| Star Wars: Rebel Assault II - The Hidden Empire | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | LucasArts |
| Publisher(s) | LucasArts |
| Engine | INSANE |
| Platform(s) | PC, PlayStation, Mac |
| Release date(s) | November 1995[1] |
| Genre(s) | Action (Rail shooter) |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: K-A |
| Media/distribution | CD ROM |
| System requirements
50 MHz 486 or better, 8MB RAM, Double-Speed MPC Level 2 CD-Rom drive, 256-Color VGA Video Card, Dos 6.0 or Windows 95 |
|
Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire is the sequel of the LucasArts action game Star Wars: Rebel Assault, set in the Star Wars universe.
This part of the series contained mostly original filming with actors and stunts, while the scenery and the space scenes were 3D rendered. According to LucasArts' magazine "The Adventurer", this game was the first media to incorporate live-action actors and footage in the Star Wars universe since Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The stormtrooper armor, weapons, helmets and suits seen to be worn by the actors, were not made for the game, but are the actual props seen in the original trilogy, taken from the archive storage of Lucasfilm.
The game makes use of the INSANE game engine.
Here, the player Rookie One is clearly shown and is a male character. He commands ships not appearing in the previous game, like a YT-1300 Corellian Transport, a B-wing, a Y-wing and encounters new opponents, like TIE Interceptors. The fly videos now seem to move and rotate according to how the player 'moves', so that there is an illusion of 'steering' the ship (which in reality is following a 'rail' in a pre-rendered course).
After the destruction of the first Death Star, Darth Vader has begun a new project for the Galactic Empire. Meanwhile, in the Rebel Alliance, rumors have grown concerning "ghost ships" attacking Rebel patrols.
Rookie One (acted by Jamison Jones in cut scenes, his voice is provided during the "shoot scenes"), while flying with his wingman, receives a distress call from a YT-1300 transport being attacked by TIE fighters. The pilot has crucial information about the Empire's new project. Rookie One's wingman is shot down by one of the unseen attackers, and Rookie One crash lands on the planet where the captured transport has been taken. After fighting stormtroopers, he escapes with the transport and its information.
Back at Pinnacle Base, Admiral Ackbar (digitally removed from RoTJ and inserted into the game) helps the pilots understand the message from the freighter. The Alliance learns that the Empire has constructed a secret mining facility in the asteroid Belt of Arah and a squadron of X-wings moves to destroy it. The facility is not simply mining ore, but is instead supplying rare metals required to manufacture the new V38 "Phantom" TIE, equipped with a cloaking device invented by Grand Admiral Sarn. After destroying the facility, Maarek is killed along with Rookie One's wingman. Rookie One narrowly escapes into hyperspace. Back at Pinnacle Base, Admiral Ackbar comes up with a plan for 2 people to infiltrate the facility building the Phantom P-38s at Imdaar Alpha.
Rookie One takes a crash course in TIE piloting from Admiral Krane. Then, they head out to the jump point. Rookie One heads to Imdaar Alpha to meet with Ru Murleen (played by Julie Ecceles). They fly to an Imperial Landing Platform on the far side of the swamp on Swoop Bikes. Disguised as stormtroopers, Rookie One and Ru Murleen (from Rebel Assault) board Admiral Sarn's cloaked Super Star Destroyer and steal a Phantom TIE from the hangar. They destroy the Super Star Destroyer and the Imdaar Alpha facility manufacturing the new fighters. After returning to a Rebel base, the Phantom TIE self-destructs. There are three endings depending on the difficulty. The first ending has Rookie One attaining a medal, and the Rebels surround the heroes (easy). The second ending has a different medal, and Rookie One and Ru Murleen hug (medium). The third ending has different medal (hard). In all three endings, Rookie One and Ru Murleen kiss. The PC version has a "difficulty editor" where you can set the number of ships, people, damage, etc. of the game.