookie or Mon
Calamari
(squid-type thing like Admiral Ackbar), customize your characters face
and
body, choose your profession (of which there are plenty of different
kinds),
and then you head into the tutorial, which explains how to use cloning
and
insurance terminals, how to interact with NPC's and PC's, and other
basic
tasks in the universe.
Once you've completed the tutorial, you're off to begin your adventures
on
the planet of your choice. The graphics are absolutely stunning,
although
you'll need a powerful rig to max them out. Players have complained
that
they still get choppy graphics even with the settings turned below half
way
on average machines (1.4 ghz, Ge Force 3, 512 mb RAM). The worlds are
MASSIVE, which is a double edged sword. Much of the content simply
feels cut
and pasted without any real feeling going into it, as if the marketing
dept.
were trying to push the developers to meet some sort of deadline...
most of
the buildings are unused, and getting from one city to a neighboring
city
running could easily eat up an hour of your time. There are also
significant
clipping issues in cities, where someone must have made a fortune
selling
invisible walls. It is definitely a pain getting around, although SWG
does
provide a handy minimap with labels of important locales (hospital,
stores,
and yes, definitely the cantina :) ). Vehicles, which are supposed to
come
in a future expansion, will greatly aid the game.
The mission system is eerily similar to that of Anarchy Online - you go
to a
terminal and request missions. Once you choose which one you want, the
dungeon/item/creature/spawn is generated for you. Unfortunately, many
of the
missions are bugged and once you've spent the forty minutes getting to
your
destination, often times the creature has been killed by someone else,
isn't
there, or the NPC isn't responding. Just a tad bit aggravating. Most of
the
missions are standard fare - either deliver an item or kill a creature.
However, you can also start taking on faction specific missions once
you've
gained enough respect with either the rebels or the Empire - I haven't
had a
chance to explore this part of the game enough, but it seems like it
could
have some huge potential.
Speaking of factions, SWG has PvP built-in! I'm a huge fan of Player
vs.
Player combat because it gives so much more meaning to the game.
Blasting a
hole through an NPC Imperial Storm Trooper is fun, but defeating a
living,
breathing human in combat is so much more gratifying. The nice thing
about
the system is that it is completely optional - you have to first
declare a
faction (Rebel or Empire) before you can begin PvP, and then you can
only
fight the opposing side, which adds a lot to the feel of the game.
Also,
your status effects other parts of the game, such as who you can trade
with
and who you can team with. However, actual combat is incredibly dull,
although not significantly more dull than most other MMORPG's. All you
can
do is click on the enemy and queue a set of actions, then wait until
they
die. Or until you die, either way. Star Wars Galaxies could have done
so
much better, incorporating FPS elements into the game - if a game like
Project Entropia (made by a small little-known company) can create a
good
mix between FPS and RPG, then certainly Sony should be able to.
After a battle, the cantina is a must. Rest is important not only for
physical regeneration but also for mental health. You can tip
entertainers
(PC characters) to dance or sing in order to rejuvenate you. Star Wars
Galaxies definitely forces a player to interact with the community -
both in
the cantina and in trading. The majority of the economy is
player-driven -
items are created by players, sold by players, and bought by players.
If a
crafted item is used by someone else, then the crafter gets experience
for
it. This forced interaction makes it difficult for a player to go
completely
solo, but that makes sense - why would you be playing an MMORPG if you
didn't want to play with other people. However, it does make trading
more
inconvenient - if you want a new blaster, you can't just go to the
store and
get one, you have to seek out players and trade with them, hoping
you're not
getting ripped off.
Overall, there is little sense of purpose at the moment - the battle
between
the Empire and the Rebels is cool, but does not affect the universe
itself.
Control of cities cannot change sides, and bases cannot be destroyed.
However, Sony does have the option of creating massive events/battles
between the two sides, which hopefully they will take advantage of.
The audio is weak, with near silence most of the time and then sudden,
sometimes random, bouts of great music that so greatly enhanced the
original
movies. The interface is intuitive, although nothing amazing. There are
massive amounts of information in the help files, and the players are
helpful.
Review done by: Chris
Screen shots by: Chris
Score: 4/5
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| destroy your enemy |
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| travel through vast deserts |
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| enlist in the army |
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| watch Jedi's duke it out |
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