The Revenge of the Sith game based on the movie is an interesting bit of alternative universe. It was developed at the same time as the film, and features alternative choices that didn’t make the movie. Some are mentioned in the novelization by Matthew Stover, or at least indicated. Other bits you can see in behind the scenes shots for the Making of Books, or in old issues of the Star Wars Insider. The movie scenes are intercut with the game, as well as cut scenes for the levels.
There are two primary differences in the Revenge of the Sith game from the movie. The first is, why Anakin fell. While the movie went with his desperation to save Padmé, the game goes with the other approach, that Anakin truly believed the Jedi had betrayed their duty and code when Mace went to kill the Chancellor. There are elements of this in the novelization and even some that remained in the movie.
The second difference is how much more of each level and mission there were than in the movie. Some of this actually was filmed for the movie and dropped. No doubt some was also made for the game. The whole battle to get to Palpatine and free him, as well as escape, is lengthened. Some things drastically altered include the fact that in game, Anakin has a real battle with Mace Windu and Obi-Wan’s battle with Grievous and subsequent betrayal by his troops has no Boga (the veractyl steed). Anakin turned Vader’s battle in the Jedi temple is lengthened with a different variation of his battle with Cin Drallig.
The Revenge of the Sith Gameplay
The Revenge of the Sith game play is wild and fun. It’s also a bit overwhelming for a button pusher like me to remember all those combos. Lightsaber moves are one thing, but there is also force push, mind trick, force lightning and blocking. The game was quite willing to give hints as to what to do and where to go next.
Enemies may be anything from a Sith, another Jedi, Separatists, standard or heavy battle droids. The ones I found most aggravating were the ones with stun pikes. Of course, playing as Jedi (or a Jedi turned Sith) the distance stuff you can’t reach can be particularly challenging. Jedi are largely melee, and my specialty definitely isn’t grabbing an object and aiming at the object you want to hit! \
The game uses your standard checkpoint method of saving. It can take a lot of patience against some of the bosses, to hold off, keep healing up, rather than risk losing because they struck the last blow before I could!
There are a lot of extras to unlock, different playable characters for the campaign section. Not the least of the interesting is a level where you can get an alternate ending by playing as Vader and defeating Obi-Wan, followed by killing the Emperor.
Revenge of the Sith Continuity
The movie quite obviously overrides the Revenge of the Sith game, in terms of lore. That said, elements that the movie doesn’t show at all, nor do the novelizations or comic adaptations, can probably be considered true.
We know for sure Cin Drallig was killed in the battle. He was the Jedi Battle Master cut down inside the temple with the two padawans, Whie Malreaux and in the security footage. In the Revenge of the Sith game, he dies outside on a landing pad (assuming you can kill him!). It is not unreasonable to assume that Anakin did also kill Sara Keto, is apprentice, in the temple as nothing contradicts.
The death of Jocasta Nu, the temple archivist, is seen in the game and her body discovered by Obi-Wan and Anakin. This is in the same area where you battle as a clone trooper in Classic Battlefront 2, when Order 66 goes down.
The expanded cut scenes in the Revenge of the Sith game are interesting, particularly late game, such as Vader’s battles in the temple, reaching the Separatist leaders, and Yoda and Obi-Wan returning to alter the recall beacon. We didn’t see much of that in the movie. It’s therefore not unreasonable to assume what we see more or less happened.
Continuity of the Revenge of the Sith Game:
Obi-Wan does express concern about Anakin entering the temple. In the novelization, he believes Anakin is already dead. That he must’ve died defending the temple. I don’t think this is actually contradictory, however. As his Master, Obi-Wan should’ve sensed Anakin’s death in the force. It would be one thing for him not to sense his danger, in the midst of his own battle with Grievous. But he should’ve felt his death – an issue that I think would poke at the back of his mind.
Obi-Wan repeatedly says ‘fight your programming’ to the clones after they turn on him. I also don’t think this supports TCW brain chip. Horrible as it is, people don’t need a piece of technology in their brain to be programmed. That is what brainwashing does, and even to some extent Earth technology does it, as do Earth Intelligence agencies of many governments. The clones had over 66 orders brainwashed in, along with many others.
We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host. As a result they are totally obedient, taking any order without question. – Lama Su, Attack of the Clones
That said, at least some of them seemed to know that one order superseded all others (See Classic Battlefront 2). Besides, as I’ve probably noted elsewhere, organic troopers are going to need medics and not all are droids. Not all doctors are droids, and they are bound to wonder if they find chips in brains when operating.
For other characters in the Revenge of the Sith game:
Cin Drallig was the battlemaster of the Jedi Order and both Obi-Wan and Anakin had trained under him. Serra Keto was his last and most promising (to him) padawan. His teachings were included in a holocron, as revealed in Jedi Vs Sith The Essential Guide to the Force. As a side note, his name is Nic Gillard backward, and he was played by Gillard, who was the stunt coordinator.
Serra Keto – has one Clone Wars adventure short comic bit, The Brink, in Clone Wars Adventures volume 4, with Anakin. She is also a descendant of Empress Teta, a Republic heroine of Golden Age of the Sith comics and Satal and Aleema Keto, two dark siders that helped send the galaxy into war in the Tales of the Jedi including the Dark Lords of the Sith and the Sith War arcs.
Someone has put together all the cut scenes here. It’s worth a watch if you are unable to play, to see things not in the movie and dialogue. Obi-Wan has more dialogue in game, where he tries to convince Anakin to turn back.
Come back to the light! Face up to what you’ve done! I can help you! – Obi-Wan to Anakin, Revenge of the Sith Video Game
It certainly balances nicely with what Vader tells Luke later:
Obi-Wan once thought as you do. – Vader to Luke in Return of the Jedi
Revenge of the Sith Game Trivia
The voice actors were regulars in many of the Star Wars projects, particularly games.
Matt Lucas is the voice of Anakin Skywalker. He was also his voice in Clone Wars Microseries, the Clone Wars video game, Battlefront 2 and various other Star Wars projects.
James Arnold Taylor is the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobiand was in both animated Clone Wars in the role, as well as Battlefront 2, the Old Republic, and more.
Corey Burton is the voice of Count Dooku. He also was in several other Star Wars games such as Battlefront 2, Empire at War, Star Wars the Old Republic, KOTOR 2 and more.
Tom Kane as Yoda & Cin Drallig was in the Clone Wars 2003 microseries Star Wars the Old Republic, the Force Unleashed 2 and more.
For a complete list of the voice actors and what other Star Wars projects they are in, check it out on IMDB.
Sources:
- Revenge of the Sith XBox Gameplay
- Star Wars Jedi VS Sith Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham
- Tales of the Jedi comics by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson and audio drama.
- Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover
- The Making of Revenge of the Sith by J.W.Rinzler
- Star Wars Insider
