Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (video game)

Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 video game based on the movie of the same name. It centers on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as the Clone Wars come to an end. There are seventeen levels, interlaced with over twelve minutes of footage from the movie. It was released on May 5, 2005, for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. Additionally, a version was made available for mobile phones on April 2, and a version for the PlayStation Portable was cancelled and never released. On April 28, 2015, the game was released for download on PlayStation Network, and made available to play on PlayStation 3. Unlike other Star Wars video games, there was going to be a Nintendo GameCube release, but that one was cancelled for unknown reasons as well. The game was added to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S via backwards compatibility on November 15, 2021 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Xbox.
==Storyline==
The game follows the movie storyline very closely, incorporating footage from the movie and blending it well with the game portion. It involves playing through the events as either Anakin Skywalker or Obi-Wan Kenobi, with radically different events taking place in either. As Obi-Wan, much of the game is centered on destroying General Grievous, while the Anakin levels chronicle his fall to the dark side of the Force and extermination of the Jedi Order. This includes Anakin's attack on the Jedi Temple, which culminates in a duel with Serra Keto, the best student of Cin Drallig, whom Darth Vader later fights and kills along with Keto. The game ends with the duel on Mustafar between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan. There are two different endings to the final battle, the first being that Obi-Wan defeats Anakin like in the film, the second being that Anakin kills Obi-Wan then meets the Emperor, who gives him a new red lightsaber, Anakin in turn kills the Emperor and claims the new Empire for his own. The Game Boy Advance (GBA) and Nintendo DS versions of Episode III are much the same as the console versions, except as a side-scrolling action game. The other difference is that while the PS2 and Xbox versions feature a singular campaign, with the player controlling Obi-Wan or Anakin depending on their scenes in the film, the GBA and DS versions feature two separate campaigns for each one. The DS version also features uses for its touch-screen capability. The game was also released on the mobile phone and followed the storyline of all other versions. It resembles 1999's Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace video game where the overall game is the same as the corresponding film with a few minor changes in exposition and background information.
===Gameplay===
===Console version===
The player alternates between playing as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, reliving various scenes from the film through the game's missions. There are 17 levels, interlaced with over 12 minutes of footage from the movie. The game's combat system is heavily concentrated on lightsaber combat. Each of the playable characters (with the exception of the MagnaGuard) is equipped with at least one lightsaber. There are three basic attacks: fast attacks, which do the least amount of damage; strong attacks, which do more damage but are slower to execute; and the slowest but strongest critical attacks. These attacks can be mixed to create combination attacks. Attacks can also be charged up for greater strength. One feature of the game is called a Saber Lock, a sequence in which the player's character clashes swords with an opponent.
The game features an experience system, whereby the player's character can upgrade attacks and gain new ones as they progress through the game.
===Portable version===
The handheld versions of the game are played as a 2.5D side-scrolling beat 'em up game, where players can freely choose to play as either Obi-Wan or Anakin, traversing roughly a dozen levels to battle a variety of enemies and occasionally dodge deadly hazards, such as a laser trap or a missile launcher. Both characters have nearly identical attack moves, and can gain access to special unlockable moves that can be unleashed when a "fury" or "focus" gauge is filled up during battle.
===Alternate ending===
In the PS2 and Xbox versions, after completing "Friendship in Flames," one more mission, "Revenge of the Sith," is unlocked. It gives the player the opportunity to play as Anakin (a.k.a. Darth Vader) during the duel on Mustafar, with the objective of defeating Obi-Wan Kenobi. The duel plays out the same until the very end, where Anakin avoids Obi-Wan's blade in his leap behind Obi-Wan to the lava river bank and fatally stabs Obi-Wan with his lightsaber, killing him. He then kicks Obi-Wan's corpse near the lava. Anakin is then greeted by Palpatine as he steps out from his shuttle, who tells him, "Excellent work my apprentice. There are none left to oppose us; the galaxy is ours now."
After being presented with a brand-new Sith lightsaber, Anakin activates his lightsaber and stabs Palpatine. The clone troopers raise their weapons and aim at Anakin for killing the emperor, but do not fire. They lower their weapons as Anakin says, "No... the galaxy belongs to me...!" and serve their new ruler for eternity.
==Characters==
===Playable===
*Anakin Skywalker
*Count Dooku
*Darth Vader
*General Grievous
*Grievous's Bodyguard (IG-100 MagnaGuard)
*Obi-Wan Kenobi
*Serra Keto
*Cin Drallig
*Obi-Wan Kenobi ("Ben" Kenobi in 0 BBY)
*Mace Windu
*Yoda
===Non-playable===
*R2-D2
*B1-A air battle droid
*Battle Droid
*Super Battle Droid
*Droideka
*Buzz Droid
*Buzz droid generator (Only as concept art)
*Crab droid
*Grapple droid
*Grenadier Droid (Only as concept art)
*Clone trooper
*Blaze Trooper
*Clone Assassin
*Heavy weapons clone trooper
*Clone sharpshooter
*C-3PO (Glimpsed in Episode IV mission)
*Jocasta Nu
*Jedi Knight
*Jedi Padawan
*Jedi brute
*Jedi Sniper
*Neimoidian guard
*Neimoidian sniper
*Neimoidian brute
*Commander Cody
*Palpatine
*Padmé Amidala
*Stormtrooper (Glimpsed in Episode IV mission)
*Luke Skywalker
*Separatist leaders (Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, Aruteous Gunnay, Wat Tambor, and Poggle the Lesser)
==Levels==
*Rescue over Coruscant
**Jedi-Anakin Skywalker
**Enemies-battle droids, droid snipers, B2 super battle droids
**Allies-Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2
**Location-Invisible Hand
*An Explosive Development
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-Battle droids, Grapple droids, B2 super battle droids, Buzz Droids, Sentry guns
**Allies-Anakin Skywalker
**Location-Invisible Hand
*Peril in the Elevators
**Jedi-Anakin Skywalker
**Enemies-Buzz Droids, Grapple droids, Destroyer Droids, Sentry guns, Air Battle Droids
**Allies-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Location-Invisible Hand
*Settling the Score
**Jedi-Anakin Skywalker
**Enemies-Count Dooku, B2 super battle droids
**Allies-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Location-Invisible Hand
*It's Not Over Yet
**Jedi-Anakin Skywalker
**Enemies-Battle droids, droid snipers, B2 super battle droids, Destroyer Droids, Sentry guns
**Allies-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Location-Invisible Hand
*The General's Right Hand
**Jedi-Anakin Skywalker
**Enemies-IG-100 MagnaGuards, Grapple droids, Battle droids
**Allies-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Location-Invisible Hand
*Investigating Utapau
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-Battle droids, droid snipers, B2 super battle droids, B2 Grapple droids, laser cannons, LM-432 Crab droid, B1-A Air Battle Droids
**Allies-None
**Location-Utapau
*The Cavalry Arrives
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-IG-100 MagnaGuards, Battle droids, droid snipers, Red B2 Grapple droids, LM-432 Crab Droid, General Grievous
**Allies-Clone troopers
**Location-Utapau
*Showdown with Grievous
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-General Grievous
**Allies-None
**Location-Utapau
*The Dark Side of the Force
**Sith-Darth Vader
**Enemies-Mace Windu
**Allies-None
**Location-Coruscant
*The Hunt Begins
**Sith-Darth Vader
**Enemies-Jedi Padawans, Jedi Knights, Jedi Snipers, Jedi Brutes, Jedi Interceptors, Jedi Temple Security System
**Allies-Clone troopers
**Location-Coruscant
*The Final Lesson
**Sith-Darth Vader
**Enemies-Cin Drallig, Serra Keto
**Allies-None
**Location-Coruscant
*Attack of the Clones
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-Clone troopers, Clone heavy gunner, Clone blaze troopers, AT-RT, LAAT/i, B1 battle droids, Droideka
**Allies-None (although any of the clone troopers can be briefly mind-tricked)
**Location-Utapau
*Assassination on Mustafar
**Sith-Darth Vader
**Enemies-Neimoidian guards, Neimoidian snipers, Neimoidian brutes, Neimoidian shuttle with Nute Gunray aboard, Aruteous Gunnay, Rune Haako, Wat Tambor
**Allies-None
**Location-Mustafar
*Aftermath in the Temple
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-Clone troopers, Clone heavy gunner, Clone blaze troopers, LAAT/i, Clone assassins
**Allies-Yoda
**Location-Coruscant
*Friendship in Flames
**Jedi-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Enemies-Darth Vader
**Allies-None
**Location-Mustafar
*Revenge of the Sith
**Sith-Darth Vader
**Enemies-Obi-Wan Kenobi
**Allies-None
**Location-Mustafar
In addition to the main story levels, there are bonus levels and characters the player can unlock and play as, such as Yoda, General Grievous, an IG-100 MagnaGuard and Darth Vader. Most of these levels consist of the player mainly fighting wave after wave of enemies. An added bonus level is the player taking on the role as Darth Vader during his final encounter with Obi-Wan/Ben Kenobi in the original Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
==Multiplayer mode==
The game also features a multiplayer duel mode, in which two players face off against each other. Players can choose Obi-Wan, Anakin, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Mace Windu, Cin Drallig, or Serra Keto. Darth Vader and "Ben" Kenobi from Episode IV can also be unlocked for this mode.
Each battle can be won with either the best of one, three or five rounds, depending on the options chosen. In addition, all characters have equal health and energy, with all status upgrades acquired by Anakin and Obi-Wan eliminated to balance the fight against the other opponents. However, all of the upgraded techniques and Force powers are available, and each of the other characters has special abilities and maneuvers.
In addition to the original costumes found throughout the Single Player campaign, each character has a different costume that is used when each player chooses the same character, so that players can tell their characters apart. Some of these costumes depict Sith versions of certain Jedi characters and vice-versa. If one plays Mace Windu fighting Anakin Skywalker on the Death Star, it's sort of implied it's the same as the true film timeline minus Windu and Yoda being the only two living heroes from Revenge of the Sith, Vader never crippled and dying instead at Windu's hand.
*Anakin Skywalker: The alternate is hooded and wields a red lightsaber.
*Obi-Wan Kenobi: The alternate wears a cape and wields a green lightsaber.
*Dooku: The alternate has his Attack of the Clones outfit and wields a blue lightsaber.
*Grievous: The alternate is slightly tinted blue and wields red lightsabers.
*Mace Windu: The alternate has dark clothing and wields a blue lightsaber.
*Serra Keto: The alternate has black clothes and wields red lightsabers.
*Cin Drallig: The alternate has black clothes and wields a red lightsaber.
*Darth Vader: The alternate has lighter armor and wields a blue lightsaber.
*Ben Kenobi: The alternate is not hooded and wields a green lightsaber.
== GBA Co-op Mode ==
In the GBA version, 2 players, with 2 separate consoles and game cartridges, can connect via a Game Boy Advanced Link Cable and play as either Anakin or Obi Wan together in 2 game modes: 'Clone Wars', and 'Last Jedi Standing'.
'Clone Wars' acts as a prologue to the main story, with players fighting against Battle Droids as Anakin and Obi-Wan across 5 separate stages:
* Dantooine
* Muunilinst
* Yavin IV
* Invisible Hand I
* Invisible Hand II
The first 3 stages take clear design inspiration from the Battle of Dantooine, the Battle of Muunilinst, and the Duel on Yavin IV, respectively, as shown in Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1. The Invisible Hand stages reuse the first and second stages of the main story, though with different enemies. Upon first completion, both players are rewarded with upgrade points for the main story for Anakin or Obi-Wan.
'Last Jedi Standing' lets 2 players fights against droids as Anakin and Obi-Wan for as long as possible until either is eliminated. A timer is shown for the time elapsed until one player is eliminated, with the survivor being the winner. Players can choose from 5 maps:
* Invisible Hand elevator
* Dantooine
* Utapau cave
* Muunilinst
* Yavin IV
==DS starfighter==
In the DS version, there are 3D starfighter battles incorporating the touch screen to manage your shields and view radar and scores. There are three missions for each Anakin and Obi-Wan in single player, and a multiplayer providing 8 maps and 17 ships:
*Jedi Interceptor
*Millennium Falcon
*Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor
*Darth Vader's TIE Advanced
*TIE Fighter
*Droid tri-fighter
*V-wing
*X-wing
*Geonosian Starfighter
*General Grievous's Belbullab-22 Starfighter
*Techno Union Interceptor
*Anakin Skywalker's modified Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter
*Anakin's Jedi Interceptor
*ARC-170 starfighter
*Vulture Droid Starfighter
*Delta-7 Jedi Starfighter
==Music==
No original music from the film is used, since recording of the soundtrack had not been completed when the game's production ended. This is also the case in LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. As a result, music from all of the other five movies is used. The cutscenes also use music from other media. In the levels "The Final Lesson" and "Assassination on Mustafar," music from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is also used. This music can also be found in some multiplayer duel levels. Music from Episode III was not added in the 2006 "Greatest Hits"/"Platinum Hits" release of the game on PS2 and Xbox.
In the GBA and DS versions, music from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones was used, although the output slightly varied due to differences in sound output between the two handheld systems. The former utilized a more synthesized track while the latter was generally closer to the music from the film. Both GBA and DS versions also used a limited selection of music from Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1; notable for being the only official use of the soundtrack from either Volume, having never received an official release.
==Differences between the movie and game==
Most differences are about character deaths. Because the game was released prior to the movie, many of the important character deaths were changed so as to not spoil the movie. For example:
*The opening cinematic cutscene of the duel with Count Dooku features a line from Dooku that was cut from the film: "Just because there are two of you, do not assume you have the advantage."
*Dooku was killed when Anakin impaled him. In the movie, he had his hands and head cut off. This was possibly done for censorship.
*When Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi fought in the throne room, the dead leaders of the Separatists were gone.
*Obi-Wan and Grievous ended up in a room overlooking the sinkhole after fighting in a cave, concluding the chase with the General on his wheelbike, being pursued by the Jedi Master on Boga. This was instead of the chase concluding on Grievous's landing dock with his starfighter as in the movie.
*Grievous doesn't cough during gameplay or 3D cutscenes, and he is killed when Obi-Wan stabbed him in the chest, and Grievous's armor short-circuited. In the movie, Obi-Wan used the cyborg general's own blaster to incinerate him with his gut sac exposed after Obi-Wan lost his lightsaber. Owing to this, Obi-Wan in the GBA/DS versions does not say "So uncivilized" in disgust over how he had to kill Grievous.
*Mace Windu never fights Palpatine. Instead, Windu duels Anakin and loses, being stabbed through the chest and kicked out the window. The fates of Kolar, Tiin and Fisto are never seen as is the case with several other Jedi.
*Cin Drallig was killed with a saber impale variation performed by Darth Vader. In the movie, he was briefly seen being murdered when Vader cut his chest on a recorded hologram seen by Yoda and Obi-Wan.
*On his mission, Vader kills Poggle the Lesser by using a piece of the door and a Force push to crush him. In the movie, Poggle is cut to pieces.
*Nute Gunray escaped Darth Vader's slaughter as opposed to begging for his life prior to being killed. He tried to escape in his ship, and then to kill Vader, but Darth Vader destroyed the ship, sending it plummeting into the lava, and then exploding, killing Gunray.
*When Darth Vader was defeated on Mustafar, Obi-Wan picked up his lightsaber and left without saying anything. The scene in which Vader is burned alive is also omitted to avoid an M rating from the ESRB.
*In the bonus level when Vader confronts Obi-Wan on the Death Star, Vader is able to cast Force lightning. That was not possible because of Vader's mechanical arms. Anakin, in the game, can also use Force lightning as soon as he turned to the dark side, but in the film, he didn't learn that power at all. There are also TIE Interceptors in the background. However, that variant of TIE fighter did not yet exist.
*Palpatine's robe turns from red to black to red again during the fight with Windu. This is because in the movie clips, it is red, but in the game parts, it is black—the same one he wore while captured by Grievous.
*Windu and Anakin both wear Jedi robes at the start of their fight, then they lose them, and at the end Anakin has his back on.
*Padmé Amidala is seen only in a brief appearance of her head, which is part of a clip from the movie, in the last two levels of the game and is otherwise only mentioned in the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game during the fight on Mustafar. She appears fully in the GBA and DS versions.
*Yoda was never shown dueling Palpatine. He is, however, seen taking out more clone troopers in the Jedi temple during the bonus mission where Yoda is a playable character.
*Nute Gunray and the others don't know they are being betrayed until Darth Vader arrives in the room, but in the game they realize Sidious' betrayal as soon as Vader lands, when he kills Neimoidian guards and fights his way through the whole base to get to the council room.
*Since Grievous got stabbed by Obi-Wan in the game he, of course, did not drop his lightsaber like in the movie. Also, in the movie Commander Cody handed Obi-Wan's lightsaber back to Kenobi seconds before Cody received Order 66 and tells troopers in turrets to fire at Obi-Wan. Instead, Obi-Wan Kenobi tells the clones to continue to higher levels. The clones reply by saying they are no longer required to follow his orders and start firing at the Jedi Master. As this game was made before the inhibitor chip retcon, the clone whom Obi-Wan addresses at the start of the level apologizes before firing.
*Anakin joins the dark side because he sees Windu attempt to strike down Palpatine, thinking the Jedi are corrupt. In the movie, he joins the dark side because Palpatine says he can help Anakin keep Padmé alive, knowing of the nightmares that Anakin is having.
*The in-game dialogue and cinematic cutscenes were written by Dark Horse Comics assistant editor Jeremy Barlow.
*In the GBA and DS versions there are missions involving Anakin fighting battle droids and an AAT on Coruscant right after he was appointed to the Jedi Council and once again after he decided to rescue Palpatine. Another mission involves Obi-Wan escaping from the clone troopers through the caves on Utapau and fighting several IG-100 MagnaGuards on the way. There are also some minor differences like the fight with a Vulture droid aboard the Invisible Hand and an escape from the Hailfire-class droid on Mustafar.
*Possibly because the game came out first, the music played during the final battle is "Duel of the Fates," not "Battle of the Heroes."
==Differences between various games==
In addition to the above mentioned differences between the movie and the games, there also differences between various versions of the games as well:
*The DS version of Revenge of the Sith, which is largely based on the GBA version, includes three space missions where Anakin/Obi-Wan has to destroy some enemies and meet the objectives before moving on to the next mission. Also, the DS version features an exclusive multiplayer mode with only space battles against human players or the AI. The ships can be customized, and some of them have to be unlocked in order to be used in the game. 
*The events of the duel between Anakin and Mace Windu are played similarly to the movie with the GBA and DS versions in comparison to the PS2 and Xbox versions, barring that Anakin strikes Windu before they duel and that Windu is blasted with Force Lightning without being shown hurled out of the window.
*The "Ultimate Revenge of the Sith" ending is omitted from the DS and GBA versions. Regardless of whether the player is playing as Anakin/Vader or Obi-Wan, the ultimate outcome of the battle is that Vader is cut down by Obi-Wan.
*The soundtrack varies between the GBA and DS versions (specifically, the former is generally more synthesized, while the latter is closer to the soundtrack from the film), most notably with the version of "Duel of the Fates" used: In the former, it was a synthesized version of the theme from the movie, while the latter included vocals, yet was derived more closely from the version from Attack of the Clones.
*In the Mustafar missions of the DS version, Nute Gunray and the Separatist leaders are not in the game despite Palpatine's orders given to Anakin to exterminate them. In addition, the duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi is much shorter in the GBA and DS versions than in the home console versions.
*The lightsaber duels on the handheld consoles are very different from their console counterparts. Each fight begins with the AI executing two different attacks. Each time the player has to block them in order to hit the AI. Every third attack in the beginning of the fight the AI will do a Force push attack, excluding Anakin, Obi-Wan and Grievous.
*All of the cutscenes are only featured through images. Some of these feature exclusive deleted scenes such as showing a ghost appearance of Qui-Gon Jinn on Polis Massa.
*The levels in the handheld versions are shorter than those on the other consoles due to technical reasons. Some parts are cut or slightly modified in order to accommodate these versions. However, the stories are still told as those on the PS2 and Xbox consoles.
==Credits==
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The Lightsaber Collection
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==Notes and references==
Category:Clone Wars multimedia project
Category:Legends console video games
Category:LucasArts games