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"A good game that could have been great"

Being a true fan of the original Battlestar Galactica series, news of this coming to console had me very excited. For one thing, space sims on the Xbox are few and far between, Star Wars Starfighter being the only other notable space sim on the console. Okay, there was Star Trek: Shattered Universe, but that game cannot be counted on account that playing it would immediately cause your IQ to drop. Be it extinct or simply a trend away from space sims, I had high hopes leading into this game. For the most part, I was not disappointed.

Graphics
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Battlestar Galactica (BG) is a pretty game, no doubt about it. The in-game engine runs smoothly and the game uses a very attractive palette. The variety of levels makes for some great eye candy. All ships in this game look good and the ambient effects are better than average.

The CGI in this game is excellent. Some of the cut-scenes mostly depicting space combat are white-knuckle affairs and are very exciting. Characters are well rendered, but the joy of these scenes lies in the space combat sequences. One notable exception to the rule is that one of the main characters in the game is drawn with a moustache. The only problem is that this moustache looks more like someone smeared melted chocolate on his face! It's hilarious, and I'm shocked that the developers let such a glaring mis-drawn character get through to production.

Sound
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The sound in BG is also very nicely implemented. If you are a fan of the original series, you'll instantly feel a rush of nostalgia every time you hit the turbo boost or shoot your lasers. Explosion sound effects are well done and the voice acting is most definitely above average. The chatter between you and (usually) the Galactica keeps the action flowing and helps draw the scripted story further without any halt in the gameplay. The music is a good mix of mostly orchestral background scores. Again, fans of the original series will be happy to hear the theme song within minutes of booting this up.

Story
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The trend these days is to write prequels, it seems. This is no exception. You take on the role of Commander Adama (at that time – Lieutenant) during his rise to notoriety. Chronologically, the original Battlestars (all destroyed in the pilot movie) still exist, and once in a while, you will be called upon to defend one or perform some task. The story itself is quite interesting, but not earth-shattering.

Gameplay
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This is not the easiest game to master, simply because there is no tutorial whatsoever. Within minutes, you will find yourself thrust into your Viper in a battle to defend the Galactica. A bit of trial and error will ensue, but as is the case with most space sims, you'll become aware of what to expect next as wave upon wave of enemy attacks. You are able to bring your shields back to full strength by not firing and allowing them to recharge and can also configure missiles ranging from fast, weak and maneuverable to slow and powerful, your choices determining how many you can fire off at a time. You have unlimited missiles. You have wingmen that you can have assigned to you, and they'll follow your simple orders as you give them.

You'll find yourself manning 3 types of Vipers, as well as a few other ships (and a Cylon Raider too) and will be pitted against a number of enemies with varying skill levels and sizes. You'll also be put into the gunners seat to man turrets as you defend the Galactica.

All of this gameplay is great, save for one major issue, which truly made this game good and not great in my eyes.

Difficulty
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One major issue about this game is that the developers decided that the entire game had to be on a repressive time-limit. Every level to my knowledge is timed, and this truly becomes an issue later on in the game where you have to move to your objectives and fulfill them as soon as possible. My main gripe is that they really didn't give you enough time to enjoy the atmosphere of the level you were in, and it also played against your recharging shields too. Every time you recharge your shield, you would have to stop firing and wait. This wait was far too long and often caused a failure to make your objective. Being able to fly around a bit and enjoy the scenery is something you'll do very little of in this game. It's a real pity, because this is a major issue. The time limit constricts you and makes you feel like you needed more time in your cockpit for enjoyment purposes, let alone to clear your objective.

Overall
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This game is a solid 7.0. I would have given it at least one more point if the time limit was made less restrictive and oppressive. That truly was this games Achilles' heel. The final levels are very difficult to complete.

Beyond that, fans of the original, or fans of space shooters will get a kick out of this title. Taking your Viper to turbo-boost down the throat of a Cylon Basestar while protecting a Battlestar is great fun. Watching the CGI is also enjoyable (sans chocolate-mouthed Magus), and this is as good as any space sim for this system. Given that it has very small company, space shooter fans would enjoy this solid, yet slightly flawed title. And what a pity. One gameplay adjustment would have changed everything and made this a classic space shooter.


Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/25/07