FORCE COMMANDER
One of the defining moments of Star Wars is when the AT-AT walkers suddenly appear from the snowy mists of Hoth and slowly start their march towards the Rebel base.
At that moment you know the Rebels were in trouble. Big trouble. And ever since that moment the AT-ATs have been looked up to, literally, among fans.
With Force Commander you get the chance to be the bad guys and take control of the walking iron elephant.
The game is based on strategy and there's a nice thick leaflet to explain everything, although there are some stunning examples of artwork along the way.
You are an Imperial
officer, initially sent to Tatooine to try and find some stolen data plans that may prove
costly if not recovered (sound familiar?). With you is a small batalion that you can make
march up and down, left and right, for as long as you like.
There is a map but most of it is unchartered so you have to go exploring. In the first section you'll come across pesky little Jawas, who generally leave you alone, and Tusken Raiders, who don't.
Game play is as fast or slow as you make it, although the fight scenes are mainly out of your hands.
There's plenty of feedback from Imperial base, especially when you dawdle, and the few controls are pretty easy to get the hang of.
The
catchily-titled Battlefield Holographic Control Interface (BHCI) is the thing that will
help you the most, from there you can tell where you're going, talk to the minions, and
generally feel like you're in control.
Force Commander's grapics are smooth, in places exceptional, and it also offers a rocked-up version of the Imperial March to boot.
Personally I'd rather shoot something myself, but it still offers an excellent new dimension to the Star Wars games.
For other games click here.