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Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed

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9.1 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 16 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 8 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: Sony Online Entertainment

Genre(s): Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Players: Thousands

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: October 25, 2004

Summary

This highly anticipated addition dramatically expands the "Star Wars Galaxies" franchise by providing players more than 15 different vehicles for space exploration and combat. Starfighters and other starships are featured in the expansion that can be used for both space exploration and combat, allowing players to join up with allies and fly familiar X-wings and TIE fighters into battle against faction-aligned opponents and AI-controlled ships. Transport ships similar to the well-known Millennium Falcon are also added into the game, allowing players to venture through space with friends aboard. Set in the Star Wars timeframe between Episode IV and Episode V, this first extension to the "Star Wars Galaxies" foundation opens 10 vast and distinct space sectors, spanning from the Core Worlds to the Outer Rim, for players to explore while engaging their opponents in intense real-time combat or uniting with friends in battle or exploration. Players can embark on more than 100 new missions, venturing through asteroid fields, nebulae and space junkyards while honing skills in four new space-specific professions. The game also features two new and completely customizable species. [LucasArts]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided Star Wars Galaxies: Episode III Rage of the Wookiees Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Games Domain Preview GameSpot Hands-On GameSpot Interview GameSpy Interview GameSpy Preview IGN Interview IGN Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Pelit (Finland)

The long-awaited add-on for Star Wars Galaxies pretty much delivers what was promised. Space combat relies on player skills rather than character abilities, which is a refreshing change compared to most MMORPG's. [Sept. 05]

PC Gamer

It's a fantastic expansion that adds even more gameplay depth to a game that was already incredibly complex. [Jan 2005, p.96]

Game Chronicles

It truly makes you feel like you are living in the world that you have come to know and love through the movies and books and that alone has been what makes this MMO stand out from others for me.

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Game Informer

Outer space in a galaxy far, far away is simply gorgeous. Plus, the skill-based ship-to-ship combat is a breath of fresh air for the MMO scene. [Jan 2005, p.143]

GameZone

About the only thing that marks this as a Star Wars adventure is the style of the ships. But for that, this is a vehicular combat addition set in space. Yes, it is fun, and it is challenging, and there is always that bigger, better ship awaiting you.

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Stuff

Buy. But be warned that if you're not already a Star Wars Galaxies player, it will be a long time before you're able to afford a decent ship.

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IGN

The action parts are fine but the repetitive content and slow skill progression are just too frustrating... It's rewarding in the short term but it grows tedious too quickly.

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Worth Playing

I'm not happy that players can't completely divorce themselves from the ground game if they want, as well as the fact that an overt Imperial from the ground game can advance down the Rebel Pilot missions if they so choose, and vice versa.

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GameSpot

Although it offers newcomers two brand-new species to play as, Jump to Lightspeed (like so much of the content added to the game in recent updates) has been designed to reward dedicated, hardcore players rather than appeal to new ones, and that's exactly what it does.

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Detroit Free Press

Still, it's hard to complain too much about the drag of grinding when space is this pretty.

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PC Format

A good addition to Galaxies which will only get better with time. [Christmas 2004, p.114]

Computer and Video Games

Bottom line is that Jump To Lightspeed is not an essential addition to SWG, and by no means repairs the many faults of the existing game. [PC Zone]

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GameSpy

Luckily, the space content is very much on point when comes to aesthetics. If you're a Star Wars fan, you're likely to be delighted by the sights and sounds, even seven hours into a TIE-killing grind.

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Loaded Inc

All things considered, JLS is a good expansion. If you are new to Star Wars Galaxies, I am not sure that JLS is a good starting point.

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G4 TV

Has much potential, but fails to deliver in the variety department. A straight-up sequel to "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter," complete with online multiplayer, may have been a more successful venture.

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Yahoo! Games

Long load times, poor planetside performance, repetitive grinding gameplay... Galaxies is still in shaky condition, and thanks to the likes of "Everquest II" and "World of Warcraft," the genre has advanced since its release.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 9.1 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ronan O'H gave it a10:
In my opinion the best expansion ever to hit a game. Star wars galaxies has been totaly wrecked by the cu and nge, the classes are dumbed down and flawed. All the quest count for pretty much nothing as you can lvl faster by killing however I still play this game just because of Jump to lightspeed, and the fact that is highly modable and player cities but mainly this expasion :D. Deafinately the most original and fun mechanics I have come across are in this expansion and I would have left this game 4 years ago if it was not for it. Space PVP is heart pounding, theres a good selection of quests, countless different types of ships, almost unlimited customisation options, ships that you can take others into space in and work as a team to repair/gun ect ect ect... SOE should plug this side of the game is they are going to have any chance of standing up to the might of bioware and th old republic online.

Robert J. gave it a10:
Was a great game until the did the Combat Update and ruined the game.

Soboky Y. gave it a10:
This game is actualy super extremely cool, all do I never got to play it cause i aynt got money to pay the membership ! They should like invent a demo for it which is free or something like that !

Brian R gave it a 9:
Haven't found any lag myself. This one took me a bit by surprise. SWG, till now, has been a very bizarre combination of visionary design and poor realization of the setting with the occasional bugs thrown in. So I was expecting something far less than what I got. JtL captures Star Wars space combat nearly perfectly. The visuals are gripping and the sound, music and effects, make you feel like you're right in the films. I rigged up a HOTAS setup which worked perfectly with a minimum effort using the in-game keymapping. And I was staggered the first time I walked onto a multi-crew vessel. Yes, rendered in full 3-D. The freebie Yacht, for veteran players, is a house in space and can hold items and be decorated just like other property. Down the road you can earn permission to get a ship like The Millenium Falcon, for freelancer characters, or a couple other heavy craft for Imperial and Rebel players. This isn't a game for the usual MMO crowd. It takes skill and some understanding of how a rather complex machine operates to get the most out of it. There are all manner of components that interact to effect the combat, defensive and maneuvering capabilities of an individual craft. The same hull type can have a radically different internal makeup based on the tactical needs of the player (though all hulls have certain caps on maximum maneuvering capabilities and mass to hold components - a great dogfighter might be agile but it's unlikely to have both great shields and a fast engine). However, folks confused by all this simulation stuff can have a shipwright put a package together for you or just ask friends with the wherewithal to sort it out. And there are plenty of them. Customizing a nice ship in terms of loadout and appearance (there are textures, different hull styles within types, painting kits and certain components can modify a ship's profile) can become a hugely fun, and obsessive, activity. There are a variety of simulation-friendly elements but they ramp up slowly in complexity. I know even some master pilots who swear by the mouse and keyboard but you wouldn't find me without a joystick once you start learning all the dirty tricks and droid/nav computer based options. At lower levels of play JtL reminds one of Freelancer. At higher levels of play, this is very much W-Wing vs. TIE Fighter. Some bugs are still being ironed out but most of us are having a real ball. Finally there are some stars and some wars in SWG. And with JtL out of the way the ground combat system as well as the Galactic Civil War strategic element are going to be heavily rebalanced, revised and revisited. Could be us old hands and Star Wars fans came to the right place after all.

QuixoticKnight gave it an 8:
This expansion pack is hard to separate from the game itself. For the Seasoned User: There are definite benifets to having it, such as fast transport via hyperspace and PVP, which has not flourished due to the relatively novice levels of all starting pilots. Ship writing and dealing will probably become central to the economy... Controls: the controls work pretty well, and although I'd recommend usinga joystick mouse piloting actually works quite well. Apart from that little bit everything is responsive and pretty well calibarted Sound: I had a big problem bieng on the ground in Star Wars Galaxies...there was little if no music. I'd often just go and turn on a CD of my own. Space remedies this problem with well writtne music constantly playing. THe game sounds quite well, except for one ship that sounds just like a land speeder.... Graphics: Nice, clean, crist I can't say I have a problem with them. I will say though that to make graphics to their fullest one better have a pretty well equiped comp and good connection speed Other issues: I have a rather fast cable line and I don't lag at all, but I have quite a few friends where lag is atrocious. Overall Gameplay: Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed is quite fun,but isn't to be looked at standing alone. If you like the notion of SWG, and you like flight simulators this game will be brilliant. If flgiht simulators don't appeal to you, well then I'd say no, and if you don't like paying 15$ a month for an MMO then I wouldn't get it either All in all: The time has come to go to space, so quickly you young want to be Han Solos grab your walking carpet wookie friends and hop in a YT 1300 and fly off into the sunset....

Matt H. gave it a 10:
I haven't noticed any lag problems in space...I am running a gig of ram, however. Laser shot consistency has been improved greatly. Really enjoying the combination of ground based and space based gameplay.

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Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed

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