The game picks up from the original Star Wars Battlefront, only this sequel is better than the movie sequels. The graphics are much improved, with the different terrains of the many planets the gamer will fight on, and the characters are sharp and crisp. The starships and fighters have a detail the does not match the movie, but we will worry about small details like that in the new Xbox 360. The cut scenes of the 501st Journals have a mystical fog around them, as if they are straight out of the mind of a Rebel who was there. I feel the graphics are extremely well done, which helps a player become immersed in the story that they are playing out on the screen. What also helped me become absorbed was the AI that a single player can play against. I found the armies that we were trying to beat extremely difficult to nail down. They moved and dodged, ran away from grenades and, unfortunately, were good grenade launchers themselves. What makes this more embarrassing, I was just playing on the normal level, fighting through the different missions.

As I mentioned, this game has a few different types of game controls, depending on your situation during a battle. Controlling the ground troops is similar to many first person shooter games (or if you prefer, you can opt for 3rd person view). The left and right trigger buttons are your primary and secondary attacks, while the left thumbstick moves your character and the right moves your aim. Buttons are used to change weapons, jump, and to perform a dive roll to avoid enemy fire. The vehicle controllers work in a familiar fashion, using the triggers to fire your two types of weapons and the thumbsticks to maneuver the vehicle around.

In the Jedi mode, where you fight as a crusader of good as a Jedi, or go to the dark side as a Sith Lord, the controls change just a bit since you are mainly fighting with a glowing light saber. Use the triggers as your basic attacks, but as any person who knows Star Wars can tell you, Jedis have special powers since they can harness the power of the Force. These special powers can include the ability to throw their light saber like a boomerang, use a force field to push enemies back, electrocute their enemies or use the evil choke grip on their opponent. After speaking with many other players, they generally enjoy this new aspect tremendously. And as I dabbled in a little Xbox Live play, many of the quick matches were with the Jedi and Sith. Learn to use the Force with the controllers, and you can dominate on the battlefield.

Finally, being an elite starfighter is the pinnacle of this game. This proved to be the most difficult and most frustrating part of the game, for me personally, to pick up. As always, your triggers are your two primary weapons to destroy the enemy. Using the left thumbstick, control the direction of your fighter, using the right thumbstick (and this is where things became tricky) increase and decrease your speed by pushing up and down, roll left or right by pushing right or left. I became disoriented many times when going into a roll (not that I meant to many times), and I bet many players just starting out had the same problem. And being in space with no horizon line, it was difficult to figure which was up and down when steering, causing me many casualties as I made the wrong move thinking I should pull up when I was inverted and it sent me down into some Star Destroyer. Using the buttons, you can maneuver away from incoming missiles as well as locking on to your enemy targets. This is important in dog fights, because the action is fast and it is easy for fighters to fly on by and the gamer to lose them in flight. I am having a blast learning how to use the different ships offered up by the Republic. Each ship has its own unique flying and weapon styles. Some ships are supposed to be used in against other fighters, while the bigger, clumsier ships are used to attack Star Destroyers. I was pleased with the space battles and loved the intense action that came along with it.

Star Wars Battlefront II gives the players a multitude of activities to play, which gives the gamers many options to play. There are your practice flying and shooting missions, as well as your solo campaigns with a storyline to follow. Galactic conquest is another opportunity where you take troops to different planets to take over and eventually rule the galaxy. What is nice about this, it has extra features where you earn credits to up your army's status and power. There are also your multiplayer campaigns and death matches in split screen. Another nice aspect of this game is its online capabilities, giving everyone a new game each time they turn on the game with a whole host of players. There are many opportunities to continue to play this game and not get the same first person shooter account.

I will admit from the start that this review might be a little biased. I am a fan of the movie epics (no, I did not stand in line a week early for tickets, nor would I ever stand in a line as my favorite Jedi Knight), but I do enjoy the idea of good versus evil. I also want to include that I have been waiting for a space battle game of this caliber since I got my Xbox a year ago, so I was very excited to get a chance to review this game. Star Wars Battlefront II is a game that should be in the collection of any gamer. The game dazzles with its graphics, storyline and overall game play. I believe it takes gaming to the next level, as well as the gamer's overall playing skills. I found myself at the edge of my seat many times, playing the game as the hours melted away before I knew it. I think this is a "can't miss" game for all types of gamers. It really takes you into the overall feeling of the Force in a galaxy far, far away. May the Force be with you … always.