Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Assessment (PS1)

Speaking to StarWars.com on the twentieth anniversary of the primary Star Wars prequel movie, George Lucas was clear that, “The movies had been designed for 12-year-olds.” Large Ape Productions mustn’t have gotten the memo when creating PS1 Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace although, as a result of a steep issue curve, and bewildering design ensures that its 1999 sport shouldn’t be household pleasant for a Nubian noob.

You management Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala, and Captain Panaka throughout 11 movie location missions spanning the Commerce Federation Ship to the Swamps of Naboo, all constructing in direction of an Assault on Theed conclusion. Following Large Ape Productions’ work on 1997’s Herc’s Adventures, and proving that there is all the time a much bigger fish, a 12-hour completion time might shock avid gamers anticipating a fast blast, as the sport Pressure pushes journey parts to enhance the top-down motion.

Door change puzzles, and push/pull crate conundrums lead to an identical ‘Con’ to Push Sq.’s PS1 Syphon Filter evaluate — a sport that additionally launched in 1999 — because it’s “simple to get misplaced and lack route”. There’s additionally a complicated Mos Espa podracer parts buying and selling part with Watto on Tatooine. Sadly, escort missions the place you defend an NPC present the worst issue spikes, since poor AI compelled us into an infuriating mission restart after Queen Amidala grew to become trapped inside surroundings and refused to be kidnapped on Coruscant, because the plot development necessitated.

The only-player motion’s not a patch on PS2’s 2005 Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, but it surely’s price studying further lightsaber manoeuvres in opposition to bosses like Darth Maul, so attempt leaping and spinning your blade, as a result of that is a great trick. Droideka destroyer droids are a frustratingly formidable foe, prompting the usage of quite a lot of weapons together with a Proton Missile Launcher, even when Obi-Wan usually thinks blasters are so uncivilised.

Large Ape Productions’ presentation is lovingly respectful to its movie supply with deliberate particulars, and wonderful John Williams’ music compositions, together with dialogue selections via a mixture of authentic and a substitute voice solid that have an effect on minor gameplay occasions. A distant digicam depicts Otoh Gunga and outside Coruscant in a extra beneficial mild, however close-up chunky fashions and uncanny valley CGI have been hit with the 32-bit ugly stick.

An absence of co-op is arguably Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace’s greatest missed alternative, since 2005’s PS2 LEGO Star Wars: The Video Recreation demonstrated that the prequel movies are nice materials for multiplayer motion video games.