To many Star Wars fans, the releases for various game consoles in the last 10 years have been enormous disappointment, compared to the amazing films and the legacy that they created. Many have failed to captivate the gameplayers imagination by being mere rip-offs of greater games, generic fps' (Doom) and dull racing clones (Wipeout) or in general just plain boring action role-players. However all is set to change with the release of Starfighter, the first Star Wars game for the PS2.

This game has been eagerly awaited and the first thing to say is...it won't disappoint, and that's both for the fan of the films and the fan of good console games. The game is loosely based around the events that occurred in the most recent Star Wars movie Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. However the neat twist is you see the events from the perspective of three new characters, not from the film, who are Rhys Dallows, Vana Sage and Nym. The games is basically a space shooter/flying game very much in the same vein as Colony Wars, Rogue Squadron and the Tie-Fighter/X-Wing games and if you like this genre, or those games, you'll love this.

The gameplay at first could be a touch frustrating for some, as the controls take time to get used to, however once they're picked up, everything clicks into place and the game becomes great to play. Although the mission objectives are very similar there is so much diversity within the game that it will last you a long time. Not only are there 14 missions, which you can do using the 3 different characters but there is also two-player missions, capture the flag game and a dog fight/canyon race, which can be found by progressing through the game. So well worth the money then.

In terms of graphics this is one of the most stylish games on the market and so it should be with the software house behind it and the capabilities of the PS2. However the real beauty lies in the attention to detail, as there is so much going on you really feel part of the Star Wars saga. Unfortunately this affects the framerate, as you can imagine, but this still really detract from the playability. The sound and music also contribute to the overall dramatic and cinematic feel of the game, yes, yes, 'that' theme tune plays throughout.