Star Wars Galaxies - Gameplay

Once you have made the careful decision of what race your character will be, what profession he/she will excel in, and what he/she will wear and look like while doing it, it’s TIME TO PLAY!

The first thing you will notice when entering SWG is the amazing graphics and details in all the environments you will encounter. I don’t know another way to say it, if I was to imagine being on a starship, space station or far off distant world in a galaxy far far away this is what it would look like to me. The rich environments and detailed imagery does come at a price though, I found that no matter which server I tried (and I did try several) you found LAG, the mortal enemy of on-line games. For me it was easier to overcome the lag problem, being such a Star Wars fan I can pretty much forgive anything to actually be a Star Wars character, but some gamers might find it bothersome.

The worlds you can visit in SWG are very plentiful. Worlds pulled right from the movies like Naboo and Tatooine, which are re-created in perfect detail. Some worlds that we have heard about in the movies but have never seen like Dantooine and Corellia are also contained in the game. There are even a few new worlds that we have never seen or heard of like Dathomir, Rori, Lok, and Talus.

You begin as a captive on an Imperial Starship bound for places unknown, and your character awakens in a medical bay. There is a quick tutorial which takes you through the in game controls, using objects, interacting with other characters, picking up and using weapons. C3PO is there to guide you through the tutorial and teach you the basics of what you need to survive in SWG. As you proceed with the game you meet up with other familiar characters like Han Solo and Chewbacca. They will guide you on your first steps in your chosen profession by helping you find the people you need to talk to and learn skills from. During play you can talk to other characters along the way that will offer you quests to obtain credits and equipment, some of these quests may not advance you in your chosen profession but they will all add to your XP as well as your bank account. If you ever find yourself wanting something to do or want to try something new, stop by the local cantina, there will always be someone willing to hire you for a mission.

I enjoyed the fighting experience in SWG, you have free range over your weapons you can use them on any other character not essential to the story. For those who played Knights of The Old Republic, and remember the extremely un-interesting automated combat sequences this game will make those woes a thing of the past. You want to shoot something, just pull the trigger, but be careful you might make someone angry and they may have a bigger gun or even a light saber. Fighting can be done alone or in groups whatever you choose. During one night of play I stumbled across a group that was having a little bit of difficulty with some particular creatures and just decided to lend a hand, I got some valuable XP for my trouble and the group accomplished their quest. You are permitted to accept quest and assignments from both Republic officers and Imperials, if you want to remain neutral make sure you do not help one group out more than the other group, because you may find yourself being attacked by one group and not being supported by the other.

All throughout the game experience you are accompanied by John Williams’s original score from all the movies. I find the music adds a really nice ambience for the strolls through the worlds and around the space stations. The music also provides excitement during battle sequences and warns of approaching danger. I have to say one of my favorite things about SWG is the use of the original movie’s score. It really does add to the gaming experience as well as gives you the added feel for the Star Wars universe.

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