MSG Voices of a Generation
(6
America remains an open-policy
nation of opportunity for anyone
who is willing to work hard in
pursuit of their vision of
the American Dream
- Ericka Dunlap
: —-Jk Jf
2004
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
7:00 PM
Rudder Theatre
Admission is free
Tickets available at MSC Box Office
Or call 845-1234
845-1514 http://voices.tamu.edu
Wednesday. February 4, 2004
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
XBOX and PC
Bioware
fully customizable, so as they advance inj
players can give them all sorts of powers
Courusy of • LUCASARTS
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic features vivid graph
ics and top-notch voice acting. Mini-games and side-quests
are special features sure to add to players' enjoyment
The Vintage House at
^Messim Mof
Winery & Resort w
Introduces Three Great Weekday Evenings
Enjoy three special menus served in the most
ROMANTIC RESTAURANT IN THE BRAZOS VALLEY.
Winery Wednesdays
The best Wednesday evening you can imagine...our remarkable
Vineyard Cuisine served with a vineyard view and live romantic
guitar. This memorable evening is only $49.95
per couple, plus tax and gratuity.
Romantic Thursdays
Every Thursday evening from 5 to 10pm, the Vintage House
offers a new, special menu just for couples. You'll love everything,
including the price. Enjoy the finest Vineyard Cuisine
for only $49.95 per couple plus tax and gratuity.
Fridays: Aggieland
Steak & Shrimp Special
Every Friday evening, get the perfect aged ribeye and the
freshest Gulf shrimp...combined to make this delicious
evening the highlight of your week...just $59.95 per
S couple, plus tax and gratuity.
Reservations or more information, please call
778-9463, ext. 31
or check out www.messinahof.com.
The Vintage House
4545 Old Reliance Road • Bryan, TX USA
Only Ten Minutes From Campus
Star Wars. We all know and love it. Well, not
so much now as evidenced by the dismal failure
of the last two movies, but that’s in the past. Now,
"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" by
famed RPG makers Bioware is expected to
redeem the franchise.
Set 4,000 years before Episode One, die
Republic is under assault from a massive Sith
armada with seemingly limitless resources.
Amidst all this, players take the role of skilled
Republic soldiers who appear to be little more
than that. As players advance through more of the
game, engaging in missions and seeing events
unfold, they will discover there is more to the
Republic soldiers than meets the eye. and the fate
of the galaxy rests on their shoulders.
Players travel across several planets seeking
the legendary Star Forge, which the fate of every
thing is tied to and the choices that they make
along the way will determine if they become
heroes of the light side or leaders of the dark side.
Of course, all this would be meaningless if
there was nothing to draw players in and hold
them, but "Knights of the Republic" has more to
offer than battles. With a story and plot that soars
above the drivel that was exhibited in the saga's
last two films, it is easy to become wrapped up in
the game for hours at a time. But the real meat of
this "Star Wars" game is its light saber battles,
blaster duels and large space dogfights.
The fighting of the game is all in real time, but
it uses RPG rules. This means that while players
fight, the computer is rolling dice to determine
the outcomes of your moves, such as if you hit,
how much damage was done or if the enemy is
dead or alive. While this may seem a bit confus
ing, it works surprisingly well and will force
players to make good use of their teammates and
Jedi powers. It’s not just a hack-and-slash game:
it requires strategy to heat most of the bosses
which, in the end, makes the entire game more
worthwhile.
Players are joined by nine other characters,
each with his own unique and memorable per
sonality. This is brought about by the extensive
dialogue tree that each character has and the con
versations players have with them during the
game. Their extensive biographies help move the
supplementing characters up from tag-along
grunts to true companions. All characters are
master’s speed, throw light saber, foro
the simple, yet effective torce kill. Customij
nuts will have a ball going through they
while those who just want to play can mail
of the handy auto upgrade feature.
To add more depth to the game, there ail
oral mini-games for players to have funj
ranging from racing to dueling, bounty y
and being an errand boy. Most of themaj
and usually result in gaining more moneyj
rience points and items. There is alsoanj
dance of side-quests tor players to complfl
will help them get to know their teamQft]
get them goodies as well.
The sound and voice acting are top-1
with a cast of more than 50 actors readinj
single line of dialogue. I he acting is some]
best since "Grand Theft Auto: Vice Citv
released and helps bring out each individuj
actor. I he sound effects are the standardj
Wars" sounds from the swinging andcli
the light sabers to the shrill pitch of theW
Each sound affect is authentic and sounds!
pletely natural.
Even with all of these features, thereanJ
things that pull the game down. ThegJ
while very good, do not make good ustl
b)
XBOX’s
which is capal
photo realistic
effects. There is also a
rate issue whe
“it players get into some
er battle see
nes with lots of peo|
around on the
screen. The pacing of
also uneven »
it times. But once pla;
planet, the game really takes off, the
tend to slow
down in a tew places
- ■
will run around and b;
is the loading i
ue. Nearly evu
to a building or into another *
there is a load screen. This t
since the areas are fairly smal
"Metriod Prime" proved that
load times for a huge game w<
Those minor issues are m
everything the game offers. Th
and sound will grab players a
the fantasy world. Biov
console RPG and is a must h;
owner.
#
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