A promising restart: A new guy's perspective
As far as gameplay is concerned, I actually prefer this action-tuned combat system to the more tedious turn-based system. If you can walk to a fridge, make a sandwich and return to your computer within the same battle, it really takes you out of the game. With this more proactive fighting system, you really feel like you're in control of your character's actions as opposed to coaching from the sidelines. Of course, there are a lot of folks out there who say this goes against the essence of the rpg but how many of them are actually just playing as themselves in a wookie suit, instead of actually roleplaying. But I digress If you don't have the manual, like me, learning the controls can take some time, but you do have a tutorial stage to get you pointed in the right direction and it definitely shows you every basic control for your class and for space.
So far, the sound has been wonderful. Actually, it's everything I'd hoped. Familiar blaster fire, wookie grunts, cantina music, it all really adds to the atmosphere. Wouldn't really expect anything less in this department.
Now, understand that I really like the Star Wars license, a lot. I like Star Wars enough that I have perfected a fairly convincing Wookie voice. I've read a lot of the expanded universe material and played my fair share of the games. I know the continuity for the most part and know that the current changes are the equivalent of bloody murder to the story line. Jedis all over the place? Clone war era equipment and creatures? Jedis all over the place?! Now, I also understand that there are people out there who have only heard of Star Wars because of constant parody or network tv showings or, heaven forbid, saw the prequels first. I can understand why this content has been dropped into the game so blatantly out of place. However annoying it may be, it doesn't detract from the idea that I can create a character in that universe and actually shoot the kneecaps off a stormtrooper or run away from the Sand People or try my hand at the Kessel run. That's the point right?
Despite all of the glaring errors and current level of bugs, this reboot of Galaxies may be just what the game needs to pull in new lives to an otherwise stagnant series.