BSG Game worth EVERY penny!

Titon · November 28th, 2003, 07:41 AM

I'm not going to specifically review the game itself but explain some aspects of why this game lives and breaths Battlestar Galactica. From the opening cut scene to the end you cannot stop playing this game. If your interested in flying a Colonial Viper against the Cylons then your set but it should not be the main reason you buy a playstation 2 and the game, the feel of this game is truely Battlestar.

I played the game folks and i could not stop until the end. It wasn't the game play that excited me the most it was seeing the next cut scene movie that drove me to play this game. EdenFX did the movie cut scenes in the game and they knocked it out of the park. The Battlestars themselves are the closest cgi Battlestars next to the Foundation imaging Battlestar that i've seen. The Foundation ship is still the very best but the ship and the way the folks at EdenFX lit, it in the game, are damn close. The Basestars are another story, not very accurate but it doesn't matter. In this game you get it all, Battlestars and Basestars, Raiders and Vipers(mini viper). You get Cylons (different version but cool) and new versions of Cylon fighters. But again that's not the true issue here, the feel of being in the Galactica universe once again is there. Bar none the mini, in my estimation, would not hold up against what the game people have done here. If you were to play the game cutscenes next to the visual aspects of the mini at the same time, December 8th, you would turn off the mini. That's how good of a feel you get from seeing this game. I cannot tell you how actually moved i was to see not only the visual aspects but to *hear* those perticular sound effects and the original music score.

Go get the game folks, buy a playstation 2 even just to see how it could have been. Don't be discouraged by the few mini aspects you see in the game, just loose yourself once again.

peter noble · November 28th, 2003, 08:50 AM

I HATE playing videogames, but even I've considered buying this game and a console, I'll probably buy one just to help the sales.

No disrespect to the Zoic people, but the cut scenes by Eden FX that I've seen are dead on, and ultra cool!

Peter

Gemini1999 · November 28th, 2003, 08:51 AM

Don -

I did just that - I bought the game as soon as I saw it and then bought a PS2 a few days later. I finally broke thorough a level after a few days of playing (sans memory card). The CGI footage in between each level is excelllent - I only which that the Galactica herself was a bit brighter in appearance like in TOS. I did buy a memory card the day before Thanksgiving and gave the game a go for a while yesterday, but I'm still trying to break through that first level again.

I love the TOS sounds of the lasers, turbos and explosions - you really do feel like you are in the old days of BSG. I've gotten quite good at getting used to the PS2 controller (it's my first game system) and I can blow away Cylons left and right (most of the time). I have to tell you, blowing things up is quite theraputic - If you have a crappy day, come home and take it out on the Cylons instead of kicking the dog (figuratively speaking) or shouting at the wife or kids!

The game is a blast and I see that there are hours of fun to be had in this little package.

Bryan
________
Glas

Titon · November 28th, 2003, 10:21 AM

Peter, it wasn't that i was not happy to see what Zoic did for the mini. Being a part of that i have to say that they effects and look of the effects in the mini are still superior to the game. It's the *feel* you get from the game that makes you watch it over the mini for just that aspect.

I still believe that the effects for the mini are it's only redeeming quality.

peter noble · November 28th, 2003, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Titon
Peter, it wasn't that i was not happy to see what Zoic did for the mini. Being a part of that i have to say that they effects and look of the effects in the mini are still superior to the game. It's the *feel* you get from the game that makes you watch it over the mini for just that aspect.

I still believe that the effects for the mini are it's only redeeming quality.

Sorry Titon, my post wasn't meant to be a slam against you or your co-workers, it's just that when I see the FX sequences in game, I know I'm actually watching a new Battlestar Galactica FX sequence in the year 2003! It's what a continuation show could have been like on a purely FX level.

Regards,

Peter

Titon · November 28th, 2003, 01:14 PM

Peter, none takin at all.

The game to me is pure joy and i wished to god i had been a part of that perticular job.

Drake113 · November 29th, 2003, 02:39 PM

I agree, this is a great game. I'm only on the 5th mission, but it's pretty spectacular. Graphics are incredible (I hear even better on the X-Box, dangit) and the cut scenes are beautiful (The one at the end of the battle between the Atlantia and the Basestar is nothing short of stunning). Sound effects sound as if they were lifted from the DVD (which they probably were), and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the effects were in surround sound. The new Cylon ships look very nice and follow a logical evolution from the classic Raider that we all know and love. I have to give the designers props for walking such a tightrope between the original series look and feel and the mini's, ahem, reimagining of it-- I have to admit, I had no idea how they were going to make this game a prequel for both the series and the mini, but thusfar, they've done a much better job of it that I would have expected (apparently, humans *still* made the Cylons in this one, though. Sigh). Voice acting is great and the talent list is amazing-- everyone knows that Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict are in it, but so is Kristanna Loken (T3), Robin Atkin Downes (Byron from B5), and even Dwight Shultz (With him AND Dirk on the project, there's just gotta be an A-Team reference or Easter egg somewhere in the game). There are a bunch of nice extras in the game also- original series concept art, stills from the series, and some absolutely amazing renders of scenes for the game (I'm not kidding-- this is "Make that my wallpaper now" good). Even the music, which I rarely listen to in a game, is great. While they could have gone the easy route and just taken Stu Phillips’ original score and called it a day, they went the extra mile and expanded on the original soundtrack, so what you end up with is something that sounds like the classic Galactica soundtrack, but with a lot more added to it.
The downside (and you knew there had to be one) is that the game is hard. Really, really hard. If you're a 30 something like myself and your days of dazzling the people in the arcades with your lightning-fast reflexes are long behind you, it becomes throw the controller down on the ground, curse at the TV and storm out of the room hard. There's just two difficulty settings- Normal (which is totally kicking my kiester) and Expert, which I imagine is just a cut scene of your Viper blowing up. Worse, there's no tutorial level so you can get acquainted with the nuances of Viper piloting before being dropped into the middle of a full-on Cylon furball, which is too bad because there’s heck of a lot of nuances. Also, the missions are usually multi-part (e.g.: Kill X amount of Cylons, then destroy this thing here, now stop this other thing from escaping) which is great-- EXCEPT that if you die or fail an objective you have to start back at the beginning of the mission instead of at your last completed objective, which can be especially irritating.
Overall, though, this would be a great game even if it wasn't BSG related, but with the addition of the series' rich history and background, it's a fantastic game. As I see it, $50 (or even $230 if you don't have a console) is a pretty small amount of money to pay to live out the childhood dream of flying a Viper.

peter noble · November 29th, 2003, 02:53 PM

That's a really good review Drake113! Welcome to the 'Fleets.

Regards,

Peter

Drake113 · November 29th, 2003, 07:44 PM

Thanks! Great to be here!

Muffit · November 29th, 2003, 07:58 PM

Thank you for the review, Drake113! And a hearty WELCOME to Colonial Fleets!

I wish I could see it, we have nearly every video game ever made up to the current era, but alas, too hard to keep up with a new system every couple of years. Since I completely /suck/ at video games, my guess is I should buy it for my daughter or nephew and just watch.

November 30th, 2003, 11:18 AM

btw - the Xbox also carries the game, and it also plays great. I'm renting it for now, and will probably pick it up in the new year. The atmosphere of the game is great, and so is the voice acting. The cutscenes are great as well. The only thing I would of added is a multi-player mode, more save spots, on-line gaming, and 5.1 Dolby Digital support. This is the best space shooter for the Xbox ... period.

I really hope that there is going to be a sequel to this game, and that they add the above items.

Muffit · November 30th, 2003, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vallarian
This is the best space shooter for the Xbox ... period.

I really hope that there is going to be a sequel to this game, and that they add the above items.

Wow! That's sure a glowing accolade! If it's the best space shooter for the XBox, it must /really/ be good! Shoot, now I /really/ wish I could get it...*sigh*... hopefully it will still be available when I can...

kingfish · December 1st, 2003, 11:22 AM

I managed to make it to stage 4 today.

December 1st, 2003, 11:37 AM

I'm on stage 8, but it's really getting tough. Anybody come up with any cheat codes?

kingfish · December 1st, 2003, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vallarian
I'm on stage 8, but it's really getting tough. Anybody come up with any cheat codes?

The key to the game is use missiles instead of lasers.

amberstar · December 2nd, 2003, 10:04 PM

Thanks Kingfish,
Missiles............ I'll try thoes and see if I do any better

Amber

Belloby · December 3rd, 2003, 01:20 PM

I'm going out to buy an Xbox for myself for Christmas and this game.

All your reviews were very helpful. Thanks! I'm glad it is mostly TOS stuff, because if it was based on 2003, there's no way in hell I'd buy it.

I can't wait to play. It took me 25 years, but I'm finally gonna be a warrior!

jonahlee · December 9th, 2003, 03:30 PM

I just keep hearing how hard the game is. I know Warthog makes great games, and especially great flight sims, but they are also not easy. I like to play games to have a good time, and enjoy myself, if a game is too hard I will set it down and not finish, since it gets too frustrating.

I do have an X-Box and am tempted. I am a huge BG fan, but just don't know if I can put up with frustration of a game that sounds like it is this hard!

This IGN review certainly makes me want to give a try though.

shiningstar · January 4th, 2004, 12:53 PM

I tried to play the game. Unfortunately I'm not too good at
it even though I am having fun while playing on it. I'm just
relieved that with my "SKILLS" (Or the LACK THEREOF) .....
that it's ONLY a game LOL

Darrell Lawrence · September 6th, 2005, 08:01 PM

Hey Amber and Shining, how'd the game end up in your capable hands?

martok2112 · September 23rd, 2005, 02:41 PM

Drake, that was an awesome review. Couldn't have said it better myself.

I have beaten the game months ago, and Kingfish is right: Missiles ARE the Key to your success in the game.

REASON: They have attributes that you can adjust as you progress throughout the game. The attributes are SPEED, BLAST RADIUS, POWER, and AGILITY. As you start out the game, I would focus on AGILITY, and POWER...usually these two attributes will guarantee the destruction of however many Raiders you can target. Now, also as you progress through the game, your Vipers become more powerful (via Mark Type), and you can carry larger missile payloads...ergo, target more Raiders/Hostile targets. As you progress, your missile attributes will increase. Eventually, you will get to the point where ALL your missile attributes are completely maxed out, and you will have awesome missiles to deal out deadly firepower.

The other reason missiles are a key to your success is because they are the best method of keeping your ACCURACY skill rating up. I have gotten consistent "A" ratings just for using missiles.....and only using LASERS when I was 110 percent sure I was gonna hit with them.

If you are the hotshot type who loves to use lasers, then keep in mind, it is NOT the Raider you want to target, but the small "lead reticule" that precedes the path of the Raider. Fire into that, and most likely you will hit the Raider.

Also keep in mind that heavy use of your missiles depletes your ship's main power, which replenishes over a short amount of time in the combat.

Also, make continual use of your "Primary Target" button. This is useful because some levels may have time limits, or there is a really important target that you need to keep track of....especially when you fight Magus in one of the near to the end scenarios.

My favorite POV to fight from is First Person, inside the cockpit. When you use the primary target button, the camera will shift in the direction of the primary target, and you can bring your Viper around to bear on it. You have this feature in 3rd Person-Far, 3rd Person-Close, and 1st Person-Cockpit. First person-HUD only does not have this feature, but IIRC an arrow pops up on screen to show you the direction of the PT. Hold the PT button down as you search out primary targets.

Now, you also have wingman commands, and sometimes it really works, but it seems pointless to try and keep your wingmen alive (you can have up to two if you're really good), because the invariably get killed off.

Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict provide excellent voice overs for a couple of other characters in the game, but I do have to say, their renditions of Apollo and Starbuck were very lackluster. It sounded like...I don't know... revisiting Apollo and Starbuck was a chore.

Back to the positives.....I highly recommend (whenever you can in the game) flying around the Big G, up close. She is very well detailed. (No, you can't fly into the recovery bays), but you can see laser cannon emplacements all over the ship, and the nameplates of the GALACTICA are nicely lighted. Occasionally, you'll even have the opportunity to fly up close to a basestar, also nicely detailed. I mean, these capital ships are FRACKING MASSIVE!!!

But yes, the CG cutscenes in this game are very worthy of Classic BSG...and have the epic bigscreen feel that shows what the original series could've seen if it were remade more faithfully.

I highly recommend this game for sci-fi game enthusiasts, Battlestar Galactica fans of ANY stripe, or Galactica collection extraordinaires.

Respectfully,
Martok2112

martok2112 · September 29th, 2005, 01:08 AM

When you get to about mission 11 or 12, you acquire the Strike Viper. This baby rocks. She has the heaviest missile payload, and is the fastest Viper in the game.

However, the mission where you go up against Erebus' basestar is a real witch!

For the first part of the mission, after scoring about 12 kills on Advanced Cylon Raiders (an easy enough task with the missiles), you have to defend Galactica against incoming troop ships. This part of the mission is also fairly easy. If you find a group of troopships in close proximity, one missile hit on one of the troop ships is enough usually to wipe out the entire group. Otherwise, the troop ships are easily taken down individually with one missile.

After you have eliminated that threat, you are then ordered to take on Erebus' basestar itself.

Here is where the mission becomes really hairy. You have to keep a sharp eye on Paulus, and make sure he doesn't get blasted into space dust. The sucky part about this is, you might end up concentrating so hard on the mission of taking out the basestar's laser cannons, that by the time you receive a "Help, I'm coming apart" warning from Paulus, within about two seconds, he's dead, and you have to restart the mission.

What sucks is that sometimes you will get LITTLE to NO WARNING whatsoever before he gets blasted into random energy. If he dies, you have to restart the mission.

Your best bet is when you get the order to attack the basestar...go in quickly, and try to take out the laser cannons as quickly as possible. There are 10 laser cannons in the central hub (five upper and five lower lasers). If you fly the circumference of the hub, you should be able to pass over each pair of laser cannons, and take them out with your missiles. You do not have to hold down the missile lock button to get a lock. The Strike Viper's missiles are literally fire and forget. After you eliminate the central hub's lasers, there are five on the topside section of the basestar, and five on the bottom. Use the same technique. Target a laser cannon, and quick fire a missile. After that cannon is destroyed, the next available cannon should be targetted automatically. Try and wipe out those cannons before Paulus cries out for help. Once he's done that, you are only two to five seconds from losing the game.

Then, the Basestar will fire a neutron cannon at the Galactica, and destroy her portside landing pontoon. You will then have 60 seconds to wipe out the five targetting sensors (they look like bright blue domes). Two are on the belly, and three are topside.

Then, you fight Magus after he kills Paulus. Magus is in the Imperium class Raider, which has cloaking abilities. Keep him as the Primary Target, and fire away missiles at him. This will be a long and tedious process, but if you do it right, you will kill Magus.

martok2112 · October 6th, 2005, 10:39 PM

For those that may not be in the know, but the Battlestar Galactica game can be bought new for PS2 and Xbox for 20 bucks. It originally released at $49.99, but I am glad it came down.

Tabitha · October 7th, 2005, 08:11 AM

I tried the game, couldnt get past the first level, bought Code Breaker and unlocked the whole game, and now I can beat every other level but the first one. I just dont understand what Im doing wrong, I blast everything, if it flies, it dies! Still the stupid Galactica blows up and its over, so its definately a love hate relationship with that game. Whats the point of making a game if its too hard to enjoy all the work you put into it? Sorry, but video games need a "stupid blond girl with little patience" difficulty setting....

tabbi

martok2112 · October 7th, 2005, 03:49 PM

Tabbi,

In level one, just keep on blasting Cylons until you hear Commander Magus inform you that there are a group of advanced Raiders making a run for the Galactica. When that happens, use your Triangle button which is your Primary Target button. This will highlight the primary targets with white circles around them, and they will be flying in a group. They will be approaching the bow of the Galactica (forward). Lock on with your missiles on that group by holding down the missile button. When you have a full lock, release the button to let your missiles go, and you should be able to take a few down. Lather, rinse, repeat. Once you've eliminated the special fighters, you will advance to part two of the mission.

Some things to remember:

When looking at your HUD, you will notice a few elements. In the middle of the HUD you will see a fairly large rectangular section. This is your "effective targetting area". When you are locking onto a target with missiles, make sure you get as many targets as you can within the rectangle, and hold down the missile lock button until you get a lock. If you have a single target that requires two missiles (or more) to take down, like an Advanced or Raider Leader, or a Marauder, or larger targets, make sure you get multiple locks on that target. Also, in this rectangle, this is your targetting range for your lasers.

When you are trying to shoot down a Raider with your lasers, you will notice that there is a greenish blue circle in front of the Raider (or within the red circle if you are directly in front of or behind the Raider.) That circle is what you want to target because it is the lead reticule for the target itself. As long as you keep the lead reticule in the rectangle, your lasers will track and hit the lead.

I need to bring up a display to show everyone the optimal kill situations.

Respectfully,
Martok2112

October 9th, 2005, 12:02 AM

Any news if the BSG game will be put out for a PC format?

I have read the reviews and would really like to get the game and play it but am just not wild about using a "Video Game" type controler or going out to buy a PS2 or XBox for just that game. I have played combat flight sims for so long and have really gotten used to them that I would rather be where I could use my PC Fighter type joystick and throttle to play the game.

Really surprised they didn't put out a PC version of it at the same time they put out the other versions.

<S>!

martok2112 · October 9th, 2005, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jester

Any news if the BSG game will be put out for a PC format?

I have read the reviews and would really like to get the game and play it but am just not wild about using a "Video Game" type controler or going out to buy a PS2 or XBox for just that game. I have played combat flight sims for so long and have really gotten used to them that I would rather be where I could use my PC Fighter type joystick and throttle to play the game.

Really surprised they didn't put out a PC version of it at the same time they put out the other versions.

<S>!

According to them, there are no plans for a PC port of the game. However, you can probably find flightsticks for the consoles. I know there is one for the game Ace Combat 5. It's a special edition package that comes with the game, and a really nice flight stick/thruster module. Goes for about 150 bucks. I know, I'd like to get a flight stick for my consoles. I do have two awesome flightsticks for my PC's/. The Saitek X45 and The Saitek X52.

Respectfully,
Martok2112

October 9th, 2005, 07:51 PM

Thanks for the news Martok.

Too damn bad about not putting out a PC version - they are going to loose a lot of trade that way.

BTY, I also fly a Saitek X52 - best stick I have come across yet in 6+ years of combat flight sim flying.

martok2112 · October 9th, 2005, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jester

Thanks for the news Martok.

Too damn bad about not putting out a PC version - they are going to loose a lot of trade that way.

BTY, I also fly a Saitek X52 - best stick I have come across yet in 6+ years of combat flight sim flying.

Yes, and I never got to fly mine yet...thanks to Katrina for that. One of the first things I want to do when I get back is use this stick with X Wing Alliance.

I also plan on using it in Galactica fanfilms, to represent a technological advancement for flying the Vipers.

And of course, for sheer beauty, you cannot beat the X52.

For those who have never seen the X52 before, here ya go:

Ain't it a beaut?

There are some people who are working on mods of older PC titles (like Freespace 2) to make Battlestar Galactica games. Most of them seem to be geared towards TNS, but I think they are trying to work up TOS versions as well. Wouldn't it be great to go online and battle it out as humans vs. cylons? Or to fly as a Viper formation against the Cylon menace? Or even lay as the Cylons whose sole mission it is to erradicate humanity? If I knew anything about game design modification, one of the things I would also add are launch and recovery operations aboard the Galactica. (That is an element that I think would've enhanced the game tremendously for PS2 and Xbox.) They did it for Wing Commanders III and IV, I believe.

In the game Ace Combat 4: Shatterred Skies, you can return to base (carrier or landbased, depending on your aircraft choice) to refuel and rearm, and can conduct relatively simple landing operations (or opt to skip that segment). Such an option would've been greatly welcomed in Galactica.

Respectfully,
Martok2112

Nezhdan · October 12th, 2005, 12:21 AM

You know I've been thinking of getting this game for a couple of weeks, it's budget priced now at amazon. I suppose I should, I 've played plenty of other space fighter/sims, (Wing Commander, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter etc.) and enjoyed them... about the only thing that discouraged me from snagging this game when it was released was a couple of gamespot's critiques about the game being too difficult.

Particularly the target acquisition, cycling through enemies until you get the one you want... that sounds rather frustrating, but now I think I might just throw caution to the wind and just get the game.

Definately cool reading what other BSG fans think.