Masters of Teräs Käsi

"MASTER" OF YOUR OWN DOMAIN

LucasArts lets you pit friend against friend, enemy against enemy, even brother against sister

Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi
by LucasArts Entertainment
for the Sony Playstation

Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is the most recent Playstation release from software publisher Lucasarts. This newest entry into the gaming universe is a bit different from the corridor-shooters, side-scrollers and space battles we've been so accustomed to: Masters of Teräs Käsi (MoTK) is the first one-on-one fighting game. What's that you say? Blasphemy? Luke vs. Han? Chewbacca vs. Darth Vader? Well, before you dismiss this title as an another fighter with Star Wars images pasted on, read a little further.

The storyline takes place after the destruction of the first Death Star. The Emperor's growing annoyance at having been unable to crush the Rebel forces that are responsible, presses Darth Vader to enlist the aid of Arden Lyn, Master of the ancient fighting art, Teräs Käsi. Teräs Käsi draws its energy from the Force, which increases the powers of the Jedi. However, those who dismiss the Force as a "hokey religion", are able to pick basic combatants (Such as Han Solo or Boba Fett) and fight alongside their allies. Before Arden Lyn is able to take her plan into full effect, the Rebels learn of Vader's newest plot, and begin training. With the stage set, the battle for survival begins.

There are about 13 different characters you can choose to play as in MoTK. The eight regular fighters are as follows: Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, Thok the Gamorrean Guard, Hoar the Tusken Raider, and Arden Lyn. Through gameplay and completing the game at various difficulty settings, you can also play as a Stormtrooper, Jodo Kast, Princess Leia in her slave outfit, Mara Jade and Darth Vader. While these characters are very similar to the original eight, there are the occassional differences which set them apart. Besides, the characters look really good, and are an interesting selection.

For a fighting game, the backgrounds and animations in MoTK are top notch. Although the characters move a little stiffly at times, they look and act akin to their film counterparts. The backgrounds are really something to take notice of as well. From Cloud Cars soaring around Cloud City, to R2-D2 rolling in the swamps of Dagobah, to the AT-AT lumbering around the landing platform of Endor, there is quite a bit to actually watch alongside the on-screen fighting.

The backgrounds are not the only parts of the game that show off the great detail. The opening CG intro is excellent as are the painfully short endings. (A real disappointment after the satisfaction of defeating the Dark Lord of the Sith) The winner's stances and comments are accurate to each individual character. Even when Princess Leia is dressed in her Boushh disguise her voice matches the electronic speak of the bounty hunter. Music is CD quality, and although it's a safe bet that John Williams' score was not written for chop-socky action, it surprisingly adds to the overall intensity of the fighting.

YOU MUST LEARN CONTROL!
The game's control and difficulty are a bit quirky at times. It takes a lot of precision to get comfortable with the moves, as they allow little margin for error. With practice, however, the game does feel comfortable enough to execute the moves and combos.

Difficulty is another factor to take into consideration. There are times that you will be fighting an enemy, and then they start pulling off several hits in a row to wear you down. At times, the Ring Out feature will become your best friend, although it is not this reviewer's preferred option to defeating an opponent. There are also a bit of unbalanced strengths in the characters.

Take Darth Vader, for example. Wielding his light saber, the Dark Lord can effectively keep another fighter in the air with a juggle combo until a Ring Out happens. Although it's fun to do to another person, (heh) it takes some of the fairness out of gameplay. However, the most important aspect that any gamer should ask themselves is: "Is the game FUN?" In my opinion, despite some of the hang-ups, I say "Yes it is".

So there you have it. Despite some quirky gameplay and too short of an ending for each fighter, Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is a good addition to any Star Wars fan or fighting game fanatics collection. Hopefully, Lucasarts will consider a sequel for this title with even more features, and include more characters from the ever-expanding universe. Perhaps Lando Calrissian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Greedo. Even C-3PO may feel the need to stop being polite all of the time and take down a Jawa or two.