Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (Mac)
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Average Rating: 2.5
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Description
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
- Outdated graphics lack definition and are rather flat
- AT-ATs too small, TIEs and X-wings hover instead of fly
Other Details
- EAN: 0618870101705
- ESRBAgeRating: Teen
- Label: Lucas Arts Entertainment
- Manufacturer: Lucas Arts Entertainment
- Model: 10170
- NumberOfItems: 1
- Platform: Mac OS X
- ReleaseDate: 2002-08-01
- UPC: 618870101705
- Package Dimensions: 7.40 in x 5.35 in x 1.34 in; 0.66 lb
Customer Reviews
Mostly for Star Wars Fans, but Still Very Playable
If you have played Age of Empires II, it won't take very long to get the hang of this game. However, that might make this game boring if you've worn out your interest of that game. Even so, the AE II engine has been completely reworked into the Star Wars Galaxy, with much of the familiar characters, vehicles, and planets of the movies. Playing the scenarios lets you use various main characters such as Darth Vader and Chewbacca. Many sound bytes have been used from the various movies, though a few get overused, especially the "Ahh!!" when some units get killed. The graphics are decent and it ran well on my G4 400 which is getting too slow for most newer games.
Despite the fact that most of the game feels like Star Wars, it would have been interesting if more unique units and features were available since in regular game play, it doesn't matter how many resources you have gathered or how advanced your technologies are, you aren't going to get the Millennium Falcon or a Star Destroyer. At least you can get an AT-AT or X-wing. Overall, I recommend Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds, especially for Star Wars fans. I just have to wonder if there is a Spaceballs mod out there somewhere??
ugh....soooooo boring
I used to like this game. was kind of fun. not it bores me out out of my wits. Let's start out with the graphics. Ok, the Millenium Falcon is huge in the movie, but in the game...(sigh)its the size of about ten people. Lets look at the Jedi and Sith. The only difference between the two is that they fight differently with different colered light sabers. If a jedi comes to an enemy building, why the heck would he hack at it with his LIGHTSABER? Its also a frame rate of oh, 3?! Now lets look at the mechs. There are, count em, 4 DIFFERENT MECHS! AWESOME! The Pummel has...whoa...2 ATTACK! there are also about 10 maps. the campaigns are just disproportionately boring. Chewbacca has a crossbow, yet he shoots lasers! How can ewok hang gliders hover? Why can't they just fly in a circle like airplanes in Empire Earth? Also theres about 10 different animals. The terrains are boring. Grass and dark grass. If you walked by and said hi to a Gungan medic, would she\he\whatever say stupidly, "Just a fleshy wound!"? Echuu Shen-Jon is a black character, but in the game he's white. C-3PO Can't walk that fast! Ok, Ok, Ok lets just leave it at that there are no Pros and many Cons. I hate this game. People who think this game is "The BEST GAME IN THE UNIVERSE", should breathe deeply and rethink their life.
Don't hold your breath.
This was possibly created by the most inept minds in the industry. A realtime strategy game based on Star Wars? This game has many flaws, which I won't go into detail with, but some other ones that really stick out.
1. The graphics. Come on. This is the 21st century. We should expect good graphics for any game on a Mac. These graphics are wicked blocky, and most of the explosions look pasted on at best.
2. What kind of Jedi hacks buildings with his lightsaber? I didn't see Obi-Wan hacking the Mos-Eisley cantina. Or maybe Darth Vader duking it out with a a in the Death Star.
3. The havesting of minerals, or money, whatever it was, seemed really unrefined. you couldn't have machines come through and annihilate an entire forest for wood, could you? I mean, it is far in the future! In Warcraft III you had more hi-tech harvesting tools, i.e. the goblins with buzzsaw wooden mechs.
Aside from this, I urge you to go with a Warcraft title, or Starcraft before you try your hand at the destruction of games as we know it. Although, if you like this kind of Star Wars [stuff], go with this. It's not too bad.