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LucasArts have been trying to make a decent Star Wars strategy game for years but at last, with Empire at War, it looks like they’ve cracked it. Aiming to erase unpleasant memories of the likes of Force Commander and Galactic Battlegrounds, this allows you to take control of the forces of either the Empire or the Rebel Alliance – both in space and on the ground. The space battles in the game are the most immediately impressive element with some stunning graphics and a hugely impressive sense of scale. It’s much easier to control than similar titles such as Homeworld though and the developer’s previous experience with user friendly strategy games such as Command & Conquer is very evident. The ground battles may at first seem slightly more mundane but you get all the classic trilogy technology to use, including outdated (in terms of the Star Wars timeline) leftovers from Revenge of the Sith). There’s no boring resource management either though which lets you get on with the actual strategy rather than the book keeping. Your success or failure in either type of battle directly affects the rest of your campaign, including your ability to construct more units and their morale. There are also "hero" units for both sides, including Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, for that extra boost when your troops most need it. Quite frankly with graphics this good the game is already a must have for any Star Wars fan, but the gameplay is looking equally as good – making this one to watch for everyone. -- Harrison DentThis preview is based on an incomplete version of the game; features or problems mentioned above may not appear in the finished game. 
