The Original Star Wars Trilogy finally comes to Disney Infinity 3.0 in the Rise Against the Empire Play Set and accompanying figures. I have nothing against the Prequel Trilogy or Star Wars Rebels figures, but there’s simply no comparison when it comes to Han, Luke, Chewy, Leia and Darth Vader tearing it up in the game.
If you’ve played the Twilight of the Republic Play Set then you’ll find several similarities in the Rise Against the Empire Play Set featuring Luke and Leia despite the latter being developed by Studio Gobo and the former by Ninja Theory. Each presents multiple worlds from their respective trilogies that are unlocked through the course of the campaign and accessible via space flight.
Controlling the Millennium Falcon or Luke’s X-Wing against Tie Fighters and Imperial Star Destroyers is literally a hit-or-miss experience. Navigating through the Death Star II’s various tunnels, nooks and crannies with the ship’s tight turning options is a thrilling challenge that almost requires Jedi reflexes to earn a “Great” score. Trying to lock onto a Tie Fighter can be a frustrating endeavor due to the ship’s bouncy flight path when attempting even the slightest turn.
Once on the ground, the worlds given attention in Rise Against the Empire are Tatooine, sharing some elements from Tatooine in Twilight of the Republic; portions of the Death Star; Echo Base at Hoth; and the Ewok Village and Imperial Landing Platform at Endor. Bespin unfortunately is nonexistent in the Disney Infinity canon, and Luke’s return to Tatooine to save Han, Leia, R2-D2 and C-3P0 is also passed over as the story oddly jumps from Hoth straight to Endor for presumably the sake of time.
I truly miss Bespin the most as the Carbonite Freezing Chamber in Disney Infinity 3.0 would have been fantastic. However, the attention to detail and vastness of Tatooine, Hoth and Endor almost make up for Bespin’s absence. Each has numerous areas to explore and secrets to uncover reminiscent of the Toy Story in Space Play Set from Disney Infinity 1.0.
Also hearkening back to the Disney Infinity 1.0 Play Sets are unlockable and purchasable buildings with specific purposes. I’m glad to see these return as they add more to unlock and naturally build up the presence of each world.
It takes some adjustment when playing with the Original Trilogy figures versus the Prequel figures. Whereas Anakin, Yoda, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul all have lightsabers, only Luke and Darth Vader are armed with the ancient weapon. Leia, Chewie and Han are all blaster-focused characters and that changes the play style when confronting enemies in the Play Set.
What’s most impressive about Disney Infinity 3.0 Rise Against the Empire is how it lets players enjoy a good chunk of the Original Star Wars Trilogy in an entirely new way. The experience is short if you gloss over collectibles, but it’s fulfilling nonetheless and easily the best Star Wars gaming experience going right now complete with an ample selection of John Williams music.
The Disney Infinity 3.0 Rise Against the Empire Play Set was reviewed on PlayStation 4 using a retail copy provided by Disney Interactive. It is available as of September 29, 2015 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
This review score does not include the Disney Infinity 3.0 Rise Against the Empire individually sold figures of Darth Vader, Han Solo, Chewbacca, or Boba Fett.
