Even though I am a big Star Wars fan, I have never really gotten into the animated stuff. From Clone Wars to the newest animated show, Star Wars: Rebels, I’ve just never cared enough to seek them out and watch them.
When Zen Studios announced their latest Star Wars-themed pinball table centered around the Rebels series, I was ambivalent towards the subject matter. The challenge here is, can something as simple as a pinball table to teach me everything I need to know about the setting, characters, and events to keep me entertained?
After spending considerable time on this table the resounding answer is yes. This is coming from someone who has never seen the show, but I now know who Ezra, Sabine, Chopper, Kanan, Zeb, and the Inquisitor are. I know Ezra uses a slingshot, which is also used as the kickback mechanic for a pretty cool touch. I know Sabine likes to spray paint things and tag them to let others know that the rebels are alive and well. A lot of that may be old hat for those who follow the series, but considering that I have gotten that, and more, from a pinball table that’s something pretty impressive. Zen Studios has successfully merged story based gameplay with a fairly static pinball setting.
Table set up is pretty straight forward. There are really a lot of difficult shots which will allow this table to appeal to all levels of pinball skill. Two main ramps on each side of the table with a third ramp on the left side accessed via third flipper. Compared to some of the more complex tables like “Venom” and “Boba Fett”, this one is pretty straight forward. Even the missions and jobs that you can activate are mostly hitting flashing lanes, hitting sinkholes, or a combination of both. That’s not a bad thing mind you; in fact I think it’s a smart decision to make an easy table that new players will feel comfortable on to build up confidence to go after more tables.
Audio is exactly what you would expect from something that has the Star Wars name in the title. The iconic music and sounds blended in with the sound of bumpers and flippers. Graphically, it’s a very bright table much like the “Clone Wars” table. When you get the four-ball multi-ball expect a lot of bright flashes, and chaotic moments.
I like this table, quite a bit actually, yet for all the fun I have had with it… it seems a little shallow. I’m not actually sure if shallow is the right word though. There’s a good story, solid mechanics, and it’s an easy to understand table. However, it was released exactly one week after the “Age of Ultron” table which quickly found itself in my top three favorite table list.
On its own, it’s a good solid table, but when held up to the truly great tables (“Epic Quest” and “World War Hulk” rounding out my top three) it just doesn’t have that extra level of awesome. With that said, it really is a fun table. For those who are new to Zen Studios’ take on pinball this is an excellent place to jump into yet there is also enough challenge for returning players to continue to try and better their score. I will say after playing this table, I am curious to check out the Rebels animated series. I’m curious to see how much I’ll know about what’s going on simply based on this table.
Pinball FX2‘s “Star Wars Rebels” DLC table was reviewed using a promotional code on Xbox One, as provided by the publisher.
Review: Pinball FX2 ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ DLC table
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