Developer: Factor 5 Publisher: Lucas Arts Release: 11/18/01 Genre: Action
Factor 5 established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the Nintendo 64 with the original Rogue Squadron. As one of the titles that convinced Nintendo to release the RAM expansion separately it was a technical showpiece. It was also a great game worthy of the Star Wars license. For the sequel not only did they surpass the original they did so in less than nine months! Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is easily one of the best GameCube launch titles. It is also one of the best looking games of that generation.
The plot of Rogue Squadron II dovetails between the events of all three Star Wars films with both reenactments of their most iconic moments as well as new missions. This is slightly disappointing as both Shadows of the Empire and the first game cover a lot of this ground. Admittedly the fresh coat of paint makes them feel brand new. In addition having Denis Lawson reprise Wedge Antilles and record new dialogue lends the game an air of authenticity.
The first thing you will notice is the stellar presentation. Coming a year after the PS2 the GameCube had to demonstrate it was able to compete technically with Sony’s juggernaut. Rogue Leader shows that not only was the purple cube on the same level but better. The art direction is fantastic as each planet boasts a level of detail unheard of for the time. The ship models look ripped straight from the films and the game makes use of bump mapping in its detailed surfaces. The draw distance is as far as the eye can see with fog only establishing mood. The lighting effects are incredible and the game is big on spectacle. They throw around hundreds of ships, lasers, and other models with no hit to the framerate. I will say this; Rogue Squadron II made the earlier released Star Wars Starfighter look embarrassing.
By and large Rogue Squadron II does not stray far from the original. If it ain’t broken don’t try to fix it. The controls take advantage of the additional buttons and analog stick of the GameCube controller. The flight controllers are tighter as the analog triggers allow for smoother turning and easier speed control. The X and Y buttons bring up cockpit view and target display which highlights and outlines enemies for easy identification. This is a god send on certain missions. The D-pad issues commands to your squad members and with their smarter AI makes the harder missions bearable.
The mission design is largely mostly the same wit an evolving series of objectives to complete. However what has changed is the level of spectacle. Factor 5 use the GameCube’s power to craft missions presenting interesting challenges and immerse you in the Star Wars universe. The Ison Corridor features volumetric fog that masks incoming Tie fighters, making it an excellent use of the targeting display. Prisoners of the Maw takes you from a debris field in space to the surface of a mining colony as you bomb targets to buy time for the prisoners to escape. They revisit certain iconic battles too. The Death Star Trench run looks spectacular and you get a new perspective on the Battle of Endor. Even the Battle of Hoth, which was the best part of Shadows of the Empire, gets a nice redo here.
Later missions rely heavily on switching vehicles mid mission and Rogue Squadron II features a plethora of vehicles. You have more freedom to choose ships for missions although some stages force you to use specific ones. I have praised the game so far because honestly I have few complaints. Some of the missions seem far removed from the overall narrative. They feel like a cool set piece the developers wanted to include; the aforementioned Prisoners of the Maw for instance. The difficulty is also unbalanced in a few stages. Razor Rendezvous and the Vengeance on Kothlis are both mid-game levels and feature a sharp spike that is off putting. However the majority of the challenge will come from hunting medals which remains just as compelling as ever.
Due to the game’s short development cycle Rogue Squadron II is shorter than its predecessor but not by much. The campaign has ten missions of increasing difficulty that will take more than one sitting to complete. The excellent medal system returns and rewards a metric ton of extra content. There are five bonus missions that offer a different perspective on the events of the game. A number of extra ships are unlockable and are too powerful like the Tie Fighter. The cheat codes grant access to special features like concept art, a sound test, and full commentary on every level. The medals are tuned perfectly so that it is enticing to replay missions to best your performance. The rewards make it worth it beyond just being fun.
In Closing
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is widely considered one of the best Star Wars games of its time. It excels in delivering thrilling space battles with great graphics, immersive sound, and solid gameplay mechanics. Factor 5 does an excellent job expanding the winning formula they established in the original and deliver one of the best reasons to own a Nintendo GameCube. While the difficulty may frustrate some players at times, the experience is incredibly satisfying for those who enjoy action-packed, arcade-style combat. It is an absolute shame this has not been re-released. Rogue Leader is too great to remain a GameCube exclusive.
