Star Wars: The Old Republic

UPDATE: Launch is exactly 7 days away! Early access for those that pre-ordered beings in as early as 5 hours from now for those who ordered the first day it was for sale. This is so exciting!

UPDATE: Release date has been set for Dec 20, 2011. I expect early release for those who pre-order will begin around the 10th but maybe as late as the 17th. Have you pre-ordered? What are you waiting for?!

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic, commonly known as SWTOR or TOR is tipped to be the next best thing on the MMO market for gamers. Even if you’re not a gamer, SWTOR could potentially convert you. Check out this review of this amazing Star Wars game that will have you wanting more and more and more.

What Is It?

Ever thought of being able to create your very own Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader? Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe, control your own landspeeder or wield your own lightsaber? Well, with SWTOR you’ll be able to do just that. You’ll be able to log in to the game and group up with your friends and wage battle against the evil Sith as a member of the Old Republic or battle the Rebels as part of the Imperial Regime.

Why’s It So Good?

This is truly the first MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) that features full video cut scenes that allow you to make strategic decisions that shape your character in the future. You’ll be given options to let certain NPCs (non-playing characters) live or die, gaining dark or light side points and pathing your character.
You won’t ever feel like you’re alone in this amazing game. The developers are introducing a companion system so as you grow in levels you’ll pick up NPC companions which will help you in battle and accompany you on your journey.

I’ve always been a fan of the Star Wars movies and find the lore and storylines fascinating, with Lucas Arts being able to endlessly create different characters throughout the timeline, which easily fit into the lore from the original movies. I was bitterly disappointed with the demise of Star Wars Galaxies, the first Star Wars MMO. It started off a massive success but dwindled shortly after, a great shame. The level of hype surrounding this game is extreme and you won’t experience anything like it.

Is There Anything Bad You Should Know About?

In my personal experience, the main problem with MMOs in general is the time sink. Without being aware of it you could literally lose hours of real time whilst you fully immerse yourself and I can see SWTOR being no exception to this rule. If you’re a fan of Star Wars in general, then you’ll find more interest in this new slot on the timeline that hasn’t been visited in the movies, thousands of years before the birth of Darth Vader. So, take this as a warning that this amazing game will have you so engrossed you’ll need to be careful not to be late for work or miss appointments.

You will definitely regret not trying this game. I have pre-ordered it already from Amazon so I don’t miss out at the start. There’s nothing worse than my friends talking about something that I’m waiting to get a copy of!

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Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith

revenge of the sith

You’ll either love or hate this game. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan but Revenge of the Sith does have some good things going for it. Keep on reading to see if you’re a lover or a hater.

The worst thing about this game, I found, is that if you haven’t watched the movie then the game can ruin it for you. The inclusion of cut scenes from the movie is a good feature but could dampen the experience of the gamer. Chances are you’re a Star Wars fan anyway if you’ve picked up this game and therefore would probably have seen the film already. Well, the game follows the movie pretty much spot on, however the only characters that you really get involved with in the game are Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor in the movie) and Anakin Skywalker (played by Hayden Christiansen).

I found the fact that both characters have exactly the same moves at the beginning of the game rather strange, since one is the student and the other the master, so you would think that the student doesn’t have all of the Force powers yet and the master is, well, a master in the Force. Naturally, as you progress in the game, the Force powers become stronger and the lightsaber combos become greater and more complex, which is a welcome aspect of the game.

Unfortunately, I found this game far too easy and I would most definitely not consider myself a hardcore gamer. My skill level is probably slightly higher than average and so I feel LucasArts could have made this game much more challenging. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun game; however you could almost wade your way through the levels just mashing buttons. There are some boss fights which break up the flow of the button mashing a little bit and are actually pretty fun but I just found that holding down block was a sure-fire way of defeating anyone. It’s so overpowered it’s not funny and you’re actually pretty much indestructible with the block mechanic.

To top this off, I completed the game in only 6 hours which is far too quick. You could sit down after lunch and have the game done and dusted before dinner time – not good! Modern games are becoming increasingly harder and longer to play, so it’s a shame LucasArts made this one way too easy for the average gamer.

I’ll stop slating the game now and touch on a big positive – the looks. It’s pretty, very pretty, and does the brand of Star Wars justice in this department. They’ve cleverly made the characters look like the actors from the movie which is a nice little touch that made the game a lot more playable for me, being a big fan of the movies. The camera angles aren’t perfect and can be slightly annoying sometimes, but other than that a big thumbs up in terms of graphics from me.

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Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

LEGO_Star_Wars

I was very pleased to see how closely Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga followed the movies. I’m a massive fan of the epic films and picking this game up was always going to be on the cards for me and I’m so glad I did. It’s given me hours of endless fun and you should definitely look into buying this game. Keep reading to see my honest review.

Key features

It’s important to know what to expect from any game, so here is a list of some of the key features of this Lego Star Wars game:

  • All 6 Star Wars films in one game
  • Laden with puzzles throughout that require teamwork
  • Over 160 different characters
  • Enhanced Force powers

Just being able to re-enact the key parts of the films is a massive plus of this game and being able to do this with the child-favored Lego characters is amazing. As you progress, you’ll interact with over an incredible amount of different characters which can be unlocked and placed at your disposal. For some strange reason, I lost hours running around as Luke Skywalker blasting Han Solo with my gun…I blame my 7 year old nephew!

The puzzles are fun and for a 31 year old adult, I was extremely upset that I had to constantly ask my nephew how to solve some of the puzzles, clearly showing that this game isn’t easy. You control one character at a time but can alternate easily with the others in your party, just at the press of a button. This is essential for the puzzle-solving and is greatly sped up if you’re playing with someone else as they can help solve the puzzles with you, or just get in your way and shoot at you!

I did find that following the progression was a bit difficult after putting the game down for a few days, since there only a limited number of doors to enter for the different films and you had to remember if you hadn’t completed one entirely. I also always felt like I had missed something out, since the story progressed without me necessarily picking up all the pieces to complete some parts of the game, but that boils down to my nature of not missing anything out. Some people don’t mind that at all.

Is This Game For Me?

I highly recommend it, that’s for sure. The 360 and PS3 versions allow for online co-op gameplay and the Wii version is fun with the Wii controllers. Kids will love this game, especially with it being Lego-related, however there is violence involved in the form of guns and lightsabers, so be warned.

What Are The Customers Saying?

“This is a great Christmas gift and I loved watching our 4 year old play this with my fiancée.” – Trista Ott
“The award winning game speaks for itself. A big thumbs up from me!” – Mark Twain “Two”

In Summary

Definitely a game to pick up for such a low price. It’s great fun to play with other people and just as fun on your own and will keep you occupied for a fair while!

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Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars Jedi Knight

If you’re searching for a pure lightsaber-wielding Star Wars game, then Jedi Academy is the one for you. In this installment of the Jedi Knight games, you take on the role of a Jedi student called Jaden, having just survived the crash of his transport ship.

Key features

  • FPS action adventure
  • Epic story-based campaign
  • Multiplayer combat available
  • Fully customizable character and lightsaber

You’ll find that the missions involved in the storyline are highly varied so you shouldn’t find yourself becoming bored quickly. You’ll visit known planets such as Coruscant and Tatooine and be able to choose your path as you progress through the game. Although the game is linear, you’ll be able to choose which missions you’ll undertake which is one of the aspects I loved with Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. You start off with 5 missions to choose from and only need to complete 4 of them to continue on your journey, but you still have the option of taking that 5th mission – well done LucasArts!

As you progress, you’ll be able to revisit the Academy to spend points in those cool Jedi abilities. You start off with the basic ones: sense, jump, speed, pull, push, saber offense, saber defence and saber throw. As you progress naturally, these abilities become stronger on their own but there are 8 further abilities that you’ll be able to spend points in, on the dark and light side. I tend to play the good guy so rely heavily on the light side powers of absorb, protection, heal and Jedi mind trick. Be careful which you choose, since you can’t rank in all abilities!

The real fun factor for me came with the ability to throw enemies around and lobbing my lightsaber at them whilst they were hopelessly suspended in the air as a result of my choke ability. If you’re feeling really dark, there’s always the option of throwing them off cliffs – not one for the kids to attempt at home!

I was disappointed in the lack of repercussions of choosing dark side abilities. Since you are a Jedi Knight, you’re naturally aligned to using the light side of the force, however choosing to rank in dark side abilities has no affect apart from giving you a warning in the game. I guess it is nice to be able to pick up choke and lightning and using them to devastating effect without being the bad guy, though.

What Are The Customers Saying?

This game is amazingly fun and it’s no surprise that the reviews are brilliant:
“For the great price, this is a must have!” – Gadget Fan in CA
“I loved playing this game and you will too.” – accolademaiden
“I couldn’t stop playing this game and highly recommend it to anyone who is a Star Wars fan.” – Spendsters

In Summary

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is a must have game for Star Wars fans. That is a fact. If you’re into running around flashing your lightsaber at enemies and using Force powers to the max, then you’ll fall in love with this game. I highly recommend it.

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

The_Force_Unleashed

An interesting view on the movements of Darth Vader during his reign as a Sith Lord, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed might not live up to the hype that surrounded its release. Keep reading to take a look at my honest review of this lightsaber-wielding game.

What’s It All About?

You take on the role of Vader’s apprentice, Starkiller. Taking place after the Clone Wars film, The Force Unleashed is the story of Starkiller’s hunt for the last remaining Jedi with one goal in mind and that is to destroy the Jedi entirely.

I found the story in general to be very good with lots of twists to keep you enthralled. However, I managed to complete the game after about 8 hours, which to my mind is far, far too short. You’d expect a Star Wars game that is story-driven to last a lot longer than that and I must admit I was fairly disappointed. It’d be very easy to give away a lot of the game here, so I would recommend getting this game – using the Sith’s Jedi powers is always fun and it’s good to get some lore that surrounds the dark side, rather than a focus being on the Republic.

There is a huge fun factor in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Running around throwing objects at Republic Commandos is a joy and once the game gets into full swing after the tutorial level, you’ll be very excited. Frustration levels can get quite high, though, since I found the targeting system to be highly annoying. Wanting to throw a Wookie in the air in front of me before sending him off into a few walls before meeting his maker, instead I would find myself controlling a piece of junk metal that was sat right next to him. EURGH!

I would definitely say that the fun-factor wins over though, once you get used to the targeting system the game gets better, you just have to stick with it and not let the frustration beat you.
What LucasArts have done well, is the boss fights. Instead of standing next to some giant lump of a beast swinging your lightsaber, you actually find yourself taking Starkiller through stages in these fights, having to hit button combos when prompted to throw your opponent up in the air before using force lightning to stun them, then sending them flying into a nearby wall. Making use of the seemingly endless lightsaber combos on boss fights is a necessity, making combat varied and extreme fun.

What Are The Customers Saying?

Understandably, there are mixed reviews for The Force Unleashed:

“The environments look great and it’s fun to blow stuff up! The ability to upgrade your weapon is a cool feature. I was impressed overall.” – NickNAC
“The game was too buggy and the targeting annoyed the hell out of me.” – Andrew H

In Summary

It’s a tough call to say whether The Force Unleashed is a “must have”. In terms of lore and being able to blow stuff up and throwing people around with force powers, then it definitely is. In terms of the physics engine and overall gaming experience, I’m on the fence.

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Star Wars Republic Commando

Star Wars Republic Commando

Star Wars Republic Commando is different to the usual look and feel of a Star Wars game, which is what I loved most about it. It does away with the generic thought of Jedis running around wielding lightsabers and focuses more on squad-based combat through an elite group of commandos.

Key Features

It’s probably best if I provide you with a quick list of some of the key features of Star Wars Republic Commando before I explain to you why this game is so good. So, here it is:

  • Intuitive squad commands
  • Full control of a squad of Republic commandos
  • Good looking graphics
  • FUN FUN FUN!!!

Yes, it’s fun – a lot of games on the market seem to be all about pure skill and intensity, rather than the gamer having fun. I had some good memories playing this game and still have my copy to fire up when I want some easy gaming fun.

Being in full control of a squad of Republic commandos, the main focus is on your commando called, “Three-Eight”. You’re a clone and like the other squad members are known via a number – not very personal, is it? Playing through the game, you’ll interact with your squad mates and pick up a variety of weapons that justify the skill and calibre of the elite commandos.

One of the great things that I loved about Republic Commando was the ability to be revived by your squad mates. I tend to be a bit gung-ho when it comes to shooters and found myself wading into battle with guns ablaze, only to be shortly cut down by the enemy. Normally it was my squad mate “62” who came to my rescue, but it was probably a coincidence that he was the only one that was willing and able to pick up my pieces.

Being able to command your squad is core to this game, so maybe I should’ve used that feature some more. The intuitive one button squad control is brilliant and easy to use – I think next time I’ll be more of a team player rather than trying to be that hero, after all that’s how the game was designed to be played!

Is This Game Right For Me?

That’s bound to be a question on your lips and the simple answer is, “Yes!” Even if you’re not a fan of Star Wars games, Republic Commando is a great tactical squad-based game. It has a teen rating due to the combat, so if you’re looking for a game for your 6 year old, chances are this isn’t the right one.

What Are Customers Saying?

Here are a couple of quotes from some happy shoppers:

“This is the only shooter that I enjoyed dying in. The graphics are great and it’s so much fun to play.” – fett51

“Has a very smooth interface and for its age, has great graphics. Very fun.” – Charlie

In Summary

If you’re looking to pick up a shooter that’s fun and will plug a gap until the next big graphics-busting FPS, then Star Wars Republic Commando is definitely worth the low price! For the price of a cup of posh coffee, you’d be a fool to overlook this one.

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Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

knights of the old republic 2

The Old Republic games are the best single player Star Wars games that I’ve played. KOTOR 2, in my honest opinion, is a fantastic sequel to a must-have set of Star Wars games. Keep reading to see why.

The only better Star Wars product that has been released prior to these games is the box set of the movies. KOTOR (Knights Of The Old Republic) won an abundance of awards, which was no surprise to me. This sequel is as excellent, which is a rare claim to make for a follow-up. There isn’t a huge amount of variation from the original which is good and bad. Hardcore fans might feel a little bit disappointed that the Sith Lords feels a bit “samey” due to there being no huge difference, although considering the first was so damn good this is almost forgotten. The story carries on not longer after the original left it, still thousands of years before any of the movies and focuses on the struggle between the Jedi and Sith.

You immediately set off on a journey of discovering who you are, knowing you are a Jedi but not knowing Force powers or possessing a lightsaber. Quite frankly, the lore that you go through in this game is amazing, learning of the history of the Jedi and specifically the Sith Lords, hence the title.

I do not wish to provide any spoilers, however if you really want to know more then I can not recommend buying this game enough! If you really consider yourself to be a Star Wars fan in general, then you have to check this game out. It won’t be too demanding on your PC and can be picked up easily in stages, although be careful you don’t lose hours out of your day! I played for 4 hours straight without realising that I’d totally missed out on lunch; all I was hungry for was Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords.

One of the best parts of the game, I found, was seeing your character changing on his path down the light or dark side, depending on the actions and choices you make in the game, allowing you to truly shape your character how you wish. I originally completed the game by going purely down the Light route and discovered a practically separate game by going down the Dark side for the second offering. I really couldn’t stop playing.

Customer Quotes

Here are some actual quotes from people who have played this game:

“The story is massive and so engrossing and I found the gameplay better than the first, if that’s possible?” – John Salerno

“There were lots of opportunities to use light or dark side options and the graphics were so awesome. It’s definitely a worthy sequel” – Igor Minevich

In Summary

Why haven’t you bought this game already? Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you should get this for the immersion and incredible storyline.

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Star Wars Empire At War Gold Pack

empire at war

It’s definitely not the worst Star Wars game out there, that’s for sure. But, is it the best? Probably not! Is it worth getting? Quite honestly I would have to say “yes”…

What’s It All About?

Now, you have to know that this is a RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, so you’ll have to make tactical decisions on the fly and won’t necessarily be controlling one unit, like in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. There are 3 different modes to choose from and this Star Wars game can provide endless hours of fun online. Let’s take a look at the different modes:

Space Battles

This is arguably the most fun mode to play this game in. Basically, you have a base from which you create your ships to wage battle with and as you progress in the game you gain the ability to build bigger and better spaceships and create more defences, oh as well as the all-important credits! Make sure you use those mines to generate loads of credits to build your space empire rapidly and get those defences up to repel the invaders.

Land Battles

This is a very simple version of RTS and is still popular, perhaps maybe not as popular as the space battles, though. Here you’ll be able to build the classic AT-ATs and with the expansion pack, many, many more types of different units – all possessing different attributes that are crucial to winning the battle. Here, you can spawn in units from the Galactic mode (see below) or train them in your base. This mode can be slightly frustrating, however, since your recruited units don’t spawn in your base so they are ready to defend, but at landing pads ready for battle.

Galactic Mode

If you can set aside a good few hours at a time then this is the mode to play in. This is a very strategic mode, letting you move fleets of ships around, build space stations and massive armies before wading into large scale battles with the enemies. If you’re impatient then this is unlikely to be the mode for you and you’re better off with Space or Land Battles.

Is This Game For Me?

It might not be a very modern game, but it’s definitely something to pick up for the price. With the modern powerful PCs, you shouldn’t have a problem running the game and Star Wars fans will love this addition to the Star Wars range of games.

Customer Reviews

Here are a couple of quotes direct from those who have played the game in-depth:

“I’m not a Star Wars geek but I really enjoyed this game. I found the mix of battles brilliant and fun, letting me play the game for a long time.” D. Donovan

“RTS fans in general might not be that impressed, but if you’re a Star Wars fan then you have to get this fun game!” – J. Loscheider

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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

Star Wars The Force Unleashed II

Continuing on from the first in the series, this Star Wars game attempts to build on the solid base that the first installment provided. However, is the sequel as good as the original? Let’s take a look.

Key Features?

Before I go into detail, here’s a quick run-down of some of the key features in the game:

  • Continues the story of Starkiller, Darth Vader’s apprentice
  • Timeline for the game is between Episodes III and IV
  • More force powers with improved controls
  • Ability to wield dual lightsabers

Let’s be honest, there’s nothing greater than seeing dual lightsabers being wielded by a force-bearer in a whirlwind of flashing green, red or blue light. With this Star Wars game, you’ll be able to do just that as you take control of Starkiller once again, doing Vader’s evil bidding across the galaxy. Being only available on the PS3, in this incarnation Starkiller has, what seems to be, over-the-top Force abilities as he hunts for his love, Juno Eclipse. Possessing new abilities such as Force Fury and the famous Jedi Mind Trick, Starkiller searches for answers to his past as he races after Vader.

Is This Game For Me?

For the sheer lore alone, I would be tempted to pick this game up just to gather more information about Vader’s actions between Episodes III and IV. The game itself will keep you occupied for a good while and I would say it’s an average sequel. Read below for some quotes from other people who have played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.

What The Customers Say

“I would recommend this game. It may be a little short, but it didn’t leave me feeling ripped off. You won’t be disappointed.” – Emily Crook

“I managed to finish this game within 4 hours and found that a bit of a joke. The first game was a masterpiece and I felt the sequel let the first one down.” – Robert Yarber III

“They fixed a lot of the control issues from the first game and a lot of the graphic glitches seem to have gone, but this game is a little too short for my linking.” – Jared Burdick

In Summary

I would have to tend to agree with some of the comments above in the sense of the game being a little short. Settling on the couch for a big Star Wars gaming session has always been fun for me and whilst I still had that feeling with this Star Wars game, I felt myself wanting more, but not necessarily in a good way. You could almost argue that this sequel seems to just be an extension of the first one and could have been added as DLC (downloadable content). It’s definitely worth a try, however, since I still enjoyed playing the game and following the lore.

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Star Wars – Arguably The Best Series Of Movies Ever Created

Star Wars

The Star Wars films are one of the few series that were made in different eras, were made somewhat back-to-front, however follow a storyline in sequence. Production starting in 1977 and spanning almost 3 decades with production finishing in 2005, it’s created an incredibly huge cult following throughout the world. For those who are unaware of the 6 different films, here is a quick list each of which will be discussed in further detail (in order of storyline, not production):

  • Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  • Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  • Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  • Episode IV: A New Hope
  • Episode V: The Empire Strikes Bike
  • Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

phantom menace

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

The first in the epic series and the fourth to be made, The Phantom Menace introduces Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jin, the legendary (to be legendary) Obi-Wan Kenobi and the beautiful Queen Amidala who are travelling between the planets of Naboo and Coruscant on a peace-seeking mission with the cunning trade federation.

Stopping on the desert planet of Tatooine, they encounter a young Anakin Skywalker who, as Qui-Gon discovers, seems to possess a large existence of The Force, which is a ubiquitous power that can be harnessed for good and bad uses. Avoiding a Sith attack (a Sith is a Jedi which possesses the dark side of the force), the trio eventually manage to reach Coruscant where the Queen’s aid Padme reveals herself as the real Queen, the other being a decoy for safety reasons. Here she convinces the native Gungans to form an alliance against the Trade Federation. A battle ensues in which Anakin sees his first combat and Qui-Gon Jin, along with Obi-Wan, confronts Darth Maul. The fight is fearsome, with lightsabers spinning and flashing everywhere and eventually Qui-Gon is defeated by the evil Sith, only to be avenged by Obi-Wan Kenobi. The survivor agrees to obey Qui-Gon’s dying wish of training Anakin in the way of the force, which is accepted by the Jedi Council. The Trade Federation is defeated and the Gungans remain victorious.

attack of the clones

Episode II: Attack Of The Clones

10 years on, there is a separatist movement against The Republic and Amidala narrowly escapes an assassination attempt thanks to Anakin, who along with Obi-Wan, is her bodyguard. Obi-Wan plans to find the source of the assassination whilst Anakin travels with Amidala to her home planet of Naboo, where they fall in love. Meanwhile Obi-Wan travels to Kamino and discovers a clone army that is being made for The Republic and encounters a notorious bounty hunter named Jango Fett. Anakin’s force powers are growing strong and he starts to have extreme premonitions of his mother in pain and so travels back to Tatooine only to find her kidnapped by mutant Tusken Raiders. Anakin’s anger boils inside him and he seeks revenge and destroys the Tusken camp, including the women and children. Little does he know that pain and suffering are traits of the dark side of The Force, of which Anakin seems to struggle to control.

Obi-Wan is kidnapped, but discovers that The Republic is actually under the control of a Dark Sith Lord named Sidious. He manages to relay this information to Anakin who consults the Jedi Council and then travels to Geonosis to attempt to rescue Obi-Wan with Padme Amidala. They in turn are kidnapped and face execution at the hands of savage beasts. Luckily, the legendary Yoda arrives along with Mace Windu (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and the Droid army to assist in the rescue of the three captives.

In an intense lightsaber fight, Obi-Wan is defeated and Anakin loses his arm, before Yoda confronts the evil Jedi, Count Dooku. Dooku escapes Yoda and flees to Coruscant, whilst Anakin and Armidala marry happily on her home of Naboo.

revenge of the sith

Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith

Anakin and Obi-Wan attempt a daring infiltration of the leader of the droid army’s ship. They battle with General Grievous and defeat Count Dooku. Along with Senator Palpatine, who was kidnapped, they escape and Palpatine places Anakin on the Jedi Council as his representative. Anakin’s struggle with suffering grows as he has visions of Armidala dying in childbirth with their unborn son.
Anakin loses faith in the Jedi since they ask him to monitor Palpatine, who teaches the young Jedi as to how to prevent death, which is an ability that can only be used by those in charge of the dark side of the Force. Anakin discovers Palpatine is in fact Darth Sidious and informs Windu, who confronts Palpatine with his lightsaber. Anakin intervenes and severs Windu’s right hand before he can execute Palpatine. Windu then dies at the hand of Palpatine and Anakin becomes Palpatine’s new apprentice and is renamed to Darth Vader. Obi-Wan then fights his once apprentice and manages to sever his arms and legs before Vader burns in a flow of molten lava. Sidious saves his life and works on restoring his abilities.

Armidala gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia, who are separated and adopted to remain hidden. Yoda goes into exile and awaits for a time when he can reunite with his fellow Jedi warriors and confront the evil Empire.

a new hope

Episode IV: A New Hope

Being the first of the series made, in 1977, this tells the story of the coming together of twins Luke and Leia. Leia has stolen plans to the Empire’s Death Star, a weapon that can destroy planets, and hides them in a droid named R2-D2 before she is captured by Vader’s forces. R2-D2 escapes to Tatooine and is bought as a service droid by Leia’s brother Luke, without knowing the connection. Luke triggers the holographic recording Leia made in which she asks for help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luckily, Luke knows of someone called Ben Kenobi and consults him.
Luke doesn’t know his father is Darth Vader and Kenobi gives Luke his father’s lightsaber. Luke discovers his home has been destroyed and trains in the way of the force and joins Obi-Wan in the fight against the Empire and they hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca to fly them to Alderaan.

The group are captured by the Death Star where Luke learns Leia is aboard (not knowing she is his sister). They free her and Kenobi fights Vader and seems to disappear when Obi-Wan is defeated. The Rebels manage to muster a force of fighters, one of which is piloted by Luke. Luke is contacted by Obi-Wan’s voice and he tells him to use the Force to destroy the Death Star, which he is successful in doing. Leia rewards Luke and Han with medals for their heroism and it appears that The Rebels have struck a significant blow against the Empire.

empire strikes back

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

In the early stages of the 5th outing, Luke is contacted by Obi-Wan who tells him to travel to Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda, who was in exile. The Imperial fleet discover the location of the main Rebel base and launch a fierce attack. Luke leads a solid Rebel defence force but is unable to prevent the base from being captured. Luckily, Leia manages to escape with Han Solo in the magnificent Millenium Falcon, along with Chewbacca and C-3PO, a droid. Luke also escapes and crashes in his X-Wing with R2D2 on Dagobah.

Luke trains with Yoda in the ways of the Force, but leaves the planet early after having premonitions of Han and Leia in pain. Han and Leia are captured in a trap laid by Vader and Luke is lured into rescuing them and is also held captive. Han is then held in suspended animation and sent as a reward to Boba Fett to hand over to Jabba the Hutt. Meanwhile, Luke and Vader enter into lightsaber combat in which Vader severs Luke’s right hand and reveals to Luke that he is actually his father. He turns down the opportunity to rule alongside his father and escapes with Leia and is fitted with an artificial hand.

return of the jedi

Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi

In the final instalment of this gripping series, the story comes to and end and is filled with excitement. Luke and friends manage to release Han but at the expense of Leia getting captured by Jabba, who uses her as his slave. Luke and Han are recaptured and sentenced to death on the sand planet of Tatooine but they escape and Luke heads to Dagobah, only to find a dying Master Yoda. Yoda tells Luke he must confront his father if he is to become a real Jedi Knight. He also mentions that there is another Skywalker and Luke learns that it is Leia.

Luke and his team head to Endor and meet with the native Ewoks and form an alliance with them. Luke surrenders in order to get close to Vader, after telling Leia that Vader is their father and senses some good still inside of him. Vader eventually turns Luke over to the evil Emperor Palpatine who tries to convert Luke to the dark side. Luke and Vader fight it out with lightsabers once again and Vader’s right hand is severed by Luke. The Emperor aids Vader and attacks Luke with chain lightning, however Vader is unable to see his own son suffer so much, so picks up Palpatine above his head and tosses him down the reactor shaft, plunging to his death.

Vader eventually dies from his wounds in an emotional farewell to his son. Luke cremates his father’s body on Endor and the Rebels and Ewoks hold a party over the defeat of the Empire. The series ends with Luke seeing a vision of the 3 deceased Jedi legends: Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and his father, Anakin Skywalker.

In Summary

It is clear to understand why Star Wars has such a cult following. Being so far removed from our actual world and ways, it contains so many values that are relevant to our own human race. The way George Lucas wrote the stories in two parts, with the second half being made first and screened first was sheer genius.

The epic saga has since been turned into a successful run of video games across all platforms, including the most recent Lego Star Wars games.

Get the complete saga on Blue Ray! CLICK HERE

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