| Overall Rating: 6.5 |
| Star Fox: Assault |
| The Star Fox team has been summoned yet again by General Pepper to defend Corneria. In the latest game of the Star Fox franchise Fox and his team have cleaned out Andross's forces for good, but a new and more deadly threat emerges. The Aparoids are a race of machines that seek to destroy all human life in the galaxy. As usual the story for any Star Fox is a bit bland and stereotypical. Someone threatens the galaxy and the Star Fox team goes to destroy it. This time it's a bit spiced up with a slight romance as well as a surprise alliance between the team and former enemies. Even though Namco threw a few twists and turns in, the story is still not a real attention-grabber. Although the franchise is most known for it's stellar dogfights, it doesn't stick to just aerial fights. This doesn't always make for a fun time. The Landmaster tank's controls are nearly impossible to master and you will often times find yourself slowly strafing when you want to turn. The tank's rapid fire has also been removed. This makes saving your teammates more difficult since the tank has terrible accuracy against airborne enemies. Playing as Fox on foot is easier to control, but just as frustrating. Many of the weapons he wields are weak forcing you to fire on the same target longer than necessary. The on-foot levels are also so large that getting from one area to the next is a long and tedious task. The Arwing still handles as well as it did in Star Fox 64 and is the best way to enter combat. Graphically the game has improved a bit. The final boss's lair has a nice appearance, but nothing spectacular should be expected. The graphics still look a bit like the Nintendo 64's, but a few of the cut scenes come on par with the Gamecube's ability. The soundtrack is one of the best parts in the game. It superbly sets the mood for the space battles that takes place on the various planets and space stations. The voice acting is the game's low point. The minimum-wage-quality actors rarely, if ever, show any emotion or feeling in their lines. Whether their characters are being shot or flying straight into the heart of danger their voice stays casual, static, and unemotional. Overall Star Fox Assault is a bit of a disappointment. It's predecessor, Star Fox 64, was an excellent flight simulator, but Assault seems like it took the series a few steps backward. It's not so much a disappointment that it's not worth a play if you enjoy the genre. Just save yourself the money and embarrassment by not purchasing it until you know you love it. |