Star Wars - Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

            Reviewed by Alex van Kaam on a P600

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Computer:     100% Windows 95/98 DirectX compatible computer
              required
CPU:          200 MHz or faster CPU required
Memory:       32MB RAM required
Video:        4MB PCI or AGP Direct 3D compatible Graphics
              Accelerator required
Sound:        16-bit sound card or better required
CD-ROM:       Quad speed IDE or  SCSI CD-ROM required
Input Device: 100% Windows 95/98-compatible keyboard required.
              Optional support for gamepads and joysticks.
DirectX:      DirectX 6.1 is included on the CD and must be
              installed before to play The Phantom Menace.
Note: Your system might require the "latest" Windows 95/98 drivers
for your particular hardware.

The Phantom Menace is a 3D-only game that requires a 3D
accelerated video card to play.

I was not really sure about buying this game, but I had 3 weeks of
vacation so I went for it, installation as always with Lucas Arts
Games was a breeze, their well-known install and launch program
did the job very nicely.  After setting the game up for my system,
putting the right moves on the right keyboard keys, I started the
game.

As with the previous Jedi Knight games it became very clear that
the story of this games was of the same high standard, in fact as
I later found out (I did not see the movie yet) it follows the
movie very closely.

The first thing that disappointed me a bit was the fact that the
game had no first person view but you saw your character from the
back and from above.  This somewhat turned me off this game but I
decided to give it a try anyway.

You start the game as Obi Wan Kenobi, later the teacher of Luke
Skywalker, now however the pupil of Qui-Gon Jinn.  Your main
weapon as a Jedi is of course your light saber, but as you go
through the levels you find grenades and gun.

For the first few levels of the game you play Obi Wan, later when
you reach Tatooine you will play Qui Gon, when you reach Corusant
you play Captain Panaka and finally on Naboo you play the Queen as
well as Obi Wan.

Although the game may look like Tomb Raider it is nothing like it,
it's still a shoot-anything-that-moves-and-has-a-gun type of game,
but there are some good puzzles, most based on your jumping
capabilities as a Jedi though. On several mission you have to
escort the queen so you have to fight and think for two since she
does not hide or run away easily.  As a Jedi Knight you also have
the Force you can use, but I found not much use for it really, all
it does is push enemies away, you still have to shoot or use your
light saber to kill them.

As you will have seen above the games is 3D card only, so if you
don't have one then I guess you're out of luck, and believe me,
graphically speaking you are. All the levels on all the different
location are really wonderful and show how much attention has been
paid to this game.  Sound is also done very well, you can turn on
all types of 3D sound but I found that in many conversations it
made the person's voice hard to understand, especially if you're
moving and the person talking is running behind you.

All the effect are well done, the light saber makes that cool
humming sound, lasers bounce off it with the right noise. Droids
explode as they should. Nothing to complain at here at all.
Movement, well it's a bit hard to get used to, you can only use
the mouse to jump and shoot/lash out with the saber.  You turn and
walk with the keyboard, I think I would have preferred turning
with the mouse also but there is probably a good reason they did
not do that.  Once you get the hang of things (like a double jump
as a Jedi) it becomes quite easy.

The story, as I said above, is based on the movie, and follows it
very close, you can interact with people you meet, have a few
choices as answers, use the Force to pursue some people.  Helping
people out often gives you extra health or an item you need badly.
All the main characters of the game appear, you see the Pod race,
you have to rescue the clumsy Jaa Jaa from Boss Nass, all making
you feel you're really in an epic tale. Near the end of the game,
as the plot thickens, you jump from character to character very
quickly, playing the queen, then Obi Wan and back to the queen. It
builds up a nice atmosphere, seeing what all parties involved are
doing to save Naboo.

All in all there is nothing bad to say about the game, it's
surprising it's not a first person view but now that I have
finished it I have to agree with this choice and truly believe
that the game would not have been this good in first person.



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