Star Wars Galaxies: Trials Of Obi Wan The Planet Mustafar Action packed Excellent graphics Restricted to high level characters Limited quests No new space zone

Obi Wan is a force to reckon with in this latest expansion. by Mike Chaslewaite

December 27, 2005 - Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan is a special treat for online Star Wars fanatics. It's the expansion pack to the popular Star Wars Galazy: An Empire Divided - but it was made exclusively for high-level characters. This is both a reward for players that have spent lightyears leveling their characters up to 60+ and an incentive for other players to reach these high levels.

The planet of Mustafar is the reward for the true blue fan. So far this is the most dangerous planet in the Star Wars galaxy. It's literally teeming with killers including monsters, droids, aliens and humanoids. Mustafar looks like a young developing planet or a recently destroyed one. It's harsh, barren and overflowing with treacherous lava. This is the planet where Anakin was almost burned to a crisp in the battle with Obi-Wan at the end of the third movie, Revenge of the Sith.

Guided by the ghost of Obi-Wan, your ultimate goal is to harness the powers of the Old Republic and uncover the lost legacy of the Jedi Order. The artifacts, power and knowledge you acquire will help you restore order on the planet and redeem the Order of the Jedi. But it will take a lot of work. You should be a high-level character to attempt these missions. There are no space zones so flying is virtually out. All of the quests are ground-based although you can use vehicles such as the speeder bikes and a giant flea.

Your first destination is the mining complex. This is home base. It's where you'll receive the majority of your quests when interacting with NPCs. The planet is scarred with lave lakes and rivers which divide the landmasses into islands which makes getting to some of your quests a pain in the butt. You have to use the bridges or try to jump the molten magma with your speeder bike. The lava is dangerous and if you get too close to it you'll burst into flames. Eventually you will earn the use of the Lave Flea which will take you around the planet a lot more safely.

It can take a while to get anywhere on this planet. The going is slow. When you have to continuously return to the mining complex to claim your reward it can get a little redundant having to cross all the lava bridges again. You can't use your own crafts to fly around the plant so you're just going to have to get used to it. Flying is still an option but it's not the focus of the game. There is Dash Rendar's YT-2400 that you can get your hands on in addition to an eight-passenger Skiff.

Jedis, entertainers, bounty hunters and crafters are all welcome on the planet in various groups. With the missions so much more complicated than before, going it alone is virtually impossible. You're going to need a party to properly explore this planet. If you're anything less than a Jedi at 65+ I wouldn't even consider buying this if you're going to play it solo.

There can be some tension among groups when it comes to collecting loot, especially during the first few days. Other groups will try to claim some kills that you and your party have waited patiently for. In an effort to add a bit of fairness to the game, a character can only enter the same dungeon once an hour. You can't keep going back. At the same time there isn't as many invisible barriers in this game as there were in the last expansion packs. You will still find some impassible areas but these are areas that lead to locations where future quests take place. You'll eventually get to explore them but you have to be led down the right path.

Missions include fetch quests, exploring and destroying enemies. They are well balanced and require some puzzle solving techniques, solid combat skills and teamwork. The planet is rife with enemies including giant insects, reptiles, Stormtroopers, Xandacs, Blistmoks, Black Guards and murderous treasure hunters. Using the mouse you can fire away or hack and slash with the lightsaber by clicking the left button for single shots or holding it down for continuous fire/swinging. The enemies are tough and can require some finesse and forethought, especially if they are in groups. A lot of combat takes place on different planes with the characters shooting above and below as they use ramps, hills and buildings to make their stand. It makes things a little more challenging than just shooting ahead of you.

There are all kinds of goodies to collect. Some are class-specific which means you won't be able to use all of them. Fortunately you can trade most of them. Some weapons require that they be bio-linked to your character so that only you can use them. Entertainers are the least useful when it comes to combat. They will get things such as a new song and dance while Jedis will receive new robes and lava crystals for lightsaber construction. You might want to dissuade an entertainer from visiting this planet.

Mustafar is a dark and volatile place with a foreboding landscape. The lava is positively alive as pulsates, writhes and erupts with an iridescent redish glow, reclaiming the planet's surface by slowly turning it back into magma. Mountains in the distance reflect the frequent flashes of lighting betraying violent storms. With a blackened sky the colors are subdued and may be deemed as depressing after a few weeks of play. But if it's realism you want, then you will have to suffer for your art.

The characters look excellent and there are a lot of them. I won't spoil the surprise but you will meet characters from both the movies and various Star Wars games. The sounds are pure LucasArt. All of the effects are perfect for their corresponding weapons from the blast of the lava cannons to the hum of the lighsabers. The story is good and voiceacting is equally strong.

This game is definitely not for everyone, but if you've been playing Star Wars Galaxy for two years then you're definitely not everyone.

Features:

• Over 50 new quests and missions.
  
• Join Obi-Wan Kenobi in his quest for redemption.
  
• Discover and defeat the legendary Separatist Droid army.
  
• Discover the mysteries of the Old Republic as you uncover ancient weaponry and technology.
  
• Visit locations from Episode III: Revenge of the Sith™ including the site where Anakin Skywalker had his final battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  
• Visit the ruins of the ancient Jedi Order and defeat new enemies of the force.
  
• Battle dozens of new Creatures such as the Xandank, Tulrus, and Blistmok.
  
• Uncover hundreds of new loot items including weapons like the Mustafarian Disruptor and the SFOR Republic Carbine which utilizes Old Republic technology.
  
• Explore an all-new adventure planet featuring brand new environmental and graphical technology such as unique heat shimmer and lava effects.
  
• Earn the new YT-2400, a multi-passenger ship fashioned after that of Dash Rendar.
  

By Mike Chaslewaite
CCC Freelance Writer