The real question to ask when you look at
Star Wars: Starfighter - Special Edition is this--does enhanced multiplayer and a few extra bonus missions make for a worthy re-release? If you already own the PS2 version, there's absolutely no reason to put out the money for what amounts to a slight graphical revamp of the game; for those who don't own the PS2 version, though, this XBox release is decidedly superior.
Star Wars: Starfighter - SE, while it takes place in the world of Episode One, cuts its own path through that universe. It's an intriguing plot, if rather conventional, involving protection and destruction and the Naboo Queen and all the sort of stuff you expect in a Star Wars space epic. The game is interspersed with full-motion videos that move the plot along, and the missions themselves regularly contain plot points that keep it interesting, sometimes even changing the goal of the mission.
You can think of Star Wars: Starfighter - SE as a sort of 'X-Wing Lite', or a simplified and prettier version of the Colony Wars series on the PSOne. It's a fully 3D space combat game, like the aforementioned titles, but a good deal of the complexity is taken out, making for a more arcadey feel. Perhaps the most frustrating omission in the game is the lack of a useful 3D radar; the targeting system makes for a frustrating 'toggle through the list' experience, which can take away from some of the fun.
For the most part, though, the game plays quite enjoyable. Missions take place both in space and on the surface of planets, and they often involve more than just destroying everything in sight. When you revisit a location, it's always for a good plot reason, which is a nice touch. The ships fly convincingly, and the enemies try to blow you out of the sky as they should. The game starts you off in the shows of Rhys Dallows, a pilot for the Naboo royal escort, but it soon incorporates two more characters and their requisite ships. Each ship flies quite differently and has a different loadout, making adapting for the situation a necessity.
The single-player game is unfortunately quite brief, although there are the now-ubiquitous medals to collect. Getting these medals opens up bonus missions, which are basically one-off levels that aren't integral to the plot. Star Wars: Starfighter - SE also starts off with the multiplayer mode open, allowing you and another starfighter to have at it in a number of play modes. Sometimes the levels feel a little empty with one-on-one combat, but it's certainly entertaining.
