Episode III Game Duel Characters: A Janus Look
Here I relate to y'all my views on the playable duel mode characters in the Episode III game for Xbox/PS2/Whatever. My first purpose in this is to ***** about some things to people who might identify. My secondary purpose is to get feedback and see how other people saw the duel mode of this game.
- Anakin Skywalker: Easy to use, quick, looks badass. Actually, Anakin is rather idolized in this game from start to finish, getting more levels than Obi-Wan, doing incredible stunts for a mere Jedi knight, and being easy to use and faster than Obi-Wan. Plus, Nick Gillard's obsession with the hanging guard means Anakin blocks everything with his saber hanging down like this --> T
- Obi-Wan Kenobi: A slower paced character, but still effective in the right hands. Obi-Wan is slower than Anakin and suffers because of it. Still, after a half hour of practice, I could whup better with Obi than with Anakin.
- Count Dooku: My personal favorite. Dooku exhibits a simple but effective fighting style, and has an awesome sidestepping technique that no one else shares. However, the old Count is limited in effective moves, Nick Gillard having decided Form II now includes half a dozen high stance overhead chops and slashes as opposed to controlled and effective stabs and thrusts. Still, Dooku is a good choice for those of us who prefer elegant and simple combat.
- General Grievious: A metal ball of crap. GG is deadlier in his twin blade stance than in his quad bladed one, and only because he has a combo that can be looped over and over again (as the AI opponent shamelessly does) that can only be stopped by a standing quick attack (Meaning you aren't holding a direction on the joystick). He also can't be picked up via Force because of his magno legs, and trying to throw him is like trying to piss on the sun. All in all, he's a munchkin's dream character,
- Mace Windu: A good overall character. Mace Windu balances power and reach with speed and randomness. He can be used effectively even with almost no experience, but a Mace veteran can destroy damn near anyone else with ease.
- Serra Keto: A flop in disguise... Serra wields twin blades with all the ease and speed of a flipped over June bug. Her true strength lies in her slow (and vulnerable) but ackward moves and sidesteps. In all actuality, a SK player gets their advantage from either wailing away at an opponent or freaking them out with wierd, seemingly impossible to follow moves. But in the end, she really sucks for having any kind of style.
- Cin Drallig: A character based off of Nick Gillard himself as he appears in Episode III, Cin resembles Elrond meets Raiden from Mortak Kombat meets Jocasta Nu. And he is a ridiculously overpowered character. For one, he has a rush attack that is damn near impossible to block, blurs him (which is more annoying than it sounds) and is easily abused. Also, Cin combines forms II, VII, and V, making him a horrible punkass with no real weaknesses. He's really a less-obvious munchkin choice and I dislike him.
- Darth Vader: Vader is true to his movie form, albeit more flexible. Slow, but easily the strongest character in the lineup. Darth Vader and I (As Count DOoku) had the closest to what I would call an epic duel on Palpatine's balcony. Vader, used properly, is a very good character that can hem in opponents, assuming you don't rely on button mashing and the like. And the best part? He's not unbalanced when you compare him to GG and Cin. I actually enjoy Darth Vader as a playable character.
- Ben Kenobi: Ben is back for the attack. ANd he's actually quite good. Although slower than his younger counterpart, he's stronger and, in particular, the AI makes him quite effecttive. Also, he has a suicide move (Hold X and A and hit some other button) where he holds his saber up as he does in Episode IV. A single hit after this point kills him. Nice.