Part of the fun of the first title was its open structure: You were free to be a noble Jedi knight or skip down the path to the dark side. That freedom lives on in Sith Lords, which takes place five years after the events of the first game. So does most of its gameplay and graphics: There are new weapons, Force powers and other expected tweaks, but the new version looks, plays and sounds substantially the same.
The storyline follows similar contours as well: You start confined to one planet, then migrate to a second planet before the galaxy opens to you, allowing you to choose where to warp to and what quests to take up. The biggest change from the original is the influence your actions have on the companions you pick up -- as you become a saint or vie for a Darth title, your buddies will follow suit.
| | | | ___Personal Tech E-letter___ Washington Post personal technology columnist Rob Pegoraro answers reader e-mail and expands on themes he touches on in his weekly newspaper column. The e-mail version of this weekly feature includes links to the latest gadget and software reviews.
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Sith Lords has a dark side of its own: occasional stutters in the action, system seize-ups and annoying download pauses (and this is just on the Xbox, not the PC, on which you might expect those kinds of malfunctions). But its fidelity to the original, its plentiful quests and engrossing story all mean this game has the Force on its side.
-- Robert Schlesinger
Xbox, $50 (Windows version due February)
SCRAPLAND, Enlight
Scrapland heaves the usual sword-and-sorcery routine of role-playing games right into the trash compactor. It takes place on Scrapland, a planet abandoned by humans to robots.
You play carefree robot visitor D-Tritus, who gets a gig as a reporter just in time to write up Scrapland's first murder. To unravel the true story, he'll have to run around the city (he commutes on a sort of rocket motorcycle) to talk to various informants. He'll also sometimes have to break into various restricted places, a task made easier once he hacks into "the great database" and gains the ability to transform into 15 other models of robot.
This way, he can minimize himself into a tiny automatic-stapler robot to hop through ductwork, generate a second copy of himself in the uniform of a police enforcer, or take on a courier's job if speed is of the essence. The best part: You can't permanently die. (Death is for organics only.)
Scooting around the city on your bike -- try to enjoy the breathtaking view of a city that looks like downtown Tokyo and Las Vegas at 300 mph when you're not dodging fire from the bad guys -- provides enough twitchy fun to count as a separate game. It certainly functions like one: As in any decent racing title, half the entertainment comes from tweaking or rebuilding your vehicle between contests. This flying portion of the game also includes a few multiplayer contests.
Scrapland may not be enough to upend the role-playing genre, but at least it brings a few new nuts and bolts to the mix. -- John Breeden II
Win 98 or newer, Xbox, $40
