Ah, another day, another Star Wars game. You see, Im the biggest Star Wars fan around, and every time a new game is announced I get all my hopes up. Then when its released I just want to love it off sooo much. When last years Starfighter was announced, one could say I got excited (I peed my pants twice.) The idea of finally being able to play a flight shooter (of quality) on a console stoked me. Yet the game turned out so average, the best you could describe it as was simply good. This years sequel entitled Jedi Starfighter (based on the upcoming Episode II) for the most part has the same end result.

Graphically, Starfighter was a beautiful game, and Jedi Starfighter is even more so. Tons of ships appear on-screen at once, along with gigantic capital ships. The land based missions sport hi-res textures and detailed structures that are a sight to behold. However not all the textures in the game contain such minute detailing and I noticed a few polygons clipping and popping in here and there. Also more than once it got to be too much for the system and the framerate subsequently takes hits. It never affects gameplay, but it is noticeable. Overall however, the graphics are more than capable.

The game falls short in the gameplay department though. First things first, WHERE THE #!" IS THE RADAR!! The biggest complaint from the original not being rectified is a sin. They have added markers around objectives and key ships but cmon! GIVE ME THE RADAR! You think with how much Lucas is listening to the fans about Episode I, the Starfighter team would do the same. Another problem is despite the cool new Jedi Starfighter ship being playable, you only control it for about half of the missions. The other half is spent controlling the returning Havoc bomber from the original, which I found mildly entertaining compared to the new entry. The new force powers offered are cool, but their usefulness is a bit suspect. This game really is just last years game with a new ship, which isnt necessarily a bad thing.

Sound has always been Lucasarts forte. Jedi Starfighter is no different. All the sound effects are spot-on Star Wars. Laser blasts, explosions, even the hidden TIE fighter has the infamous roar down pat. But my favourite aspect of Star Wars games has always been John Williams score. The best music ever in a movie translates to the game flawlessly. There is even some new Episode II tracks snuck in. Another addition to this years version is the increased radio chatter during the missions, which sounds very impressive. It totally sucks you in.

Sadly, this game lacks depth and serious replay value. All 16 missions have bonus and hidden objectives, yet only the hardcore need apply. The same goes for the games higher difficulty levels. Some missions just become obscenely hard. There are some extremely cool unlockables (hidden X-Wing and TIE fighter, concept art and a hilariously Day in the life at Lucasarts skit which has to be seen) but the excitement of these wears off quickly. Its fun while it lasts, which isnt very long (NOOO!)

As much as I wanted to love this game, I can only say its above average. Its a blast, but its flaws keep it from being a super happy fun blast (believe it!) I cant say buy it, but if you love Star Wars, its not a bad choice at all.