Zen Studios released three new downloadable tables for Pinball FX 2 recently based on the popular Star Wars movies. There is an Episode V: The Empire Strikes back table, a Clone Wars table, and bounty hunter Boba Fett even gets his very own table. All three tables are available to download as a bundle for 800 Microsoft Points (remember, the game itself is free to download).
Since The Empire Strikes back was my favorite movie of the series, I started with the Episode V table first. I was immediately pleased at just how much fun the table was. The sound is amazing. Even though the voice actors aren't the same from the movies, they sound similar enough that a casual fan won't notice the difference. There are a ton of memorable quotes from the movie blurted out almost constantly. The table is also very colorful. The lightsaber moving your ball around was a nice touch.
There are six scenes from the movie to play out such as Luke's training with Yoda and Han's attempt to outmaneuver a pair of Star Destroyers. A problem with some pinball tables is that it is often too hard just to start missions but that isn't an issue with the Star Wars Episode V table. Since the trap door to start a scene opens right in the center of the table, you'd have to actually try to miss it.
The Episode V table is highly addictive and it's pretty easy to establish ball control and get things going. Points are given out fairly generously so you'll feel like you're accomplishing a lot the longer you play it as well. This table alone is worth the price to download the DLC. It will not get boring and really captures what pinball should feel like. Fun, not frustration!
Star Wars: The Clone Wars begins with the classic upwards scrolling text that is at the beginning of all the Star Wars movies. The Clone Wars table is actually based on the CG TV show rather than the film, which is okay considering it features the actual voice actors from the show (the other tables mostly use similar-sounding voice actors in place of the real deal). The table itself is small with a ton of ramps on both sides. The ramps make running combos pretty easy.
Boba Fett was one of my favorite characters from the movie, but his Pinball FX 2 table was my least favorite of the three. Veterans of Pinball FX 2 might appreciate it for its difficulty because it may be one of the most challenging tables in the game yet. I was sometimes suffering drains before even hitting a mission at all!
When I did start a mission was when the points came rolling in. As you would expect from a table featuring Boba Fett, the missions involve taking on and collecting bounties. One strategy for this table is to aim solely for the two main ramps going around the back. Hitting the ball completely around the table during a mission will induce Boba Fett to shoot something for upwards of a million points. If you can keep hitting it around the table back and forth in a combo, you can quickly wrack up several million.
Achievement hunters will be happy to hear that each table has its own achievement worth 50 gamerscore. With the most recent DLC, Pinball FX 2 now has a total of 97 unlockable achievements. Nice!
Overall, the Star Wars tables are definitely something that any Star Wars/pinball fan should buy. You don't need to be a die-hard Star Wars nerd to thoroughly enjoy these new tables. Pinball FX 2 was released on Xbox LIVE Arcade way back in 2010 but is still going strong thanks to regularly released downloadable content. Zen Studios has once again released an awesome addition to the game and certainly did the Star Wars franchise justice with this DLC. Check out some screenshots in the slide show above.
Final Score: 5 / 5 stars
(This review was based off a review copy of the DLC).
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