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Rebelstar: Tactical Command Review: Is it Worth It?

Rebelstar cover art

Rebelstar: Tactical Command Review: Is it Worth It?

Rebelstar: Tactical Command released in 2005 by Namco tells the futuristic tale of the planet Earth ruled by aliens in the year 2117. Based on a Pokémon style turn-based strategy style this game isn’t for everyone. The basic premise is this Arelian Empire is evil at the core, which forces a group of rebels to plot to overthrow them. Led by an ambitious trooper named Jorel, a small squad infiltrates the core using various tactics such as stealth and full-out warfare. While this sounds all well and good, CheatCC dives in to see if this game is worth the credits players have to spend on it.

Familiar RPG Aspects

Rebelstar screenshot
Rebelstar TC looks and plays a lot like Pokémon

Implementing RPG elements will acquire points for kills and healings that will be randomly distributed to the player’s squad. They will be able to assign one of four points to any character they want to increase their abilities or weapon prowess. Skills such as healing and stealth are a necessity to the gameplay as well as equipping their teammates with various weapons such as grenades, rifles, lasers, chain guns, and missiles.

Each character has a certain number of points which players must spend to make them perform a task at each turn. The game is turn-based so once players make their move they should consider using the environment to block themselves from attack. There are plenty of options at their disposal such as which weapons to use, ranged or close combat, stealth, heal, retreat, attack, and so forth.

Problems With Learning

The menus are easily accessible but that’s not much help if players don’t know what they’re doing. Turn-based strategy games are not pick-up-and-play games. People won’t find these in an arcade. Anyone looking to play should line up someone to teach them the finer points before considering purchasing this game. The instructions are decent but they are no substitute for a good tutor or in-game tutorial. Of course, players could just bang their heads against the wall until they

Graphics and Sound are Lackluster

Graphically the game suffers a lot. The renderings are very plain and the animation is stiff and jerky. It’s got a colorful, cartoon presentation that would certainly benefit from more detailed graphics. The music is just plain awful. It’s tinny and repetitious. Take those headphones off, quick, lest people go berserk! However, it’s important to note that there is only so much one could ask from the Gameboy Advance’s hardware.

Final Thoughts

Youngsters weaning themselves off of Pokemon would be well advised to stay clear of this game unless they want to learn something without a guide. This game is more welcoming to those strategists who enjoy games such as Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. While Rebelstar isn’t as complex as these games it hangs in the same neighborhood. A two-player Skirmish mode will squeeze more replay value out of the game but you should know that it uses the same cartridge and the same GBA system, so if players don’t want to hand over control of their machine to some idiot you might want to think twice about this game.

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