The game begins with a lengthy cinema that is done quite well. It does a good job of showing many of the various vehicles you will be able to control in the game. It also tells the story of Brenn and Dellis Tantor. They are brothers and are both members of the Imperial military. At the beginning of the game you will basically take on the role of Brenn, who is safely onboard a Star Destroyer above the planet Tatooine. He has full control over the troops and vehicles via the Battlefield Holographic Control Interface (BHCI). Via this interface the player can command the Imperial team by simply pointing and clicking. If you've played any other RTS games then you'll pretty much know how to operate this one. All of the requisite hotkey commands are in place so you can split your team into groups easily. Luckily, the first three missions all take place on Tatooine and they are designed to train new players on all of the commands and keystrokes. The tutorial does a fantastic job of showing all of the different ways to efficiently command your troops. I actually attempted to read the manual before playing the game (what a concept!), but soon became bogged down with all of the hotkeys and various mouse clicks. Believe me, it's much simpler to jump right into the tutorial. Use the manual as a backup if you forget how to perform a certain task. Also included with the game is a reference card that has a list of all the different commands and how to perform them.

Once you have completed the tutorial missions you should have a general grasp of how to play the game. Unlike other RTS games, Force Commander is presented in full 3D. I commend LucasArts for trying something new, but the implementation really does hamper gameplay. Due to the 3D graphic engine, it's possible to zoom in or away from the action in the game. This is done wonderfully and some of the battles are fun to watch at a close range. You will need a 3D card to play the game, as is evident by the fantastic looking vehicles, buildings, and landscapes. The game definitely looks like scenes taken out of the Star Wars movies. However, while the presentation gets high points, its interference with actually playing the game hurts the overall package. Just like many 3D games out there, the problem lies with the camera. The player is in complete control of camera positioning. You can zoom in or zoom out, pan left or pan right, move the camera forward or backward, and on and on. I'm just touching on some of the basics. In total, there are 16 different keystroke combinations devoted solely to camera positioning. Granted, there are some buttons that will focus the camera directly on a selected group, or if you're being attacked you can press a button so the camera immediately moves to the battle area. These features come in handy, but the end result is that after hours of playing the camera just gets in the way. When big battles break out and you have to act quickly, the last thing you should have to be worried about is what direction the camera is pointing. The game is still playable and still enjoyable, but I can't help but wonder how much better the game could have been without the camera situation.

Vehicles, buildings, and troops are sent down from the orbiting Star Destroyer whenever requested. You can receive more structures and combat units by using Command Points. These are earned by completing the mission objectives, destroying enemy units, and commandeering enemy structures. You can lose points if you ask for and receive too many units. This alleviates the oft-mundane task of collecting minerals and whatnot found in many of the other RTS games. The system is easy to understand and keeps the focus on the missions.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, the graphics in Force Commander are excellent. The majority of the vehicles, troops, and planets are instantly recognizable from the movies. The 3D models all look excellent and little touches, like the sand storms on Tatooine, help immerse the player in the Star Wars universe. Equally important are the musical tracks, sound effects, and voice acting. The music is vintage Star Wars, but I'm happy to report there are some brand new musical pieces that are fantastically done. For example, at the very beginning of the game in the menu screen there is a cool techno/rock remix of the Star Wars theme, which is also played during certain combat situations. The sound effects are also ripped directly from the movie. The AT-ST's laser guns sound different from the Stormtroopers' laser blasts. From the clanking of the AT-ATs to the hum of the Tie Fighters, you'll know exactly what lurks in the nearby surroundings. Voice acting is superbly done as well, which is to be expected from LucasArts these days. The story is propelled along by the mission briefings and events that occur while performing the missions. Some of the story is ripped right from the movies, which brings a familiarity to the game for those who have seen the movies.

Force Commander can be played alone or with up to 4 players over the Internet or a LAN. Also at your disposal is the option to play against computer "bots" to try out some of the multiplayer maps. The game could definitely use some more terrain maps to choose from, so hopefully LucasArts will release more over the Internet, similar to what Blizzard does with its games. Fans of Star Wars should definitely buy Force Commander since it is one of the best games made with a Star Wars license. The game is fairly easy to learn and it will keep players busy for a long time. It's not the very best RTS game out there, but it definitely exuberates an atmosphere that is unmatched by most games currently available. The only thing stopping me from rating the game higher is the cumbersome camera system. Other than that, Force Commander comes highly recommended.