Rogue 4, Standing By...

HEY! Surprise!
Anyway, I'm in a particular good mood today because of some very exciting developments in the world of the Rogue Traders! That'll have to wait, though, because I've recently gotten my mitts on Empire At War. As Star Wars games go, it's.... pretty definitive. It captures perfectly the whole spirit of the original Star Wars movies, something I think is quite important. Now that the "real" Star Wars movies are over (At least until someone does a remake - "The Star Wars", anyone?), it's an increasing worry that all the next generation will remember is Jedi, battle droids and Obi-Wan with a wooden beard. Gone, in general, are the days of chasing TIE Fighters down the Death Star trench, unless it's in LEGO. Gone are the days when faceless drones would provoke humorous responses without an air of desparation. Gone are the days when Boba Fett stalked his quarry through the smoky chambers of Jabba's Palace. the Star Wars ethos was practically obliterated with just two words: Clone Wars.
But there is a glimmer of hope. A few years ago, Empire At War blasted onto computer screens. It's esentially a strategy game; you command the Rebel Alliance or the evil but cool Empire (No wishy-washy Separatists here) and attempt to conquer the galaxy, through the medium of map-based, land-based AND space-based RTS. And it is all done in real-time as well, even the Galactic Map sections. Where this game differs from others of its type, however, is in the ingenious little button known as the "BattleCam." Essentially, when war is in full swing, the player can switch to BattleCam and watch the fight unfold before his/her eyes in cinematics which put him/her right in the thick of the battle - Just like in a Star Wars movie!
And there's more. Whilst there are echoes of the Clone Wars in here (Geonosis crops up; The clone Assault Cruisers still have a presence), the game is at heart a return to the 'golden years' of Star Wars videogames. Back in the days of Rogue Squadron and X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. Wow, those were good times. Sometimes it is easy to forget the older Star Wars movies - After all, our generation was one whose final impression of the universe was Anakin being burnt to a crisp and Padme giving birth in a hospital run by faceless CGI spacemen. But then things like this turn up, and remind you that, while episodes I-III may have been good movies (more or less), they weren't really Star Wars. So I guess what I'm saying is, more than being a good game, which it is, Empire At War could get by purely as a nostalgia tour for those who saw the last three first.
Anyway, in other news... I know you're bored of me going down this road, so I'll keep schtum about it afterwards, but let me first make a reccomendation. If you've taken my former advice and listened to any music by Frank Turner, (A) Good on ya, and (B) Now I suggest you try Ben Folds. Genre-wise, he's a little different, mainly piano ballads and such but with a bit of rock in there as well, but thematically the two are quite similar, both clearly students of the Larkin school. In terms of albums... Rockin' The Suburbs is probably the best, because of its variety and its memorable tunes. So yeah, there's that.
But now the moment you've all been waiting for... The Rogue Traders are back!! Yes, Today (or yesterday) the video for their latest song, "Love Is A War" went live. In this blogger's humble opinion, I have yet to like Mindi, the new singer, as much as I liked Nathalie, purely because her voice is so squeaky! She's like a mouse! To be fair, with only one song to go on, I can't really judge, so I'll wait and see when the rest of the album comes out. Other than that, awesome as usual! The Rogues are definitely back on form. Not necessarily better than Voodoo Child, but definitely better than most of the other stuff in the charts currently. If they release over here, I'll definitely download it ASAP!
Speaking of which... They've also finally released Better In The Dark (that's the third album) on the UK iTunes! Wahey!! Needless to say, I downloaded it the moment I saw it, and after one listen, I'm impressed. It doesn't quite have the same variety or originality as Here Come The Drums, but it is definitely a disc choca-block with party anthems! So yeah, download that too.
I think that's all I need to talk about today, so until next time, think of me on your way to the disco...

...on your way to the disco!

Jack