Facebook – Top 100 FAVORITE Video Games: 80

80: Shadows of the Empire (N64 and, I guess, PC)
Developer: LucasArts
Year: 1996

This game is muddy as hell. I’m looking at pictures and thinking to myself “how did anyone play games like this, back then?” but, then I realize – they could play it because this game is awesome and fun. As fun as it is muddy. One of the best Star Wars games ever made, Shadows of the Empire has everything going for it you could even imagine… back in 1996. Cool story, great variety in missions, and a place in Star Wars chronology that good SW fiction has missed – between Empire and Jedi. SotE filled that gap while also giving us one of the cooleset expanded universe characters this side of Kyle Katarn.

Han Solo’s frozen in carbonite, so there’s no Han Solo. But this guy, Dash Rendar, he’s like Han Solo. And he knows he’s like Han Solo. One thing people seem to forget about this game’s protagonist is that he seemed to understand he was a Han ripoff that was put in the game just to NOT be Han Solo. If I said Han Solo a lot in this paragraph, its only because thats what LucasArts tried to cram down our throats with Dash. Smuggler, gun-runner, fast-ass-but-ugly ship, interesting sidekick, and… I think, Star Wars’ only evidence of leather friggin’ pauldrons.

heheh

He’s cocky as fuck and handy with a blaster. Also, Luke’s good friend for the few months before his “death” – so to speak. Basically he just helps the rebels take out this guy, Prince Xixor, who – in the game – isn’t really overly well developed. He just wanted Luke dead and to take Vader’s place at Palpatine’s hand.

The gameplay, though, is real solid. Evidence of this fact stems from the fact that the very first level in the game – the Battle of Hoth – is the BEST HOTH LEVEL IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY TO THIS DAY. Of this there can be no debate. No game has really captured it that well, since, often times including elements that detract from the fun of using cables to topple the mechanical titans. After this, though, you get a fairly good mix of infiltration missions, on-foot/jetpack levels, and space combat that never got dull. And the level variety was really well done, too, including the two in which you track down some bounty hunters to reclaim – wait for it – Han Solo on Ord Mantell (referencing Han’s encounter with bounty hunter IG-88 he made mention of in Empire!) and Fett on Gall. And the final space level – in which you destroy Xixor’s Skyhook – is epic, with everyone fighting EVERYONE (including Vader in a Star Destroyer).

As is the case with all good Star Wars games, the music is really good and often times lifted right from the movies, but the game had some of its own tracks that were equally fantastic. The thing that set it apart, though, was that it wasn’t a digitally created set of tracks, but instead an actual orchestral score, making it feel more like the movies, at times. Paired with the games murky and foggy, but well crafted levels, Shadows of the Empire produced a game world that fit right in with the rest of the OT feel.

All in all, Shadows of the Empire is one of those games that needs to be remade. I don’t usually sit around and wish games were remade with today’s graphics or anything, but I think they could do some amazing things with a game this good but so very, very old. Dash was interesting, the swoop race level didn’t suck, and there were secret things to find all over the place (including one challenge point that was shaped like a character from another LucasArts game, Sam and Max!). A remake, now, would be stellar. Also, the remake could tell the story from the book better, and not just be a part of a cross-promotional media event like it was when it came out in 1996 (book, game, comics, toys, etc.).

Classic Moment:
TIE! I loved the Hoth level a ton, but the best part was just shooting AT-ATs rather than using tow cables to take them out. It took a lot longer, but felt like a huge accomplishment when it was over. Otherwise, the other thing I loved to do was try to destroy the Star Destroyer in the last level. Back in those days, before I had such ready use of the internet, I thought there was FOR SURE some trick to blowing it up. Why include its health % if you can’t blow it up? 😦 😦 😦

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Added September 30, 2016
Is this on Steam? If it is on Steam, I’ll buy it immediately. Just learned that the PC version had voice acting and FMVs instead of text and images. How did I not know this?!