Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

As Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance struggle to defeat Darth Vader and the Empire during the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, a new threat arises. Dark Prince Xizor, head of the Black Sun crime syndicate, aspires to take Darth Vader's place at the Emperor's side. To do so, he hatches an evil plan to eliminate young Skywalker. As freelance adventurer Dash Rendar, it's up to you to protect Luke and help the Alliance thwart Xizor's deadly plot. Before reaching Black Sun HQ, you must tangle with the notorious Boba Fett, savage sarlaccs, deadly stormtroopers and merciless AT-STs!

Crafted by the game gurus at LucasArts, Shadows of the Empire remains faithful to its Star Wars roots while venturing in bold new directions. Ten richly varied stages and four difficulty levels guarantee maximum replay-ability. Shadows boasts a fully digitised Star Wars soundtrack and top-notch graphics that do ample justice to the game's big-screen heritage. The action begins with a bang, with Dash and his faithful droid sidekick, Leebo, hurled into a ferocious dogfight with gigantic AT-ATs on the wintry planet of Hoth. Most of the later stages take an over-the-shoulder perspective as Dash stealthily escapes from Echo Base and rides trucks rumbling through the Ord Mantell Junkyard. Dash must also battle TIE fighters in deep space and speed through the twisting back alleys of Mos Eisley on a swoop bike.

Packed with great graphics, great shooting action, great hidden items and great sound, Shadows of the Empire is the perfect game for anyone who's ever dreamed of filling the sandals of a Jedi knight. Be warned, though: on the advanced difficulty levels, it seems that the enemies never miss. By all means start this game on the Easy setting!