No matter how much pseudo-mythical drivel the characters spout, Star Wars rocks because it's all about incredible battles. We're talking good versus evil, X-Wing versus Tie Fighter, plot versus effects, Hayden Christensen vs acting... and, of course, red 'saber versus blue. Revenge Of The Sith should be amazing, because it's all about kicking ass with a humming future-sword. But, for reasons we're about to reveal, its Midichlorian count is disastrously low...

This game gets the fundamentals of the Force, and fighting with it, totally wrong. Lightsabers are not the galaxy's deadliest close-combat weapon as they are in the movie. They don't instantly slice people in half, they're more like electrified truncheons - tougher enemies require repeated whacking before they die. A similar chokehold strangles the Force powers: use them and an energy bar depletes, which then has to be recharged. This feels odd and jars with the game's supposed 'just like the film' attitude. Did Anakin need to recharge his Force meter before throttling his wife?

These inaccuracies wouldn't matter so much if the combat system felt solid, but it's glitchy and imprecise. Blows don't feel like they're having an effect, and combination moves often involve simply hammering Triangle. Just Triangle! That's it. Despite all the Jedi powers, you can't not get hurt - targeting and blocking is unreliable and clumsy. We found a few other snags and faults as well: jerky characters blip in and out of existence, while enemies sometimes stick to walls. This pretty much ruined the confrontation with Mace Windu, who insisted on 'moonwalking' while fixed to the spot - giving us plenty of time to heal, but destroying all the tension.

There are bursts of fun. When you're in the thick of it (hacking droids, fighting Grievous, or giving Anakin his comeuppance) hammering Square then Triangle before finishing with a Circle stab really feels (or at least looks on-screen) like real Jedi work. When playing as evil Anakin it's viciously fulfilling to fry all the weak-ass Jedis in the room with Sith lightening powers... until that power bar runs out, of course.

But, in truth, these moments feel more like button-bashing endurance tests rather than graceful Force-powered combat.

There's an extensive collection of unlockables but they don't compensate for the deficiencies. Extra missions and a co-op mode are worth playing through only once (if you can stand the crappy and hugely repetitive voice work) while the versus mode won't replace Mortal Kombat: Deception, let alone the mighty Soul Calibur II.

Shame. We really wanted this to work, but Revenge Of The Sith's 'sabers don't feel anywhere near powerful enough. And seeing the film's iconic characters batter each other ineffectually is just plain wrong. So this goes into our "bad Star Wars games" pile, the top of which now teeters near the ceiling.

Graphics 60%
Not bad, but a lot of scrappy animation.

Sound 70%
Music true to the films. Awful voice work.

Gameplay 60%
Solid, if glitchy. Combat works but not well.

Lifespan 70%
Lots to unlock, even Episode IV goodies.

Overall 60%
Underneath the Lucas gloss lurks an ambitious game, further damaged by technical flaws. For Star Wars completists only.