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March 2, 2007 > Arts & Entertainment > Rogue Galaxy reworks Star Wars saga into fresh gameplay

Rogue Galaxy reworks Star Wars saga into fresh gameplay

By Amanda Phillips | Thresher staff

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away … It is a time of war. The desert planet Rosa, previously beyond the reach of the conflict, suddenly becomes annexed as a territory of the Longardian Empire. As imperial troopers march through the streets brandishing menacing blasters, a blond orphan named Jaster Rogue feels the force of rebellion stirring within. A humanoid drone and its dumpy companion find Rogue and mistake him for a legendary hero, whisking him away on the system’s finest ship for an adventure that could save the galaxy from a tyrant.

Sound familiar?

The multimedia advertising blitz that preceded Rogue Galaxy does not mention the fact that the space pirate tale owes much of its roots to so many previous games and movies. It is difficult to dismiss the similarities between Rogue Galaxy and Star Wars as mere coincidence, especially considering the derivative nature of the characters and scenarios in developer Level-5’s 2000 debut title, Dark Cloud. Despite the obvious borrowings that occur in these games, Rogue’s developer has achieved, a bit ironically, success in an area that few developers manage: a distinctly Level-5 game aesthetic.

Starting with visuals, the design and graphic quality of Rogue Galaxy sticks to the cel-shaded look achieved in its other titles, with brightly-colored costumes and wacky characters ranging from the requisite half-naked Amazon chick to the morbidly obese pirate captain confined to a motorized chair. The look of the game is bold, and the environments are detailed, but much of the world lacks in interactivity. Although gamers can talk to the visually diverse people on the street, it’s best not to waste the time. The cornucopia of their facades fails to mask the fact that they have nothing to say.

Battles take place in real time with a party of three characters. Although the game relies on random encounters, it does not waste time loading a pre-rendered battlefield like other games. Instead, enemies pop up from the ground right where the party is standing, making for seamless transitions between exploration and battle. The gamer controls one character while the other two fight via a party strategy set in the menu. Rogue Galaxy suffers from the woefully inept artificial intelligence that is common to the genre — and that sends your allies careening repeatedly to their deaths. Fortunately, the game implements an approval system that guarantees the party will not waste ability points on needlessly powerful attacks or guzzle down potions every time they sustain damage. Allies call out to the party leader with requests to use special abilities or items. Gamers can approve these requests with a quick click of the controller’s shoulder buttons, making it easy to grant permission without halting the nonstop, sword-hacking action.

Despite its intuitive controls, Rogue does have some flaws. Narrative sequences seem drawn out — some last nearly ten minutes — and poorly paced for a game that otherwise has its foundations in high-action battles. The use of voice actors, always a huge gamble in video game titles, works well enough for most characters, but there are some overdone accents that grate on the nerves. Transitions between cutscenes and gameplay — unlike those of the refreshing battle system — are jarring and awkward. Thankfully, all cinematics can easily be skipped if the storyline is not your main attraction. If you miss an important plot point in the cutscene, a red arrow always points to the next destination.

Among other distinctly Level-5 mechanics, the emphasis on weapon synthesis is most noteworthy. Like the Dark Cloud series, the gamer can fuse weapons together to improve statistics, making Rogue Galaxy’s arsenal infinitely customizable. And Toady, a mutated frog who eats and regurgitates these synthesized weapons, helps the gamer reveal special weapon combinations that will create ideal characteristics for the next generation.

Almost all of the shortcomings of the game find redemption in the truly diverse, massive and customizable gameplay mechanics, whether they involve battle strategy, weapon synthesis and factory production, or challenging side quests. There are at least 60 good hours of gameplay to squeeze out of this title. Rogue Galaxy is a gamer’s game, meant for someone who can tolerate weak story interruptions of otherwise stellar gameplay. The game looks and feels Level-5 from head to toe — an engaging gaming experience that will entertain players of all skill levels.

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