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Star Wars Obi Wan Review

Chris Leyton

00/12/0000

Games based on Episode 1 havent had the best of times, can Obi-Wan be its saving grace???

Supposedly Star Wars Obi-Wan started life out as the sequel to the classic Jedi Knight on the PC back in 1998, however itâs hard to believe that this generic, bland and dull 3D adventure has anything to do with that classic franchise and is the product of over three years in development.

Players take on the role of the self-titled Obi Wan as the game roughly follows the events of Episode 1. If you tried to follow the events you may well become more confused in the Star Wars ethos then ever before, as scenes missing from the film such as Queen Amidalaâs kidnap in Tatooine, merge with those from the film such as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wanâs showdown on the Trade Federation battleship. The liberties that have been taken with the license break-up the natural flow, and counteract what you know to be true, resulting in a game that is hard to get into and lacks the compelling kick that a title like this needs.

Unfortunately the gameplay is as bland as the storyline is confusing, level designs are sloppy whilst enemy placement is haphazard at best. The combat occasionally lifts the game from its mediocre nature, using the force to pull a weapon from your opponents hands, and throwing an object at another whilst dispatching the rest with a carefully timed slash of your lightsabre is a satisfying experience, but only because itâs Star Wars.

The control system is both its saving grace and Achilles heel, using the right stick to swing the weapon from left to right and use overhead chops and uppercuts is fun and entertaining, after all itâs what every Star Wars fan has ever wanted to do. Force commands are executed by holding onto the Left Trigger, opening up the chance to slow down time, pull weapons from opponents, jump higher, force push opponents and hurl objects at the enemy. The lightsbare control and force commands seamlessly combine to create one of the most engaging combat systems seen in a game of this type, however itâs just not enough.

One of the major issues is with camera controls, an area that can, and does in this case ruin an otherwise enjoyable experience. Star Wars: Obi Wan is a fast paced game, so a quick, responsive and clever camera was needed. Unfortunately the camera will frequently get stuck behind objects and hung around corners, regrettably the player doesnât have enough control to rectify this. The white button is used to centre the camera behind Obi-Wan, the black button swings the camera around 180 degrees to combat enemies behind you whilst the right trigger will aim at the nearest opponent. Unfortunately none of this helps very much, as youâll find yourself falling off ledges, and manically trying to position the camera quickly enough.

Visually itâs hard to believe this is an Xbox title, on all but a few occasions weâve constantly hyped about the visuals in an Xbox game, Obi-Wan gives us the chance to calm down a little and realise that it may not be as easy as you think to create a good looking game on the Xbox. Environments have low-polygon counts, resulting in a simplistic architecture that isnât helped by the overuse of the same dull and bland textures. Characters bear very little resemblance to their real-life counterparts, whilst the enemy are unimaginative and do nothing to alleviate the monotonous nature of the game. Obi-Wan features some smart animation, as he rolls, ducks and swipes however the rest of the characters animation is as eloquent as the original toy modelsâ¦
The music from the movie is featured throughout the game, so if you liked the epic tones of âThe Dual of the Fatesâ you wonât be disappointed. However the voice acting is absolutely abysmal, Obi-Wan sounds like an American, trying to impersonate a Scottish actor impersonating an English actor, very disturbingâ¦

A two-player mode is available, however it just feels like it was added on at the last minute, a strange feeling that runs throughout the entire game.