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Gotta read the manual

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 31 / 32
Date: February 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game will frustrate you unless you read the manual.
Once you read the manual you will be able to take advantage of 2 crucial things: multi-target homing missiles; and identifying primary objective targets. Without the latter you will get NOWHERE in the game.

Pros:

- Fans will appreciate the art work that can be unlocked in the game- including Ralph Mc Quarrie paintings.
- You get to check-off one of your childhood todos- ie fly a Viper. You get to fly from within the cockpit of the viper as well as cylon marauder. If you press and hold the Y button while in this view, your viewpoint turns slightly as if you are turning your head- so you can see to the left and right of your cockit.
- Cutscenes are pretty cool - but unfornately are very grainy.
- Game is more enjoyable when you have read the manual and are better able to control the Viper's systems.
- Your weapons automatically aim at a target to a limited degree- this gives it the same feel as in the original series. I think more space-sims should do this.
- Sound effects of laser cannons and turbo are from the original series.
- Game soundtrack is an updated version of the score from the original series.

Cons:
- The game is hard and there are no cheats. You have to do things pretty quickly or you will miss your opportunity.
- Expect to have to sit thru the first mission at least twice to get through it. First time to get used to the controls. Second time to fully grok the controls from what you've read in the manual. And maybe one more time to really win the mission.
- Game sequences between saves are long so if you die you have to start all over.
- Cutscenes are grainy.

This game is not worth paying full price, but now that it has hit the bargain bins, I think it is well worth it. Come on, you get to finally check off that "fly a viper" item in your geek-childhood-todo-list. You know the one I'm talking about, the one right below: "Fly down the trench and destroy the Death Star"

Avoid this game!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 25 / 32
Date: January 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As a longtime fan of the Battlestar Galactica TV series, it pains me to write this review. But here it is.

Great looking game, lots of attention to detail, but PLEASE believe the other reviews. This game is IMPOSSIBLY difficult and there are almost NO save points between missions. I say this as as a veteran gamer -- there is no excuse for having to play a mission for 45 minutes only to die at the end and have to start over from scratch.

After a dozen attempts at a certain level sequence, even the most hardcore gamer will want to kill himself. AVOID this game unless you literally have NO job, NO life, NO time for anything other than ENDLESSSSSS repeats of missions over and over.

With so many top-notch games like Halo and Splinter Cell and Max Payne available, there is NO EXCUSE for this piece of refuse. The tiniest amount of product testing would have prevented ALL these problems. This game was RUSHED to release; OR, the game designers are INCOMPETENT. Take your pick.

In addition, the designers (look them up online), don't reply to emails if you are asking for tips or help. Buy this game only if you are seeking a surefire direct route to migraine headaches.

Again: AVOID THIS GAME AT ALL COSTS!!!

Awesome but frustrating

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 14 / 14
Date: November 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

If you are a fan (like myself) of the series, then this game is a must have. While I love Star Wars, I always thought the Vipers and the Battlestars were better looking than x-wings and Star Destroyers. The graphics in this game are excellent, and with the soundtrack, digitally captured sound effects, and the evil Cylons popping up on your com channel to tell you how futile it is to resist, the game is great fun. You really feel like you are piloting a Colonial Viper Mark II, especially when you "kick in your turbos" and the KSHWOOOOOSH sound and vapor trails blast you off.
The only downside is the lack of a save game feature. The game will automatically save for you at certain points, but that point might be at the end of a five stage level. Guess what happens if you die on the last stage of a 45 minute long adventure? YOU GET TO START ALL OVER AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING. Trust me, this will make you want to shoot your television with a 12 guage shotgun. Much frustration and property damage could have been prevented with a simple "quicksave" option.
All in all the game is awesome, especially for fans of the old show, and soon to be premiered new show, as the game blends them both together. Hopefully, somebody will come up with some cheats or walkthroughs to help you through the game, as it took me a long time to get past phase 3 of mission 1, "watch your buddies backs", which is reminiscent of the frustrating and nearly impossible "protect the transports" from Star Wars: X-Wing. If you can remember that game, take your "shoot the screen with shotgun" factor and triple it.

X-wing 2000

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 19
Date: February 02, 2004
Author: Amazon User

After reading several of the reviews, I decided to wait until the price dropped below $30. Within a few hours, I had completed the first 3 missions, and had not experienced the emotional frustration everyone else is talking about.
First of all, the game is very, very similar to the old X-wing game. With X-wing, there was about 30 keyboard-based commands which had to be learned throughout the game in order to be successful. With Battlestar, as long as you read the directions, you can get it down to about 10 necessary buttons....no where nearly as complicated as X-wing, and you don't have to take your eyes off the screen to hit W, S, +, or -.
One advantage to the game is that it actually requires some sort of skill. The new Star Wars games seem to incorporate the theory that the person who can hit the fire button the most times wins. With Battlestar, there is an energy level that does not allow you to just hold down turbo and fire the entire time. Also, your movements and time delay have a direct impact on finishing the mission.
As stated in every review, there is no "autosave" button to store progress in the middle of the mission. But then again, there are many games that are like this (Mechassault, Nightfire (007), XIII, Clone Wars, just to name a few). If you liked X-wing, and you like the concept of Battlestar, this is a great game.

Difficult, but lots of fun...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: January 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I will start with the simple truth: Battlestar Galactica is an extremely difficult game. If one has the patience, it is also a rewarding game that's a lot of fun to play.

The lack of a tutorial makes reading the instruction manual absolutely necessary. Since there are no "free flight" levels, one simply has to learn on the fly. As a bit of advice, read the manual's "targeting" section multiple times. Once you've got this down, the game becomes infinitely easier. In this game, missiles are your best ally.

As pointed out by other reviewers, the lack of save points between mission sections is frustrating, and as the game progresses it may even seem that the game has a personal vendetta against the player, ever requesting further "impossible" tasks, all within the same mission. As a final complaint, certain target objectives are VERY hard to locate, and in true "Death Star" style, are the ONLY vulnerable point on the target.

However, the graphics, cut-scenes, music (especially the music), voice acting, flight control, and vast array of available craft (each with unique traits) are all superb! Real-time missile configuration along with a "fire and forget" locking system alleviate some of the previously mentioned stress. There is a wide variety of mission types (pilot, gunner, bomber) and listening to Adama evolve from eager rookie to vengeful and grizzly veteran is an enjoyable parallel to the player's own gaming experience.

I recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a challenging flight sim, but only if one has an abundance of patience.

Well-designed space shooter

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: November 24, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I enjoy a good space shooter even though I'm not particularly good at them (I admit that I couldn't get through the first space mission in Star Wars: Starfighter without using a cheat). This is definitely a good one. Graphics are very nice. One thing I like is that you don't feel like you're just floating in space; you feel like you're actually flying. Hitting a turbo boost really feels like you're hitting a turbo boost. The ship controls are excellent, and targeting is easy and intuitive. The ability to customize and tweak your missiles for optimum performance/energy use adds a nice amount of gameplay depth.

For an extra challenge try the in-cockpit view. It's harder because your view is partially obstructed by the cockpit, and your field of view is limited to what you see through the windshield, but it really does feel like you're piloting the Viper. It makes the game feel even more like Starlancer for the Dreamcast, which is one of the best console space shooters of all time (and was also developed by Warthog).

The major complaint I have with this game is one that I'm sure many will share: the lack of save points during missions. You will often make it through all but the last level of a multi-level mission only to fail the objective of the last level and have to start over all the way at the beginning of the entire mission. This is an irritating flaw in an otherwise well-designed game and adds an unnecessary level of frustration to the game, expecially for those of us who are not especially gifted at space shooters (like me). If there were checkpoints within levels, I would give it at least an extra 1/2 star. As it is, it's still an excellent game that's worth checking out if you're a fan of the license or a fan of the space shooter genre.

It's A Go...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I was intrigued by the degree of the reviews of this game and being a Galactica fan myself when it first aired, curiosity got the best of me. I give it a big thumbs up.

It is true, the skies are literally crawling with Cylons, your fellow pilots are begging for help, your wingmen need managing, your missile system needs tailoring for the current task, all while being shot at and tracked by enemy missiles with the goal of the mission just a hair's breath away from being a missed opportunity. To top that, you have only one chance at it without having to start the level over. So, it is not for the faint of heart and not the kind of game that would cater to a broader audience. My only experience prior to a similar game where you fly missions to earn metals is the Star Wars Rogue Squadron series and I usually find a way to win by taking unfair advantage of the A.I. Not so easily done in BSG. There are some rare opportunities that make themselves evident, but getting out alive and advancing in the game really rests on how you use the Viper to your advantage. It takes plenty of practice and timing to master evasive maneuvers found in the flight manual, but will make a big difference in not getting hit. Your ship also sports a way to recharge weapons and repair damage and finding time to take advantage of this is also crucial.

As you progress and unlock new material, you will find the game to be a little multimedia center for things Galactica. You can run ingame movies, play DVD ads of the old and new series, see voiceover outtakes with Dirk Benedict, look at Ralph McQuarrie concept paintings, and view ingame models of the ships that you can rotate and examine. The graphics and sound (with an exception to a few voiceovers) truly runs parallel with the series, both old and new. I do agree with other reviews that this game could use a tutorial or training mission. Winning missions is based on how well you survive and with that in mind, it wouldn't hurt to get a hands-on test of the various ships before being thrown literally into a maelstrom without some notion on how to use that ship's abilities. My only other beef would be with replay. It's a short fifteen missions with very distinct goals. It would be great to have a few more missions thrown in or an open ended endurance level where you do nothing, but practice buzzing around the Galactica or baseship and shoot down Cylons until you are picked off. That alone keeps the game from being perfect. However, despite that detail, it's worth it if you like heavy doses of action and nerve wracking sudden death, do or die gameplay.

Offensive and Crippling Gameplay...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: December 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Players are dissuaded from either repeat play or reaching that rare trance-like state of "play till the sun comes up" frame of mind. This game provides no save features and if you're unfortunate enough to die just short of completing the level? Too bad. You just wasted 30 minutes of your life and have nothing more than sore and aching thumbs to show for it. For example, the first "level" is four challenges. I've lost track of how many times I've completed all four challenges (mostly three of the four) only to die short of my end reward, the cut scene. The last time being the most frustrating since I "blew up" what was required but was too close to affect an adequate retreat. Ture hardcore console gamers may not find this unsurmountable. But I have a family to feed and work.

Speaking of cut-scenes. There a few more spectacular and enjoyable to watch for a "Galactica" fan than those on this disc. That's why I bought the game, but unfortunately I may not be able enjoy all the hard work they put into them. I have a feeling that this game will languish on my shelf if I can't get past the first level after two days of playing.

Brilliant, except for the much-mentioned lack of savegame ability

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 22, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Visually beautiful, awesome physics (about halfway between real world and the TV series, usually in your favor), perfect soundtrack and voice acting. Story and technology is a seamless blend of old and new series ideas, and the viper is the most fun-to-fly vehicle in any game I've played.

It's worth persisting. Learn to use the 'smart' missiles; eventually you'll be turboing toward the next target long before they hit, confident that they'll find their mark.

The lack of a save option is absolutely insane, especially when you're in one of those @#$% "protect rather suicidal AI teammate" modes, but it's the only thing wrong with the game, hence the 3 ovarall and 5 for fun.

terrible game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game's levels are impossible to beat without replaying them 10- 30 times each, sometimes 50 times. If you enjoy repeating and repeating the same actions until you are destroyed at the same spot on a level, this game is for you.

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