Other Formats
This product is also available in the following formats:
- Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire [1996] [Video Game – Macintosh]
- Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire [1995] [Video Game – IBM PC Compatible]
- Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire [1997] [Video Game – PlayStation]
- Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire [1996] [Video Game – IBM PC Compatible]
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a Rebel pilot called Rookie One destroyed the Death Star, thwarting the plans of Darth Vader and the Empire against the Rebel Alliance. But Vader wants revenge. Since the crushing defeat, the Dark Lord of the Sith has had his engineers developing a new threat to the Alliance -- one that just might crush it once and for all.
As the sequel to Star Wars: Rebel Assault (available on PC and Sega CD), Star Wars: Rebel Assault II -- The Hidden Empire once again pits you as Rookie One as he aims to play hero of the Alliance for a second time. His adventures will take him through 15 stages of action that includes several styles of play. Along the way, he'll even team up with his old friend Ru Murleen as they work together to end Vader's plans. Don't expect appearances from other Star Wars movie characters, though. This game is totally independent of the films' continuity, its only recognizable characters being Vader, plus brief appearances by Emperor Palpatine and Admiral Ackbar.
Rookie One begins his quest in command of a B-wing as he navigates the Dreighton Triangle, a legendary place where ships have mysteriously disappeared for the past 40 years; most recently, three Rebel X-wings. Here, he'll blast away at TIEs, which he'll also do later (along with dodging a few asteroids and other obstacles) in other types of ships, like an X-wing, Y-wing, and even a secret new Imperial vessel. He also must proceed through challenging courses while piloting a Millennium Falcon-like Corellian freighter, training how to fly a TIE figher, and whizzing by on a speeder bike through a swampy planet.
Aside from flying a variety of vessels, Rookie One will also face Stormtroopers with his trusty blaster in hand. To truly replicate the experience, you have the option to operate a light gun for these missions instead of aiming with a standard controller.
In between each mission, you'll view a live-action cut-scene to help move the story along. This footage represents the first newly recorded Star Wars-related material since 1985's television movie Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. ~ Christopher Michael Baker, All Game Guide
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Product Details
| UPC: | 023272309367 |
|---|---|
| Release Date: | 2009 |
| Platform: | PlayStation |
| Genre: | Action |
| Style: | Multi-Genre Action |
Review
I don't know why, but I never felt the need to play Star Wars: Rebel Assault II upon its PlayStation release. With the exception of the whole "fake Star Wars characters" thing, I really enjoyed the first one on Sega CD. Its graphics and story elements far surpassed those of many console games of the time. And with Rebel Assault II, I knew to expect real actors instead of computer-generated people for a change. But I still wasn't excited.As a Star Wars fan, though, I knew I would pick up that two-disc set eventually. Did I enjoy it? You bet. But still, my initial ambivalence toward the title is entirely justified.
Just as with the original, the game's main fault lies in the fact that you're dealing with characters who seem to steal the glory from the heroes we know and love, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Once again, we control and follow Rookie One through a decent Star Wars story in an attempt to thwart Darth Vader. But "decent" is about all this story is. Don't count on the character development and all-out fantastic storytelling portrayed in the second Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back. And most certainly don't expect any revelations on the scale of "I am your father"!
The story is told via live-action cut-scenes featuring performances by actors you've rightfully never heard of. Still, it's a big step up from what the Sega CD had to offer. And there's quite a few minutes worth of this too!
Unfortunately, all of the live action takes up a considerable amount of disc space, meaning the two discs you get with the package make for considerably less game time than you might expect. Though there are 15 missions, if you want your game to last a long time make sure you don't set things to easy. Or else, you might literally find yourself working through the game in about the time of a feature film.
The controls in Rebel Assault II in many ways resemble those in the original. Sometimes they're right on the money, but others -- especially when you're behind the ship in a third-person perspective -- can be particularly hard to maneuver.
The levels themselves are presented with beautiful graphics accompanied by some stellar sound taken straight from the movies. My particular favorite moment was hearing John Williams' inspired "Asteroid Field" during an actual asteroid scene. You really do feel as though you're within a Star Wars movie at times.
On the whole, Rebel Assault II is worth the time of any true Star Wars fan. Even if the characters are a bunch of posers, the spirit of the films is present. However, its lack of difficulty might just want you to make it a rental. After all, you can always just tape the cut-scenes and watch them later! ~ Christopher Michael Baker, All Game Guide
Credits
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Factor 5 | Developer |
| LucasArts Entertainment Company | Manufacturer/Publisher |
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© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Game Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. 
