I'm gonna let you know right now, this game is getting a wholeass star for that Hoth level.
If you were born after 1999, then you do not know a time in which Star Wars wasn't an inescapable part of American media. The original trilogy was a big deal, highly influential not just for how it changed the art of filmmaking but for pop culture as a whole, but the early-to-mid 90s were a period of stillness. You could find Star Wars media fairly easily, but you could just as easily avoid it - a far cry from yearly films and big budgettelevision streaming series, and people getting irrationally upset over Sweitt Concorkill on the internet, or whatever. The release of The Phantom Menace changed that, but any conversation about Star Wars' reemergence as a media juggernaut that doesn't bring up Shadows of the Empire is one that doesn't respect history.
Shadows of the Empire was a multimedia event, deliberately treated with the same gravitas as a motion picture release in an effort to revitalize Star Wars' brand power. They even released a soundtrack for the novel. Lucasfilm wanted people to not only think this was a big deal, but to treat it as one. Now I ain't never read the book on account of me not being so good with words and junk, but I did read the comic, because it had pictures of Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett in it. I remember going to pog tournaments (which were held in an empty, unfurnished room on the second floor of a comic shop) then heading downstairs to thumb through issues of Shadows, and going home to play with my Shadows of the Empire toys. I did my tour of duty.
If it wasn't for the success of Shadows of the Empire and the special editions of the original trilogy (which released around the same time), The Phantom Menace might not have been made. Can you imagine how wonderful that would be? Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine a world where kids didn't suck on Jar Jar Binks' candied tongue. Doesn't that just calm you? Unfortunately, you don't live in that reality. You live in the one where Therm Scissorpunch - a character first introduced in a Denny's commercial - has his own carefully crafted backstory. God damn I hate it here. And yet, when people look back on Shadows of the Empire's legacy, they rarely talk about the novel (arguably the centerpiece), or the comics, or the toys and trading cards... It's all about the game. It might as well be the only part of Shadows that exists.
Shadows of the Empire: The Game Based on the Novel Based on a Major Motion Picture is a third person shooter that puts players in control of side character and certifiable space himbo Dash "Shoulder Pads" Rendar. A lot of this game could be summed up as "what if Dark Forces was third person?" Sure, it's not as fast or fluid as that, but the way you approach levels is largely the same: awkwardly platform around various alien worlds while shooting storm troopers and completing a series of objectives necessary for progressing the story and level. You also shoot Boba Fett, so uh, it's basically the same thing??
Of course, being a fully 3D game also allows Shadows of the Empire to feature more dynamic set pieces and varied gameplay types. The train level is a personal favorite, it still provides a satisfying sense of speed and the platforming is really tense, plus it culminates in an absolute bastard of a fight against IG-88. However, Shadows of the Empire is best known for its Hoth level, and while it may not be the first video game rendition of the Battle of Hoth, it's probably the most significant. Having this level of control over the snow speeder, cruising around in a fully 3D space taking out probe droids and chicken walkers, running your tow cable around the legs of an AT-AT... It was incredibly immersive for its time and it was the closest a game came to making you feel like you were in the movies. The other vehicle levels are a bit more hit or miss (the asteroid chase is great, the swoop bike level is offensively bad), but Shadows of the Empire opens strong with Hoth, and broadly speaking, the rest of the game so perfectly captures and sights and sounds of Star Wars that any kid in the 90s would be immensely satisfied with it.
Shadows of the Empire certainly has its flaws though, and it can be especially difficult to come back to today given how refined the third person shooter genre has become. Dash feels stiff and clumsy and blaster impacts just don't have the level of punch you'd want them to. Levels can be a bit confusing to navigate and nearly all of them are too damn long, and the difficulty is all over the place. I mentioned IG-88, Boba Fett, and the swoop bike chase, all of which stick in my memory because of how absurdly difficult they are. The swoop bike sequence is especially frustrating given how lengthy it is, and how punishing it can be to die right near the very end. It was always the point in which the game broke me as a kid. The remaining few levels are like drinking a warm, flat soda. Just a total bummer how weak the climax is, though it's entirely possible I think this only because I cannot perceive them through the lens of nostalgia as I can for the rest of the game. Going to guess I would've never liked Imperial City Sewers, though.
I do like the look of the cutscenes, although the story sometimes lacks gravity due to the fact that Dash is a largely reactive character, and much of his story is informed by events occurring in the novel and comics, which you don't directly see. Luke shows up, but like, Luke is having his own whole adventure in another medium. He may not be the main character of this story, but he's still the main character of the larger story that this one is a part of. It's weird, but also part in parcel for something like this. You can also only do so much cinematically with a Nintendo 64 game, and it's perhaps best that they kept things as brisk as they did.
To say Shadows of the Empire is antiquated feels insulting and rhetorically dull, but it is very much a case of a game having its time and place. It exists entirely because and within the context of Star Wars in the mid 1990's, and I think trying to excise it from the whole of what Shadows of the Empire is risks appreciating it less. In that sense, I find it both fascinating and a little difficult to reapproach. A lot of what I enjoy about it is steeped in my memories of that time, and for anyone removed from that period, it likely holds little value outside of being a time capsule representative of a grossly different media landscape. I certainly think it's worth playing for that reason, the point I'm trying to make here is swoop bikes fucking suck, they fucking suck so much, you don't have to play past that
If you were born after 1999, then you do not know a time in which Star Wars wasn't an inescapable part of American media. The original trilogy was a big deal, highly influential not just for how it changed the art of filmmaking but for pop culture as a whole, but the early-to-mid 90s were a period of stillness. You could find Star Wars media fairly easily, but you could just as easily avoid it - a far cry from yearly films and big budget
Shadows of the Empire was a multimedia event, deliberately treated with the same gravitas as a motion picture release in an effort to revitalize Star Wars' brand power. They even released a soundtrack for the novel. Lucasfilm wanted people to not only think this was a big deal, but to treat it as one. Now I ain't never read the book on account of me not being so good with words and junk, but I did read the comic, because it had pictures of Luke Skywalker and Boba Fett in it. I remember going to pog tournaments (which were held in an empty, unfurnished room on the second floor of a comic shop) then heading downstairs to thumb through issues of Shadows, and going home to play with my Shadows of the Empire toys. I did my tour of duty.
If it wasn't for the success of Shadows of the Empire and the special editions of the original trilogy (which released around the same time), The Phantom Menace might not have been made. Can you imagine how wonderful that would be? Just close your eyes for a moment and imagine a world where kids didn't suck on Jar Jar Binks' candied tongue. Doesn't that just calm you? Unfortunately, you don't live in that reality. You live in the one where Therm Scissorpunch - a character first introduced in a Denny's commercial - has his own carefully crafted backstory. God damn I hate it here. And yet, when people look back on Shadows of the Empire's legacy, they rarely talk about the novel (arguably the centerpiece), or the comics, or the toys and trading cards... It's all about the game. It might as well be the only part of Shadows that exists.
Shadows of the Empire: The Game Based on the Novel Based on a Major Motion Picture is a third person shooter that puts players in control of side character and certifiable space himbo Dash "Shoulder Pads" Rendar. A lot of this game could be summed up as "what if Dark Forces was third person?" Sure, it's not as fast or fluid as that, but the way you approach levels is largely the same: awkwardly platform around various alien worlds while shooting storm troopers and completing a series of objectives necessary for progressing the story and level. You also shoot Boba Fett, so uh, it's basically the same thing??
Of course, being a fully 3D game also allows Shadows of the Empire to feature more dynamic set pieces and varied gameplay types. The train level is a personal favorite, it still provides a satisfying sense of speed and the platforming is really tense, plus it culminates in an absolute bastard of a fight against IG-88. However, Shadows of the Empire is best known for its Hoth level, and while it may not be the first video game rendition of the Battle of Hoth, it's probably the most significant. Having this level of control over the snow speeder, cruising around in a fully 3D space taking out probe droids and chicken walkers, running your tow cable around the legs of an AT-AT... It was incredibly immersive for its time and it was the closest a game came to making you feel like you were in the movies. The other vehicle levels are a bit more hit or miss (the asteroid chase is great, the swoop bike level is offensively bad), but Shadows of the Empire opens strong with Hoth, and broadly speaking, the rest of the game so perfectly captures and sights and sounds of Star Wars that any kid in the 90s would be immensely satisfied with it.
Shadows of the Empire certainly has its flaws though, and it can be especially difficult to come back to today given how refined the third person shooter genre has become. Dash feels stiff and clumsy and blaster impacts just don't have the level of punch you'd want them to. Levels can be a bit confusing to navigate and nearly all of them are too damn long, and the difficulty is all over the place. I mentioned IG-88, Boba Fett, and the swoop bike chase, all of which stick in my memory because of how absurdly difficult they are. The swoop bike sequence is especially frustrating given how lengthy it is, and how punishing it can be to die right near the very end. It was always the point in which the game broke me as a kid. The remaining few levels are like drinking a warm, flat soda. Just a total bummer how weak the climax is, though it's entirely possible I think this only because I cannot perceive them through the lens of nostalgia as I can for the rest of the game. Going to guess I would've never liked Imperial City Sewers, though.
I do like the look of the cutscenes, although the story sometimes lacks gravity due to the fact that Dash is a largely reactive character, and much of his story is informed by events occurring in the novel and comics, which you don't directly see. Luke shows up, but like, Luke is having his own whole adventure in another medium. He may not be the main character of this story, but he's still the main character of the larger story that this one is a part of. It's weird, but also part in parcel for something like this. You can also only do so much cinematically with a Nintendo 64 game, and it's perhaps best that they kept things as brisk as they did.
To say Shadows of the Empire is antiquated feels insulting and rhetorically dull, but it is very much a case of a game having its time and place. It exists entirely because and within the context of Star Wars in the mid 1990's, and I think trying to excise it from the whole of what Shadows of the Empire is risks appreciating it less. In that sense, I find it both fascinating and a little difficult to reapproach. A lot of what I enjoy about it is steeped in my memories of that time, and for anyone removed from that period, it likely holds little value outside of being a time capsule representative of a grossly different media landscape. I certainly think it's worth playing for that reason, the point I'm trying to make here is swoop bikes fucking suck, they fucking suck so much, you don't have to play past that
For being an early 3D/Nintendo 64 game I thought they did a very good job in creating a good atmosphere and setting the right Star Wars vibe.
This game is definitely more than just the Hoth battle level that helped popularize the game: it features a very interesting story (I'd almost movie worthy) and levels with gameplay variety. The gunplay was a bit clunky, as well as performance making some levels a bit frustrating to navigate. The difficulty was also all over the place with certain spikes here and there but overall this a very enjoyable action adventure set in the Star Wars universe and I'm glad I was able to experience it early in the life cycle of the Nintendo 64.
This game is definitely more than just the Hoth battle level that helped popularize the game: it features a very interesting story (I'd almost movie worthy) and levels with gameplay variety. The gunplay was a bit clunky, as well as performance making some levels a bit frustrating to navigate. The difficulty was also all over the place with certain spikes here and there but overall this a very enjoyable action adventure set in the Star Wars universe and I'm glad I was able to experience it early in the life cycle of the Nintendo 64.
Had a blast playing the first few levels of this in early '97, but I never got past the train level fighting IG-88. Those unforgiving cameras were just too much for me. I did get the PC port much later and played (once again) until I hit a similar wall of camera-induced doom and gave up. I wonder if this game would benefit at all from a Nightdive remaster?
One time i had a bad dream where i was in the level where you have to jump to platforms in the fog with that jetpack. Anyway, this game is iconic but that dream sucked.
All 3.5 stars are only for the Hoth level that is still cool today.
Wampa Stompa
It has the chops to be a really solid cinematic action game but the awful framerate and terrible boss encounters made me quit pretty quickly
I'm sure the PC version is good since it runs at 60fps but i don't got the patience to pick this one up again
I'm sure the PC version is good since it runs at 60fps but i don't got the patience to pick this one up again
A fun Star Wars adventure starring discount Han Solo who looks like he was designed by Rob Liefeld.
La historia de "El Imperio Contraataca" y "El retorno del Jedi" vista desde la perspectiva de Dash Rendar, un contrabandista que por un accidente en el que se vio envuelto el verdadero villano de esta continuidad, Sol Negro, lo perdió todo.
Si quieres saber cómo le siguió la pista a Han Solo, ver quien intenta matar a Luke para que Vader no lo entregue y fracase en su misión y ayudar a los bothan a robar los planos de la Segunda Estrella de La Muerte, atraviesa una mezcla de niveles a pie, en vehículos, en naves y enfréntate tanto al Imperio como a la más baja calaña que te encuentres.
Si quieres saber cómo le siguió la pista a Han Solo, ver quien intenta matar a Luke para que Vader no lo entregue y fracase en su misión y ayudar a los bothan a robar los planos de la Segunda Estrella de La Muerte, atraviesa una mezcla de niveles a pie, en vehículos, en naves y enfréntate tanto al Imperio como a la más baja calaña que te encuentres.
Some good times here, but man those controls...
A game so inspirational, it even inspired another big hit within the franchise, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, with its very first mission: escaping Hoth. The very first mission you’re flying a Snow Speeder and taking out Imperial Probe Droids and tying up AT-AT’s, and it was a blast. But what makes Shadows of the Empire great is the fact it not only incorporates aerial combat, but also ground combat. You even fight on foot and you’re shooting at things. No force powers or lightsabers, you’re a god damn wanna-be Han Solo type with a blaster and a jet pack (later on). But playing this felt like a cool mini-movie with its narrative. Shadows of the Empire had this whole thing back in the 90’s that was actually a side thing for the franchise, but they wanted to hype it up like a film. Releasing a bunch of a merch, like toys, video games, even a decent soundtrack that was composed. Not by John Williams sadly, but man was it good enough!
And of course, they released a game that went along with the book’s and comics release. Two versions though: one on PC and on the N64. I played the N64 but the PC one has actual cutscenes and real dialogue. The N64 only had some slideshows, but I was ok with it. I was just enjoying the combat and gameplay. And the fact I could play a level where I hunt down Boba Fett himself, or even fight in a huge space battle alongside the Millennium Falcon, was enough for me.
To this day I have yet to see a Star Wars game that makes me feel like I’m not playing a Jedi, or a Sith, or some clone soldier or rebel or imperial. I just wanna be a rogue man. And this so far has felt like the only game to really bring that feeling. I’m hoping Star Wars: Outlaws will fulfill that feeling again.
And of course, they released a game that went along with the book’s and comics release. Two versions though: one on PC and on the N64. I played the N64 but the PC one has actual cutscenes and real dialogue. The N64 only had some slideshows, but I was ok with it. I was just enjoying the combat and gameplay. And the fact I could play a level where I hunt down Boba Fett himself, or even fight in a huge space battle alongside the Millennium Falcon, was enough for me.
To this day I have yet to see a Star Wars game that makes me feel like I’m not playing a Jedi, or a Sith, or some clone soldier or rebel or imperial. I just wanna be a rogue man. And this so far has felt like the only game to really bring that feeling. I’m hoping Star Wars: Outlaws will fulfill that feeling again.
Gall spaceport and Gall canyon suck. But the Hoth levels were cool and the Skyhook for sure.
Shadows of the Empire manages to throw out most modern common game design sense (By way of predating it) in a clunky but ambitious action game that somehow ultimately has enough cool factor and atmosphere to make just fun enough to still keep playing.
Despite the loss of the more visually appealing still-cutscenes in exchange for chunky 90's CG cutscenes, the smooth framerate, customizable controls, and support for a number of resolutions makes the PC port the definitive way to play this in 2020.
Despite the loss of the more visually appealing still-cutscenes in exchange for chunky 90's CG cutscenes, the smooth framerate, customizable controls, and support for a number of resolutions makes the PC port the definitive way to play this in 2020.
A fun early 3D action game that has not aged well at all. Good music and action keeps this one from being bad, but there isn't to much here to keep you wanting to come back to this one. The controls are also.......... yikes.
Boba Fett made me give up.
Edit: tried again on easy and made it.
Boba Fett me fez desistir.
Edit: tentei de novo no easy e consegui.
Edit: tried again on easy and made it.
Boba Fett me fez desistir.
Edit: tentei de novo no easy e consegui.
Gotta replay this to make sure it's actually as good as I remember
I battle with the "is this game actually good, or was it just good for its time?" question whenever reviewing older games - especially the early 3D era, it seems.
Shadows of the Empire suffers from what are surely the most common issues among this era - poor controls. The camera is terrible and slow to react, and the jumping is floaty and awkward.
Then there's the aiming (when not in a ship, but just using the main character, Dash) which is honestly the biggest downfall. The aiming mechanic constantly pulls your view back to the center, so as you're attempting to look up to shoot the Droid that's about to kill you? The camera is desperately trying to pull back down to "center" itself.
I absolutely loved this game as a kid. Too bad it aged like milk in the sun. I find it almost unplayable these days. But give credit where it is due - the space levels are still pretty great, and the Hoth level showed us all what Star Wars games could eventually be.
Shadows of the Empire suffers from what are surely the most common issues among this era - poor controls. The camera is terrible and slow to react, and the jumping is floaty and awkward.
Then there's the aiming (when not in a ship, but just using the main character, Dash) which is honestly the biggest downfall. The aiming mechanic constantly pulls your view back to the center, so as you're attempting to look up to shoot the Droid that's about to kill you? The camera is desperately trying to pull back down to "center" itself.
I absolutely loved this game as a kid. Too bad it aged like milk in the sun. I find it almost unplayable these days. But give credit where it is due - the space levels are still pretty great, and the Hoth level showed us all what Star Wars games could eventually be.
Nostalgia Glasses ON: Yeah this game is PEAK Video Game Star Wars in the 90s
Nostalgia Glasses OFF: Wow this is very rough game with mediocre controls and hilariously difficult spikes.
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire will always have a soft spot for me consider this game has aged very poorly on both PC and Nintendo 64. It actually wild how much of the merch I have for the property. This Media Campaign to make it feel like a Star Wars movie without producing one was such a amazing experience to live through and its no wonder I have a huge fondness of it to this day.
Now heading back to the game, Yeah this game had some sweet ideas but its certainly overlooked by Mediocre controls and a braindead camera system. This was a time where Dual Analog was just starting to become the norm for games to what we have today for 3rd person shooters but that idea was considered Blasphemy (lol I know).
The Music though, the music is SICK. Like Xizor's Palace, that level OST is stuck in my head rent free almost 30 years later and its certainly the hardest level. The music is certainly top notch even if it repeats at times. The Cutscenes whether you were on PC or N64 are top notch. I actually prefer the N64 ones since I grew up with those but I like the Voice Acting in the PC cutscenes. They are certainly preference.
Dash Rendar I think is one of the coolest Star Wars Characters of all time. It is a shame that he is only mentioned once since the Disney merger but his ship has made more appearances that him. SOTE solidifies him as a "Bad Ass Han Solo" who takes no crap from anyone.
Gameplay and Graphics puts SOTE in a awkward position of a time where 3D games were becoming the norm and everyone had no idea how to create a working consistent control scheme. The difficulty in the later levels certainly did not make good on those controls. It did not age well.
This game certainly had a time and a place in the 90s and early Y2K but as with time it sad to say this game did not age well. If you wanna give it a proper replay, I would recommend just playing it on PC with rebinded controls but don't expect any major improvements. There isn't much to make this game remotely easier. I love this game with all my heart but I can't live and say this game age well. Nostalgia glasses ON is HIGHLY recommended.
Nostalgia Glasses OFF: Wow this is very rough game with mediocre controls and hilariously difficult spikes.
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire will always have a soft spot for me consider this game has aged very poorly on both PC and Nintendo 64. It actually wild how much of the merch I have for the property. This Media Campaign to make it feel like a Star Wars movie without producing one was such a amazing experience to live through and its no wonder I have a huge fondness of it to this day.
Now heading back to the game, Yeah this game had some sweet ideas but its certainly overlooked by Mediocre controls and a braindead camera system. This was a time where Dual Analog was just starting to become the norm for games to what we have today for 3rd person shooters but that idea was considered Blasphemy (lol I know).
The Music though, the music is SICK. Like Xizor's Palace, that level OST is stuck in my head rent free almost 30 years later and its certainly the hardest level. The music is certainly top notch even if it repeats at times. The Cutscenes whether you were on PC or N64 are top notch. I actually prefer the N64 ones since I grew up with those but I like the Voice Acting in the PC cutscenes. They are certainly preference.
Dash Rendar I think is one of the coolest Star Wars Characters of all time. It is a shame that he is only mentioned once since the Disney merger but his ship has made more appearances that him. SOTE solidifies him as a "Bad Ass Han Solo" who takes no crap from anyone.
Gameplay and Graphics puts SOTE in a awkward position of a time where 3D games were becoming the norm and everyone had no idea how to create a working consistent control scheme. The difficulty in the later levels certainly did not make good on those controls. It did not age well.
This game certainly had a time and a place in the 90s and early Y2K but as with time it sad to say this game did not age well. If you wanna give it a proper replay, I would recommend just playing it on PC with rebinded controls but don't expect any major improvements. There isn't much to make this game remotely easier. I love this game with all my heart but I can't live and say this game age well. Nostalgia glasses ON is HIGHLY recommended.
A game that asks "how much would it rule to own a laser pistol and a jetpack" and answers "not as much as if you owned two laser pistols and a jetpack"
Eh, LEGO Starwars better tbh
It's aged like a vegetable left in the deserts of Tatooine, but holy crap, most of these sound effects are STILL embedded in my mind. You can't UN-HEAR the tracking dart.
I had found memories of playing it and while it is one of my favorite N64 games it's hard to fully recommend it because there some great levels and some bad ones. The story is great and is based off of one of my favorite star wars novels and the adventures of a side character within that novel so it was cool to see what Dash was doing while the rest of the characters were off fighting the empire and this new faction.
The wampas in this game are legitimately terrifying. Especially when you are on Tatooine and you fight sand wampas, in an ecosystem diametrically opposed to that of Hoth's.
This review contains spoilers
Shadows of the Empire was a big “Expanded Universe” multimedia event with this story getting a novel, soundtrack (for the novel), comic book, toys and, of course, a video game. Shadows of the Empire was released on the N64 on PC. I was originally going to use the PC version for this, as the game is identical, but it has video cutscenes with voice acting, but controller support is poor (and the HUD goes tiny). With the help of remapping buttons, I was able to create a good setup that uses modern using the strafe setup.
I played this as a kid and I do remember enjoying it.
The game starts off during the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes back, with you controlling a snowspeeder. This section is great, with the snowspeeder feeling great to control and toppling AT-ATs with the tow cable is great. Unfortunately, the level isn’t very long and it’s the best part of the game (you may notice the large amount of lives – that’s more for the poor platforming in later stages). If the entire game was like this, it would be a great game, but most of the game is on-foot.
You play as Dash Randar, who in this game is essentially a Han Solo clone (the novel expands the character’s personality a lot). You’re armed with a blaster that recharges, and you can get special ammo for it (best saved for bosses). The game heavily relies on autoaim, which is especially necessary as you can’t really aim up or down in any reasonable way (the aim button lets you, but it’s far too sensitive).
Trying to setup so you can flee Hoth, you start by watching the Millenium Falcon leave (shouldn’t Vader be standing nearby?) then blast your way through the stormtroopers attacking the rebel base. The shooting isn’t very satisfying and the movement is wonky.
After blowing up an AT-ST, you make your way off Hoth and blast TIE fighters in an asteroid field in a dreadful turret section with awful controls. The game at least gives you plenty of time to react as the bombs from the TIE bombers are really slow, and you have infinite missiles – they just reload between batches of 5.
Hunting for Boba Fett, Dash heads to a junkyard planet to get information from IG-88. I absolutely hate this level as a kid due to the controls but I didn’t find it too bad – I think the ability to strafe helps a lot with lining up jumps, and I never figured that out the first time round. It’s still a very ugly planet, though – Shadows of the Empire was definitely ahead of its time for its use of greys and browns. At the end of the level you take out IG-88, who gives you information on where Boba Fett is.
This is where the platforming really does take a nosedive. Dash’s jump is incredibly floaty and not difficult to control, and the narrow paths of this level are built for you to fall off constantly. You get a jetpack half way through which helps a bit, but is not as fun as a jetpack should be due to being slow and only possible to use for short bursts.
You fight Boba Fett and the Slave 1 at the end. I ran out of ammo, but found a spot where Slave 1 couldn’t hit me, so was able to hit it a few hundred times to destroy it.
Some text explains that after this, Boba Fett escapes and an assassin tries to kill Luke, so it’s up to you to help protect him.
As Luke chills out at Obi-Wan’s home on Tatooine, Dash hears of a swoop gang heading to kill Luke. Speeding through this level is great, but it’s much better to go slowly to take out enemies. You find out information that an Imperial ship contains the necessary information.
As Luke waits outside in his X-Wing, Dash assaults the imperial ship on his own (this game makes Luke seem weak). Most of this level is messing with door switches in a large cargo hold. There’s some secrets to find, but you need to work your way, then fighting a big droid near the end. The jetpack you found earlier would have been handy, but Dash left it on his ship. On a side note, I do really like the Outrider.
In order to infiltrate a base, we need to go through a sewer. Dash has absolutely no issue diving though massive amounts of excrement as you have to find a few different items to progress. The boss fight at the end is a horrible experience, with respawning tentacles and the poor jetpack controls underwater.
Going through the base your job is to find a reactor to place charges to blow up a space elevator. Luke is also infiltrating this base to save Leia, but that’s just background information and you never get to see them during gameplay. This is another dull level.
After another bad ship turret section, we get to actually fly the Outrider, and it’s great. You don’t get to focus on shooting other ships, though: your mission is to shoot four turrets then fly into the base and blow up the reactor, Death Star 2-style. The game ends with Dash seemingly not making it (but then reveals his fate in the final cutscene).
Shadow of the Empire is not as fun as I remember. The genre has evolved a lot, and the controls are just strange and floaty. The full story is probably good, but this isn’t a good adaptation as important points are relegated to scrolling text.
I played this as a kid and I do remember enjoying it.
The game starts off during the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes back, with you controlling a snowspeeder. This section is great, with the snowspeeder feeling great to control and toppling AT-ATs with the tow cable is great. Unfortunately, the level isn’t very long and it’s the best part of the game (you may notice the large amount of lives – that’s more for the poor platforming in later stages). If the entire game was like this, it would be a great game, but most of the game is on-foot.
You play as Dash Randar, who in this game is essentially a Han Solo clone (the novel expands the character’s personality a lot). You’re armed with a blaster that recharges, and you can get special ammo for it (best saved for bosses). The game heavily relies on autoaim, which is especially necessary as you can’t really aim up or down in any reasonable way (the aim button lets you, but it’s far too sensitive).
Trying to setup so you can flee Hoth, you start by watching the Millenium Falcon leave (shouldn’t Vader be standing nearby?) then blast your way through the stormtroopers attacking the rebel base. The shooting isn’t very satisfying and the movement is wonky.
After blowing up an AT-ST, you make your way off Hoth and blast TIE fighters in an asteroid field in a dreadful turret section with awful controls. The game at least gives you plenty of time to react as the bombs from the TIE bombers are really slow, and you have infinite missiles – they just reload between batches of 5.
Hunting for Boba Fett, Dash heads to a junkyard planet to get information from IG-88. I absolutely hate this level as a kid due to the controls but I didn’t find it too bad – I think the ability to strafe helps a lot with lining up jumps, and I never figured that out the first time round. It’s still a very ugly planet, though – Shadows of the Empire was definitely ahead of its time for its use of greys and browns. At the end of the level you take out IG-88, who gives you information on where Boba Fett is.
This is where the platforming really does take a nosedive. Dash’s jump is incredibly floaty and not difficult to control, and the narrow paths of this level are built for you to fall off constantly. You get a jetpack half way through which helps a bit, but is not as fun as a jetpack should be due to being slow and only possible to use for short bursts.
You fight Boba Fett and the Slave 1 at the end. I ran out of ammo, but found a spot where Slave 1 couldn’t hit me, so was able to hit it a few hundred times to destroy it.
Some text explains that after this, Boba Fett escapes and an assassin tries to kill Luke, so it’s up to you to help protect him.
As Luke chills out at Obi-Wan’s home on Tatooine, Dash hears of a swoop gang heading to kill Luke. Speeding through this level is great, but it’s much better to go slowly to take out enemies. You find out information that an Imperial ship contains the necessary information.
As Luke waits outside in his X-Wing, Dash assaults the imperial ship on his own (this game makes Luke seem weak). Most of this level is messing with door switches in a large cargo hold. There’s some secrets to find, but you need to work your way, then fighting a big droid near the end. The jetpack you found earlier would have been handy, but Dash left it on his ship. On a side note, I do really like the Outrider.
In order to infiltrate a base, we need to go through a sewer. Dash has absolutely no issue diving though massive amounts of excrement as you have to find a few different items to progress. The boss fight at the end is a horrible experience, with respawning tentacles and the poor jetpack controls underwater.
Going through the base your job is to find a reactor to place charges to blow up a space elevator. Luke is also infiltrating this base to save Leia, but that’s just background information and you never get to see them during gameplay. This is another dull level.
After another bad ship turret section, we get to actually fly the Outrider, and it’s great. You don’t get to focus on shooting other ships, though: your mission is to shoot four turrets then fly into the base and blow up the reactor, Death Star 2-style. The game ends with Dash seemingly not making it (but then reveals his fate in the final cutscene).
Shadow of the Empire is not as fun as I remember. The genre has evolved a lot, and the controls are just strange and floaty. The full story is probably good, but this isn’t a good adaptation as important points are relegated to scrolling text.
Probably the most famous thing to come from George Lucas' Shadows of the Empire multimedia project to create a movie level Star Wars story without making an actual movie. The game launched a few months after the launch of the Nintendo 64 and was one of the first fully 3D shooter titles. But putting nostalgia aside, time has not been too kind to this game.
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire is fairly tricky to pin down to a single genre. While the main gameplay portions are the third person shooter segments, there is a variety of different gameplay styles present in different missions, including 2 arcade shooter style missions taking place from the Outrider's turrets, the infamous Swoop bike race, and of course the starfighter segments which would partially inspire the Rogue Squadron series. While many agree that the Battle of Hoth opening mission was revolutionary at its time and remains a high point in the game, most of what follows is held back by a combination of awkward controls, questionable level design, and janky physics which sometimes seems like its actively trying to get the player killed. For the sake of this review I played the PC version, though these points apply to both versions of the game.
The game has an awkward control scheme. While some of this can be attributed to being such an early game and being designed around the Nintendo 64 controller, the PC version has these as well as some of its own strange quirks including one of the most unintuitive default control layouts I have ever seen in a game. Thankfully you can rebind your controls in that version. However you cant do much to fix the aiming system which feels like no matter what you're doing, you're just firing around blindly until the auto aim finally lines up the shot for you.
The game's physics are another source of problems. THere are instances where you will expected to do platforming and jumping puzzles which would otherwise be simple in most other games. However, Shadows' inertia and momentum physics can sometimes make the simplest jumps into unnecessarily huge dangers. The Ord Mantel train level is particularly bad for leaving the player at the mercy of the game's inertia physics for almost the entire stage.
Besides these, there are a few odd problems that pop up, from levels having an abundance of enemies appearing behind doors or on top of elevators giving them no chance to avoid taking damage, to some bizarre enemy hitboxes such as the one for the Slave-1 boss battle which seemed like a coinflip whether or not you would hit it in either version of the game.
Despite all of these flaws i spent this entire review going into, there is an enjoyable, or possibly even a good game hidden underneath. However the game demands a lot of huge asks of the players if they wish to actually enjoy the experience and for some the game is demanding too much for too little payoff.
Star Wars Shadows of the Empire is fairly tricky to pin down to a single genre. While the main gameplay portions are the third person shooter segments, there is a variety of different gameplay styles present in different missions, including 2 arcade shooter style missions taking place from the Outrider's turrets, the infamous Swoop bike race, and of course the starfighter segments which would partially inspire the Rogue Squadron series. While many agree that the Battle of Hoth opening mission was revolutionary at its time and remains a high point in the game, most of what follows is held back by a combination of awkward controls, questionable level design, and janky physics which sometimes seems like its actively trying to get the player killed. For the sake of this review I played the PC version, though these points apply to both versions of the game.
The game has an awkward control scheme. While some of this can be attributed to being such an early game and being designed around the Nintendo 64 controller, the PC version has these as well as some of its own strange quirks including one of the most unintuitive default control layouts I have ever seen in a game. Thankfully you can rebind your controls in that version. However you cant do much to fix the aiming system which feels like no matter what you're doing, you're just firing around blindly until the auto aim finally lines up the shot for you.
The game's physics are another source of problems. THere are instances where you will expected to do platforming and jumping puzzles which would otherwise be simple in most other games. However, Shadows' inertia and momentum physics can sometimes make the simplest jumps into unnecessarily huge dangers. The Ord Mantel train level is particularly bad for leaving the player at the mercy of the game's inertia physics for almost the entire stage.
Besides these, there are a few odd problems that pop up, from levels having an abundance of enemies appearing behind doors or on top of elevators giving them no chance to avoid taking damage, to some bizarre enemy hitboxes such as the one for the Slave-1 boss battle which seemed like a coinflip whether or not you would hit it in either version of the game.
Despite all of these flaws i spent this entire review going into, there is an enjoyable, or possibly even a good game hidden underneath. However the game demands a lot of huge asks of the players if they wish to actually enjoy the experience and for some the game is demanding too much for too little payoff.
cool game, but really confused me as a young kid because Dash Rendar wasn't in the OT
Just Make the Shadows of The Empire Movie, Already! What's Your Problem, Disney?
Shadows of the Empire, which was a fully fledged Star Wars marketing cycle minus the movie, is unjustly overlooked nowadays. This would-be Episode 5.5 is absolutely SICK for a number of reasons. It goes deep into the criminal underbelly elements of the original trilogy and features characters like Boba Fett, IG-88 and some freaky green dude named Prince Xizor. Since Han is down for the count in between Empire and Jedi, we get a different renegade gunslinger type named Dash Rendar, a guy so cool he had to be disappeared immediately after the events of Shadows so as not to distract too much from the main event. This game has everything you could want in a Star Wars game in '96: OG trilogy vibes, jet packs, a Hoth stage, a Boba Fett boss battle, space battles, blowing up a Death Star type thing. Yes it's on the N64, so everything looks like garbo by today's standards but man what a time.
Shadows of the Empire, which was a fully fledged Star Wars marketing cycle minus the movie, is unjustly overlooked nowadays. This would-be Episode 5.5 is absolutely SICK for a number of reasons. It goes deep into the criminal underbelly elements of the original trilogy and features characters like Boba Fett, IG-88 and some freaky green dude named Prince Xizor. Since Han is down for the count in between Empire and Jedi, we get a different renegade gunslinger type named Dash Rendar, a guy so cool he had to be disappeared immediately after the events of Shadows so as not to distract too much from the main event. This game has everything you could want in a Star Wars game in '96: OG trilogy vibes, jet packs, a Hoth stage, a Boba Fett boss battle, space battles, blowing up a Death Star type thing. Yes it's on the N64, so everything looks like garbo by today's standards but man what a time.
Played on PC, at medium difficulty, capped at 30 FPS
Dude honestly this game is a lot of fun!
So let me start off by saying, this game will probably not be a 4 star for you, it might not even be a 3 star for you, but I just found this game to be a lot of fun and enjoyed it despite all its flaws.
So to start off, the biggest flaw is the controls. It controls like straight up shit, it is some of the most asinine controls I've ever encountered, but you can still kinda get used to them. One thing you can never get used to is the camera though, it's just really fucking bad. Typical early 3D game with horrendous camera.
Next flaw is the enemy placement: it's cheap. Enemies will literally be on every door or corner and they will shoot you the first frame they appear on your screen, hell sometimes they'll just shoot you through the wall.
Some levels can be relentless, there are pretty huge difficulty spikes sometimes and it can be quite painful. There's one level halfway through the game that takes legitimately 30+ minutes to get through, then you must fight Boba Fett, who has two phases. If you run out of the 4 lives you're given, you have to start all the way back. Most other levels aren't that long though so it's not that bad, it's just this level in particular was annoying.
So, if you can look past the control/camera/difficulty flaws, it's a really fun game. In terms of diverse gameplay it's like a prototype for future Sony exclusives if that makes sense. You can be flying and shooting, whilst cabling AT-ATs, then running and gunning, platforming, on a speeder bike, controlling a ship turret, tons of unique boss fights, there's just so much action packed into its 5 hour run time. All the levels are extremely unique and awesome as well.
Continuing on with that, the aesthetics of this game are so awesome, just really charming. This is the peak of gritty Star Wars aesthetics. Combining this with the legendary Star Wars music we all know while adding some new music that also goes hard as fuck, it's a game you can't help but be charmed by.
This game 100% deserves a remake, so far this is the best Star Wars adventure game I've played. I haven't even mentioned the story and characters but they're all awesome as well, and there's even a novel and comic books that tie into the story.
If you can get pasts its glaring flaws, you'll find a really fun Star Wars adventure. I can't imagine how hard this would be on Hard or Jedi difficulties, so if you're anything like me stick to medium.
(See all my Star Wars Rankings and reviews on my profile here, the list is titled "Star Wars Ranked.")
Dude honestly this game is a lot of fun!
So let me start off by saying, this game will probably not be a 4 star for you, it might not even be a 3 star for you, but I just found this game to be a lot of fun and enjoyed it despite all its flaws.
So to start off, the biggest flaw is the controls. It controls like straight up shit, it is some of the most asinine controls I've ever encountered, but you can still kinda get used to them. One thing you can never get used to is the camera though, it's just really fucking bad. Typical early 3D game with horrendous camera.
Next flaw is the enemy placement: it's cheap. Enemies will literally be on every door or corner and they will shoot you the first frame they appear on your screen, hell sometimes they'll just shoot you through the wall.
Some levels can be relentless, there are pretty huge difficulty spikes sometimes and it can be quite painful. There's one level halfway through the game that takes legitimately 30+ minutes to get through, then you must fight Boba Fett, who has two phases. If you run out of the 4 lives you're given, you have to start all the way back. Most other levels aren't that long though so it's not that bad, it's just this level in particular was annoying.
So, if you can look past the control/camera/difficulty flaws, it's a really fun game. In terms of diverse gameplay it's like a prototype for future Sony exclusives if that makes sense. You can be flying and shooting, whilst cabling AT-ATs, then running and gunning, platforming, on a speeder bike, controlling a ship turret, tons of unique boss fights, there's just so much action packed into its 5 hour run time. All the levels are extremely unique and awesome as well.
Continuing on with that, the aesthetics of this game are so awesome, just really charming. This is the peak of gritty Star Wars aesthetics. Combining this with the legendary Star Wars music we all know while adding some new music that also goes hard as fuck, it's a game you can't help but be charmed by.
This game 100% deserves a remake, so far this is the best Star Wars adventure game I've played. I haven't even mentioned the story and characters but they're all awesome as well, and there's even a novel and comic books that tie into the story.
If you can get pasts its glaring flaws, you'll find a really fun Star Wars adventure. I can't imagine how hard this would be on Hard or Jedi difficulties, so if you're anything like me stick to medium.
(See all my Star Wars Rankings and reviews on my profile here, the list is titled "Star Wars Ranked.")
Também um dos mais jogados, perdendo apenas para o SF64. Também já peguei o Master no retroachievements.
É possível fechar em 1 dia, não e difícil se souber o macete de como jogar, no nível Jedi é bem surreal o dano e a mira, caso não saiba jogar nele, a tela de game over será frequente.
Única coisa que esse jogo peca é em seu conteúdo, deveria ter mais um extra além dos challegers points, missão ou usar outros veículos sem o uso de "_Wompa__Stompa".
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Also one of the most played, second only to SF64. I also got the Master in retroachievements.
It's possible to close in 1 day, it's not difficult if you know the trick on how to play, in the Jedi level it's quite surreal the damage and the aim, if you don't know how to play it, the game over screen will be frequent.
The only thing this game lacks is in its content, it should have one more extra besides the challenger points, mission or using other vehicles without the use of "_Wompa__Stompa".
É possível fechar em 1 dia, não e difícil se souber o macete de como jogar, no nível Jedi é bem surreal o dano e a mira, caso não saiba jogar nele, a tela de game over será frequente.
Única coisa que esse jogo peca é em seu conteúdo, deveria ter mais um extra além dos challegers points, missão ou usar outros veículos sem o uso de "_Wompa__Stompa".
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Also one of the most played, second only to SF64. I also got the Master in retroachievements.
It's possible to close in 1 day, it's not difficult if you know the trick on how to play, in the Jedi level it's quite surreal the damage and the aim, if you don't know how to play it, the game over screen will be frequent.
The only thing this game lacks is in its content, it should have one more extra besides the challenger points, mission or using other vehicles without the use of "_Wompa__Stompa".