Star Wars Shadows of the Empire is a masterpiece. It is a one-of-a-kind transition from the 2D Star Wars games to an entirely new 3D Platforner/Shooter. In fact,it is hard to define what genre this game is,because it mixes many different genres.

The story is about you,Dash Rendar,being hired by the Rebels to fight agaisn't the Empire. Dash Rendar is one of those characters that don't really care about friendship or love,but he is not evil. He just works for whoever has more money. The game involves you controlling Dash,going through a multitude of missions and assignments,and each stage plays differently. For the most part,it mixes platforming with third-person shooters,but then it turns into a space-flight game,and then into a racing game.

The difficulty of this game is quite high,in fact,if you are an expert,you might just as well play on Medium difficulty,because,well,if you play on Easy,you will not get the "true" ending. There are many buttons that mess around with the camera,but they don't actually serve any purpose. Playing with different cameras is not benefitial,so you might just as well play in 3rd person or 1st person. It depends on what kind of style you like.

One button jumps,the other shoots,you can crouch,change weapons,and strafe sideways in order to evade enemy fire. It's one of those games that allows you to mess around with stages,picking hard paths,provoking strong enemies,etc. For example,in Echo Base,there are big enemies called Wampas. You don't need to kill them to proceed,but you can get missiles called Seekers if you're brave enough to pass through them. Two slaps and it's all over.

There are also Challenge Points that can be collected for Extra Lifes,but they tend to appear in dangereous places. If you acquire all Challenge Points,you will unlock secret features. This includes befriending the terrible Wampas. There are space stages where you have to shoot enemies as they come,and you must not let them shoot you,that is,until you get to the end of stage. There are also other stages where you have full control over spaceships,and you must follow orders in order to proceed. There is even a stage where you control a Speeder,and you have to race through the dangereous deserts of Tatooine.

The Bosses are extremely tough on Jedi difficulty,and most don't have a pattern. There is even a boss that can kill you in 2 seconds if you stand still. During your journey,you will acquire a Jetpack,which will allow you to overcome large gaps in stages,and will allow you to reach higher ground. Not only that,it will allow you to move freely underwater. But be careful,there is this stage with terrible monsters that lurk underwater,they will certainly scare you. A lot.

The game itself is full of deadly traps and endless holes,but sometimes,you have to man up and risk yourself in order to get some Challenge Points. Overall,the game has an incredible soundtrack,one that will not go away from your mind. If you're looking for great challenges,this is the game for you. Each stage is very different,so you will have to adapt quickly in order to reach the end. With this game,you will find out if you're a good gamer,because it keeps you on your toes all the time. Only try this game if you're experienced. And remember,gaming is about having fun!