There’s a problem inherent in trying to consciously avoid the `if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it` trap that so afflicts gaming franchises these days: you risk breaking it. Gamers are indeed a tricky breed to appease. Give them more of the same and they complain that there’s not enough innovation. Attempt to spice things up, and the original magic is lost. Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike should be commended for its bravery, attempting to inject some variety into what could be seen as a bi-annual update, but whether through a rushed release or sheer design ineptitude, the sad truth is that almost without exception, the attempts at variety are technical failures watering down an already questionable series. But then, the history of Star Wars games is littered with such casualties…

A brief interlude of revisionist history. There are two types of Star Wars game. Type A starts with a good game and moulds the Star Wars license around it, the idea of immersing the player in all things Star Wars coming as something of an afterthought. Type B, on the other hand, is all about that galaxy far, far away, fundamentally concerned with capturing as much of the films’ atmosphere as physically possible, worrying about gameplay mechanics as a distant second. The old X-Wing series is a classic example of Type A, a thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable space combat title only lent added depth through clever use of the Star Wars branding. The Rogue Squadron series, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of the X-Wing series, a Type B example through and through and, here comes the revisionist bit, a mediocre example at that.

Rogue Squadron has benefited incredibly from being one of the few Star Wars series to stay firmly rooted in the lore of the original trilogy. The proof is that the technical second entry into the Rogue Squadron series, Battle for Naboo (it isn’t just the modern trilogy setting that distinguishes the short-lived Starfighter series, there are key differences), was maligned all around as a generally terrible game. True, Battle for Naboo was more fundamentally flawed than Rogue Squadron, but the differences weren’t all that apparent, they were just obscured by the more familiar imagery of X-Wings and TIE Fighters rather than Naboo Starfighters. And despite an obvious graphical makeover, Rogue Leader on the GameCube wasn’t, at heart, a great deal better. The problem was that the attempt to create the sensation of being in the movies by recreating as many recognisable moments as possible with increasing graphical prowess came at the expense of depth, consistent gameplay and a coherent narrative.

Which brings us, after an apparently rather long interlude, to Rebel Strike, the second Rogue Squadron title on the GameCube and one that doesn’t have the option its predecessor enjoyed of being sold entirely off the back of its next-generation graphics. So, instead, an element of variety has been apparently injected to the series, but unfortunately variety is not always a byword for quality. The opportunity to imbue the game with some of the depth of the X-Wing series, the minor gameplay enhancements of the Starfighter series, or even a strong plotline has been ignored. Instead, what variety actually amounts to is a series of new styles of mission, some in ground based vehicles like AT-ST walkers or speeder bikes, some on foot with a pseudo-third-person viewpoint and fixed cameras, all in the name of, you’ve guessed it, putting the player even further in the movie.

One thing that should be made very clear now is that there is a great deal of fun to be had with Rebel Strike. True, these new types of mission are, to a greater or lesser extent, flawed. The on-foot sections feature a lock-on that really just doesn’t work at all, necessitating wild thrashings of the fire button, while an extremely clumsy and over-sensitive control system mar the ground vehicle levels. When they get going, however, they can be good fun and the flaws never really become frustrating, merely too obvious to be ignored. Whilst clearly no rival to a true third-person adventure game, these sections all work sufficiently well as to be satisfying when completed and even occasionally worth replaying. The speeder bike levels in particular, once the over-twitchy handling has been conquered, can be a great laugh, so long as you can be prepared to accept a few seemingly unfair and unavoidable fatalities.

Of course, the meat of the game remains the space combat levels (or planetary orbit combat levels if you want to be pernickety), and it should came as no surprise to learn that, after so many years of practice, Factor 5 has succeeded in making these levels genuinely enjoyable. That said, previous flaws that dogged these sections are still yet to be rectified. The controls can still be a little fiddly, particularly when in bombing mode or when overuse of the tactical computer is required (the Y button has to be held down until an upgrade is found later on in the game, which is no small feat of finger dexterity!). The open space levels can be still be a little disorientating thanks to the deficient 3D radar and the artificial boundaries imposed on the levels are still frustrating. At heart, however, this part of the game is highly polished, and it’s difficult not to get excited when participating in an epic battle against armies of TIE Fighters or when frantically dodging laser fire trying to bring down a series of Star Destroyers’ shields. Despite the earlier criticism of Type B Star Wars games, there is something to be said for participating in genuinely recognisable movie moments such as the Battle of Endor. Fans will get a kick out of such sections at the very least…

The difficulty is, none of this makes up for the fact that Rebel Strike is a piecemeal game, with most missions lasting no longer than ten minutes and only minimal gestures towards anything approaching a plot. Early indications of a couple of different story threads rapidly disappear altogether in favour of random missions recalling the key moments of the second two Star Wars films, complete with original footage used as cutscenes, and there’s only so long that such an approach can stay interesting for. The Goldeneye-esque medals system from earlier titles returns, providing some replay value, but the relative ease with which Gold Medals start falling into your lap (some were fiendishly difficult in Rogue Leader, not so here) renders that only a temporary measure. There is also a suite of unlockable extras that is of the highest calibre, with the classic Star Wars arcade games providing plenty of retro fun, as well as interesting DVD style documentaries and even a mission-by-mission audio commentary (apparently, despite it’s visual similarity to Rogue Leader, Rebel Strike actually uses a fully rebuilt engine, so says one chapter of commentary – perhaps that time would have been better spent developing the gameplay further?). Unfortunately, this all simply contributes to Rebel Strike feeling more like a demo disc than a full game, a teaser, something that’s genuinely good fun, but only in short bursts, and something that seems to hint at a bigger, more complete game that will sadly never come. And as stellar as the visuals and music and other sound components are, as technology marches on, high production values are increasingly the norm, and certainly not enough to save an otherwise lacklustre title, certainly not a second time anyway.

If the demo disc analogy seems a little harsh, make no mistake that Rebel Strike does, in terms of sheer volume of things included on the disc, represent value for money. As well as all of the extras mentioned, there is a full complement of multiplayer modes that, as with the main game, are generally all fun, but only in short bursts. The inclusion of the entirety of the previous title, Rogue Leader, in co-operative multiplayer form is unquestionably a generous addition but, whilst great fun, it simply serves to highlight the fact that the slightly easier and less-focused missions of Rebel Strike are a step down from the earlier titles.

Given the proximity in the names, it’s interesting that Rebel Strike would perhaps have worked just as effectively as the third entry in the long-dead Rebel Assault series. Rebel Assault was effectively an interactive movie with occasional on-rails gameplay bolted on for good measure, roundly praised at the time for its technological advancement, though it is incredibly simplistic by modern standards. This is Rebel Strike’s problem: it’s no longer enough to simply put players in the movie, because that’s been done before. From the looks of the next few Star Wars titles in development, such as Battlefront and Republic Commando, Type A games appear to be dominant once again. If the Rogue Squadron series is going to improve, the next instalment would do well to adopt a similar direction.