Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

by LucasArts

Product Features

• Korean Version of Galactic Battlegrounds

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005LABJ
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 12, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (126 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,624 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

A long time ago, an awesome real-time strategy game set in Earth's past named Age of Empires II was unleashed on an unwitting public. Almost immediately, it took its place among the best games of its genre. Galactic Battlegrounds takes many of the elements that made Age of Empires II so good and gives them a complete Star Wars makeover. The gameplay is so similar, it's hard to recommend it to anyone with a copy of AOE II. However, if you haven't played AOE II, or you're a hard-core Star Wars fan, you might just find this game to be strong in the Force.

Battlegrounds offers you the chance to become a leader in deciding some of the most important battles of the Star Wars mythology. As in other real-time strategy games, you'll concern yourself with such things as keeping your troops fed, advancing technology, and trade. And, of course, keeping your base from getting completely wiped out is generally considered a plus.

Among the few enhancements Battlegrounds makes to the Age of Empires II engine is the bigger technology tree (more stuff to invent and play with) and air and anti-air units (TIE fighters, X-wings, etc.). Most of the favorite races, machinery, and characters of the films are also well represented. Wookiees, Jedi, the Trade Federation, Darth Vader, Luke, and the rest of the gang (including Jar Jar) are all there for you to command in the campaign mode. Those looking to wage war in the battles seen in the films might be somewhat disappointed, as many of the missions, while no less important, take place parallel (and usually very close to) those shown in movies.

Thankfully, a few of the better-known skirmishes have been incorporated in the game--just don't expect to significantly alter Star Wars history. For example, when controlling Imperial forces in the Battle of Hoth (the snow battle from The Empire Strikes Back), you lead your troops in an effort to annihilate Rebel scum before they can flee the planet. Can you change the outcome of the battle seen in the films? Aside from losing your commander and immediately losing the game, no. But the stories behind the skirmishes depicted throughout Battlegrounds do fit well into the Star Wars myth and are usually fun. There are also quite a few standalone missions, a random map generator, and tools for creating your own battles. It's enough to keep hard-core Star Wars fans ignoring their earthly responsibilities for a good long time.

Battlegrounds is, at its core, a modification of Age of Empires II and it plays about as well as can be expected. Fortunately, despite its somewhat outdated graphics, Battlegrounds' famous characters and locales add just enough Star Wars flavor to help make it a solid game in its own right.

Pros:

• Puts you in command of AT-ATs, stormtroopers, and Jedi
• Familiar Star Wars locales, characters, and music
• Uses the familiar (and very good) Age of Empires II interface
• Interesting main campaign that spans the films and goes beyond Return of the Jedi

Cons:

• Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
• AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of fly

Product Description

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga gathers the popular real-time strategy game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds and its dynamic Star Wars: Episode II mission expansion Clone Campaigns in a single package. The destiny of a galaxy hangs in the balance. You must lead the great armies of the Star Wars saga in intense real-time strategy clashes across land, sea and air. Execute single or multiplayer battles as you deploy your armies and manage your resources. You are in command!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What Force Commander Should Have Been, June 16, 2002

By 

Yu-jin Chia "Yu-Jin Chia" (Cupertino, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (CD-ROM)

Those of you that had the displeasure of playing LucasArts' first attempt at Star Wars real time strategy might be disinclined to take the bait a second time. You would be missing out, however, as Galactic Battlegrounds goes a good way towards making up for its abominable predecessor. While GB is definitely not an attempt to create a unique RTS system, at least it works, which is far better than can be said about FC.

Galactic Battlegrounds uses the AOE 2 engine, and it plays a lot like Age of Kings. If you're experienced with the medieval-era strategy game, you probably won't even need to play the tutorial or read the manual. Now, before you run off and dismiss this game as Age of Kings with Star Wars sprites, you should know that the Star Wars sprites are really quite cool. Also, the game actually does play quite a bit differently, owing to the fact that almost all the units are ranged and there are air units. If you discount the last fact (as I did at least once) you risk the nasty surprise of having your opponent flatten your base with bombers.

Another one of the best things about Battlegrounds is that it runs very smoothly over even a mediocre internet connection, much like AOE 2 does. It also enjoys rock-solid stability and a few useful improvements over the old game engine. For example, when you build a harvesting center, the workers you used to make it will automatically start harvesting when they're done building. Also, the 'idle villager' button flashes when there is one, so you don't have to keep clicking on it to find out.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and although Battlegrounds sure seems perfect in the light of its predecessor, it could have been better. The graphics are only so-so. I really think LucasArts could have done a better job with the blaster shots and explosions. They are all non-antialiased colored lines and white flashes- the sort of thing you'd expect a 3 year old with crayons to draw. This wouldn't be so bad if you weren't always staring at them. I should also note here, however, that the graphics (aside from scaling) are arguably better than Force Commander's. This says a lot when you consider the fact that that game was 3-D. On another aesthetic note, but hardly the least important one, the original John Williams soundtrack is retained in this game. If there is any immediate indicator that LucasArts has learned from FC and worked to amend its deficiencies, this is it. Also, I'm sure many will agree that there could hardly be a be a better tune for playing against your best friend or kid brother than 'Duel of the Fates.'

Another probable defficiency is that the game plays too much like Age of Kings. This goes down all the way to the scenarios, which aside from different heroes, run in a VERY similar fashion to the AOE 2 single player missions. The only real difference in the campaign is that each mission line has a 'bonus mission' that plays out a hypothetical alternate battle. Some of them are quite fun- say, the big slaughter of Gungans, including everyone's favorite, Jar-Jar Binks. If you've ever sadistically wondered how Darth Maul stacks up against him, here's your chance to find out. You can also (if you're good) win the battle of Hoth and generally make hay out of the canonical storyline. This is never a boring thing for a Star Wars fan to do.

The established game engine certainly carries more advantages than disadvantages when you add them all up. It was definitely a good idea for LucasArts to license it. In fact, it's such a good idea that you'll inevitably wonder why they didn't do this in the first place, instead of going through all the trouble of making their own 3-D engine (no simple task) only to have it eat the floorboards on store shelves. For those who played Force Commander and wish they hadn't, I encourage you to give Galactic Battlegrounds a try. Especially if you haven't played Age of Empires before, it'll go a good way's towards fulfilling an aching need for some good Star Wars strategy gaming.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blows me away...., December 6, 2001

By 

James Simpson (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (CD-ROM)

Way better than I could have imagined. Yes, I am a rts fan, and a Star Wars addict, so when I heard about this game I was thrilled. Still it blew me away.
1) The graphics are way better than standard RTS. The AT-ATs and AT-STs are perfect. I have heard people complain they look mechanical when they walk. Have those people seen the movies???
2) The music is great. Hearing Vader's theme while you are crushing wookies....can't be beat.
3) The heroes are a joy. Vader, Solo, Skywalker....can't be better. The only problem is Maul is somehow rated as Vader's only equal. Vader would kill the puny TPM clone.
4) Finally, the technologies. Jedi invisibility. Shields. Subs. What more could any SW fan ask for?

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good game but could be better, November 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (CD-ROM)

This is a solid RTS game. However it simply copies too much from AGE OF EMPIRES. I Like AOE but there are times when your playing the game and you will be thinking, 'Man they didn't change anything'. Contrary to popular belief the graphics are good. The different races they have are intersting, especially for a STAR WARS fan. However, there is one serious problem that also affected AOE. The problem is the races don't vary enough for long term playabilty. Sure they tweek the races here and there so that one may gather a certain resource faster or one has better pilots, but there is no real difference in the various troops from race to race. LISTEN UP RTS MANUFACTURERS ALL RTS GAMES SHOULD TAKE A CUE FROM STARCRAFT and take on the challenge of making the races truely distinct at every level but at the same time keeping them balanced. That is the only way to make a classic RTS game. This is solid game but it is no classic