Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles cover art

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Review (PS5) – Only a Sith Deals in Absolutes

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles returns to our screens after two decades away! A nostalgic throwback to the frenzy surrounding the second trilogy of Star Wars films, it was a shock announcement from Aspyr to many at the time. Now it’s here, we got our hands on it and put it through its paces to see what’s changed, what Aspyr did, and whether it’s worth it, and answered the all-important question; is it good?

Editor’s Note:
As with any remaster, it’s important to note that this is still a 25-year-old game, albeit with a few modernizations. It’s being reviewed as a product of its time as much as it is a remaster, not compared to modern games.

Is This the Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Remaster You’re Looking For?

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is an ode to a forgotten time of gaming. Image Credit: Aspyr.

Originally released in March 2000, Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles was something of a misnomer. Based on a film that ultimately disappointed excited fans, it allowed players to live out their Jedi-power fantasies with a friend, something that was unheard of at the time. Allowing players to live out the new Star Wars adventure as a range of characters, including the film’s principal cast, was a masterstroke as well. Twenty-five years later, Aspyr decided to give us that same opportunity again, in a nostalgic throwback remaster.

Unlike the original release, the Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster comes already unlocked with everything from the start. If you want to go straight to the final battle and try your luck with Darth Maul, you can, although it’d be a bad shout, as I found out. Same with the secret levels, VS mode, and training, it’s all open and accessible from the start. No locked walls here. With an additional 13 characters also included compared to the original lineup, the choice of who to play as and when is far better, with much more representation of the wider Star Wars universe of the time.

Once I’d gotten over my humbling defeat to Darth Maul, I decided to start at the beginning and played through the campaign level by level. As with the original release, it’s not the longest campaign ever, coming in at five hours, although if you played with a friend the entire time, that’d easily be a lot shorter. Unlike the original release though, the Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster features a range of improvements, including the much-maligned controls being tightened.

In the original, it seemed like every other death was due to poor controls when jumping, and at ten years old, it pissed me off more than it should. Jumping and running is far easier this time round, and worth the price of admission alone. Throw in the improvements to combat, and you’re onto a winner. With new combos earned every level, not only did the combat feel fresh, but it felt like I was actually hitting something this time around.

As for other improvements Asypr has made, there’s the already mentioned graphical overhaul, which, whilst not as obvious and thorough as previous remasters they’ve released, is a vast improvement on the original release. I did find myself missing the graphics toggle that Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered featured, though.

The menu and general UI have been revamped as well, and the previously mentioned graphical toggle was replaced with the ability to toggle three varieties of the UI during gameplay, which largely seemed unnecessary, truth be told.

It Can’t All Be Good

jedi power battles cover art including mace windu and obi-wan kenobi
Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster features the same classic gameplay. Image Credit: Aspyr.

Despite all the good, during my time with the Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster, there were some prevailing issues I just couldn’t ignore. All-in-all I played about thirteen hours (and that will likely increase too), but throughout, the game crashed multiple times. Several times at the end of levels (thankfully saving my progress) and a few times during the level itself. Added to this was a number of occasions where stuttering and pop-in/slowdown occurred, it made those moments more frustrating than necessary, especially on a game I can’t imagine being overly taxing to run, performance-wise. A few more hours spent optimizing it for the modern consoles wouldn’t hurt.

Potentially linked to this was the regular cutting out of the audio soundtrack, which happened far more often. The Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster doesn’t have a lot going for it in the audio department full stop if I’m being honest, with the soundtrack issues compounding that, and being all the more noticeable with the lack of sound effects present. It must be said though, that hearing the blaster from a droid hit a lightsaber doesn’t get boring.

Lastly, whilst Aspyr has done a great deal to open the game from the beginning, the original game’s still lacking narrative is present. There’s not much the Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster devs could have done to remedy this beyond a full remake, but the lack of meaningful cutscenes, dialogue, or even proper story objectives could leave you wondering what you’re doing beyond massacring your way through a droid army.

The Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles remaster definitely hits all the right nostalgic spots, from increasing power levels, new combos, fun combat, and cheat codes that point to a forgotten era of fun, but some aspects are lacking, and after a few updates hopefully Aspyr can fully polish it to ensure Star Wars fans are getting the full experience they deserve.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles

Luke Addison

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles cover art

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles is a Star Wars action video game set during the time frame of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Allowing one or two players to follow the story from the film, allows players to live out their Jedi-power fantasies and it’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Gameplay
Graphics
Performance
Audio
Narrative

Summary

Aspyr has done enough with Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles to warrant the remaster, giving it a fresh lick of paint, tighter controls, accessibility through the wazoo, and a bit more, but performance problems, lacking story and audio that keeps cutting out, tarnish the experience somewhat.

HOURS PLAYED: 13

3
Pros
  • Everything available from the go, from secret levels to cheat codes.
  • Updated controls and visuals will make the nostalgia hit better.
  • Expanded characters to play with increases the replayability.
Cons
  • Poor performance and optimization can cause crashes.
  • Audio cuts out all too regularly.
  • The narrative may follow the film, but fails at explaining itself in-game.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles was released on 23rd January 2025 and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

For more Thumb Wars reviews, check out our impressions of the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, or how about the Gacha surprise that is Infinity Nikki? This and every Thumb Wars review is featured on OpenCritic.

Leave a Comment

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *