In this brilliant new game from Lucasarts, the Death Star has been destroyed and the Alliance are on the run, searching for a new base from which to regroup and make their plans.  Imperial defector Tycho Celchu leads the Rebels to a vital group of Imperial scientists who also wish to swap sides, and a circuitous domino of events leads them - and us - right into the midst of the Battle of Hoth as the Empire pour on the pressure and attack Echo Base.

 

With missions set on such worlds as the aforementioned Hoth, Bakura, the shipyards of Fondor and relatively new worlds such as Geonosis - where equipment left over from the Galactic republic can be utilized in-game - this flits between the events of the original trilogy, while adding to the background history of the saga.  For instance, did you know that the Empire had an experimental Star Destroyer at the shipyards of Fondor?  Or that the Emperor manipulated battles to allow the Rebels to become overconfident?  Well now you do, and that's where Rebel Strike really shines.

 

From a technical point of view Rebel Strike is a significant step forward, as players can now move directly from their starships onto foot and continue playing with no cut aways, a major advance on previous games.  A multiplayer mode adds another dimension to the game, as do enhanced graphics and sound effects.

 

While there are certain elements of the game that could be improved upon - as with every game - this has really set the bar high, coming off the back of last years Bounty Hunter and gives us all a lot to look forward to in the two years until the release of Episode 3.

 

GRAPHICS 80%	GAME PLAY 80%
SOUND 80%	REPLAY VALUE 80%
OVERALL 80%