Combined Star Wars and Total War
Empire at War Expanded: Thrawn’s Revenge is a free game utility developed by the Thrawn’s Revenge team for the real-time strategy game Star Wars Empire at War. You get to follow the remnants of the empire after the Battle of Endor, the epic piece highlighted in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
More importantly, the longstanding Empire at War Expanded: Thrawn’s Revenge project overhauls the entire game, turning it into something closer to Empire: Total War, but in space. It completely changes the gameplay experience, although the same strategy mechanics remain.
Continue the original trilogy
As it picks up on the last battle of the original film trilogy, Empire at War Expanded: Thrawn’s Revenge includes all-new missions that cover a part of Episode VI where the Empire falls and Episode VII: The Last Jedi, where the New Republic starts to build its presence across the galaxy. As such, expect new units and spaceships to help establish your might, regardless of the faction you play.
Furthermore, this mod totally changes how the game is played. From the simple and straightforward farming and combat mechanics of the base game, it transforms into a more methodical strategy experience. Of course, technology trees and unit upgrades remain, although the exact stats and mechanisms for combat, trade, and research have entirely changed. This creates a challenging yet exciting feel for existing players of the game.
Lastly, despite its grand scale and a revised approach to strategy, the mod still suffers from a couple of issues. The most significant of these issues is the imbalance between different in-game factions. Whether it was a developer oversight or an intentional handicap in an attempt to create a more accurate reenactment of battles from the Star Wars universe, it leads players to go with the stronger factions.
Complexity is the name of the game
Unless you’re a fan of both Star Wars lore and the Total War franchise, Empire at War Expanded: Thrawn’s Revenge will definitely come across as strange. On one side, it feels like a far-off Star Wars mod while on the other side it feels like a space-based Total War video game. However, its approach to strategy maximizes the features of the original game and even builds upon it. Recommended.
