Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer - PC

Meesa so happy you read meesa's review.

(Suddenly, Sebulba jumps from out of nowhere and tears Jar Jar's floppy ears off and drags him away into the darkness . . . And there was much rejoicing.)

Thanks, Sebulba. By now, all of you readers have experienced the new Star Wars movie in some fashion or another. From beach towels to coffee mugs, from toothpaste to Legos, Star Wars is everywhere. So, it comes as little surprise that the movie would spawn not one, but two video games (the other being Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.)

In Star Wars: Episode One Racer, we see the dark underbelly of the Republic take form in the numerous pod racing leagues around the galaxy. For those of you who haven't seen the movie (all two of you), one of the best scenes involves the nine-year old Anakin in a deadly high speed race, piloting the Star Wars equivalent of a roman chariot. Gee, I didn't get to risk my life like that till I was twelve . . .

As hinted at in the movie, many other planets in the Republic condone pod racing for gambling purposes. It's your job to take on the role of one of the podracers, some of which were in the film. As in any racing game, the goal is to come in first. Placing in the top three gets you money, which can then be used to upgrade your pod. Not surprisingly, the tracks are broken into three groups: amateur, semi-pro, and Galactic. Unfortunately, you never get to race Ben Hur . . .

The graphics in Racer are clean and crisp. They should be, since the game requires a 3D Accelerator card. There are at least 21 racers in the game, each with their own pod. On top of that, there are 25 different tracks, each one different - not just mirrors of each other. Even with all this, the framerate is impressive. You really get the sense of speed with Racer as you zoom through canyons and over volcanoes. But the graphics really shine when it comes to the full motion video (FMV).

This is one of the few times when I can honestly say that the FMV helped the grade significantly. Despite only being able to see a few planets in the new movie, the Star Wars universe is full of other places. Of course, this also allows the designers to use artistic license and just make up a couple of planets. In either case, the FMV at the beginning of every race fleshes out the universe and adds to the immersion of the game.

The sound is also fantastic. From the taunts, screams, and mumbles of the other racers to the great rendition of the bar music from the first Star Wars movie sung by Watto (the junkyard dealer), the music is authentic. If it's one thing the folks at LucasArts know how to do, it's sound.

The one major drawback that pulls the grade down is the lack of a multiplayer. While you can play against your friends on a LAN, how many gamers really have access to a LAN? Why in the world didn't LucasArts include some sort of Internet multiplayer? Apparently, the problems arise from latency issues, though these should have been dealt with before releasing the game. I'm sure Star Wars fans would love to set up pod racing leagues online. You just have to wonder what these folks are thinking sometimes.

All in all, Star Wars: Episode One Racer is a pretty good game. With fast action and neat FMV, it's sure to entertain most Star Wars fans. The lack of any Internet playability is very disappointing and hurts the replay value of the game. On the plus side, however, they didn't have Jar Jar in the game, and for that, I thank them.