Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith had a movie tie-in game back in 2005, because it was the style at the time. It was an odd release, not because this game was bad, but because it came out a few weeks before the film. Needless to say, some fans were spoiled in advance.
Even with that oddity, Revenge of the Sith was a fun beat-em-up in the style of those PS2 Lord of the Rings games. While it won’t give Jedi: Fallen Order a run for its money, this is still a fun game to play to commemorate this film.
Retelling the events of Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith, players alternate between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as we witness the movie through their perspectives. Coming out a few weeks before the actual film, it was pretty crazy getting clips and spoilers playing this game while waiting for the prequel trilogy’s conclusion.
To be fair, this is an abridged recap, so certain character-centric bits aren’t spoiled in this game. Still, even without those, fans witnessed Anakin killing Mace Windu and Count Dooku, Obi-Wan’s duel with General Grievous, and that final climactic battle between Jedi Master and Padawan. You don’t get the iconic Darth Vader scene where he shouts “nooooooo,” but plenty of damage was done.
As a game, Revenge of the Sith is a pretty fun title. Slashing away at droids and various enemies always feels good. You could also learn new combos by leveling up, something else that was copied from those Lord of the Rings games. Nevertheless, slashing away at foes with your lightsaber and force powers was a blast, at least until Force Unleashed gave fans an OP hero to use.
You won’t see Star Wars: Episode 3 on the same tier lists as Knights of the Old Republic or LEGO Star Wars, but it was fine for what it is. This was one of those games you rented over the weekend and played with friends, since there were decent multiplayer options.
click to enlargeMost fondly remembered is the duel mode, which essentially acted like a fighting game. Players could choose between Obi-Wan, Anakin, Count Dooku, Mace Windu, Cin Drallig, and Serra Koto. Fans could also unlock Darth Vader and older Obi-Wan, letting fans relive that battle from the original Star Wars.
Revenge of the Sith also had four co-op missions that had fans using a bevy of different characters. These never took long, but were a good way to kill time when your friends paid a visit.
Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith definitely came out at a weird time for fans. This game essentially spoiled the movie for many, and gave them a decent brawler as an apology. Then again, the movie made millions of dollars and is getting a 20th anniversary re-release, so we think it did fine.