Star Wars: Empire at War

Admit it; you've always wanted to change something in Star Wars. And now you can - sort of. You can't make baby Anakin tolerable or force Leia to wear that metal bikini all the time, but now you can change who ultimately hoists the victory flag in the Galactic Revolution. Which is kind of big. Star Wars: Empire at War gives you a dream shot at building the Empire in your own image, or joining the Rebellion to kick the Death Star where it hurts once and for all.

Empire at War is a real-time strategic game with cataclysmic ground and space battles, a dash of galactic management and a cargo hold full of Star Wars locations, vehicles and characters. Both Empire and Rebel campaigns are set in a time just before the "first" classic film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. You'll witness first-hand Vader's rise to power and the origins of the Rebellion that leads to Galactic Civil War.

In addition to familiar parts of the cosmos like Tatooine, Hoth and Endor, Empire at War's 45 planets include closer looks at rarely traveled waypoints in the expanded Star Wars universe. You'll blast through the lush semi-tropics of the uncharted world of Wayland from the Dark Empire comic books and fight for control of the rocks and crags of Korriban, the breeding ground of the Sith. Seeing these haunts come to life definitely sounds fun; kicking down their doors and taking them over sounds even better.

In your bid to control the galaxy, you'll be aided and abetted by everyone from Ewoks to stormtroopers, and command virtually every vehicle you've ever witnessed in the Star Wars universe. You'll fight the terrestrial fight with lumbering, giant AT-AT walkers and the 2-fast-2-furious speeder bikes, then conquer space with enormous Mon Calamari cruisers and the pants-fillingly powerful "that's no moon" Death Star. No word yet on the Ewok-a-pult.