Today, the June issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly is expected to arrive in the hands of a few lucky subscribers. We'll have more info on the issue's top story, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, later on. However, EGM's online partner, Gamers.com, has posted the first info and screens already.
Stop reading and click the link above to see their exclusive info and screens.
Done? Good, then let's get into the details. Two major new gameplay features are prevalent in the screenshots. First, there is a two-player mode. Info from Gamers.com suggests that it is a cooperative mode that allows you to play through the missions in Rogue Leader, the previous Star Wars game from Factor 5. It is unknown whether the new missions will also be enabled for multiple players.
It's also quite evident that players can now climb out of their vehicles and perform tasks on foot. Factor 5 tinkered with third-person gameplay in Rogue Leader, by allowing you to control your pilot in the hangar when choosing a ship for each mission. Details are of course scarce at the moment, but it seems you can now exit your craft at any time during planetary missions, and presumably you can run over to another vehicle as well as fight with blaster and/or lightsaber on foot. One screen even depicts Luke Skywalker climbing up to the underbelly of a giant AT-AT walker to cut out its insides, just like in the movies.
There are also new vehicles to pilot, including a speeder bike for a mission on what appears to be the forest moon of Endor, as well as an AT-ST walker in the same environment. Obviously, some Imperial vehicles will finally be at our disposal. Other screens show a Rebel fighter riding a Taun Taun on Hoth and Chewbacca fighting Stormtroopers inside a ship, but those screens appear to be taken from cinema scenes, judging by their lack of on-screen displays for health, weapons, etc.
Graphically, Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike looks to be properly upgraded from its predecessor, although a few areas are still obviously unfinished. One screenshot shows an X-Wing flying into a horde of Imperial craft; there are at least fifty (we counted) TIE Fighters, Interceptors, Bombers, and Gunboats on-screen at once.
We'll have more information on this game as soon as it becomes available, and of course, more impressions than are probably necessary once E3 begins next month.
QuoteDoing this in the game was very unimpressive and at many times hindersome. I know this won't be the final build, but here's to hoping they scrapped the old 3rd person gameplay engine and went with a newer, friendlier system.
Factor 5 tinkered with third-person gameplay in Rogue Leader, by allowing you to control your pilot in the hangar when choosing a ship for each mission.
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Originally posted by: mouse_clicker
Jonathan, how could you not be completely wowed by the graphics? Sure, some of them aren't a huge leap ahead of RL (I assume most of this is still an earlier build), but look at that shot with Luke on the Speeder Bike! Jesus- those have got to be the best textures I've ever seen in a videogame.
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Rogue Leader was my 1st GC game
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Meh, they don't really impress me much. In fact I think I was more excited before I saw them. I was hoping for the game to be set in the NJO. Frankly, I'm tired of roping AT-ATs on Hoth and blowing up Death Stars. I want to start fighting some Coralskippers and Cruiser Analogs. I want to see some dovin basal shielding action. The "Classic" era is way overplayed.