Be forewarned, if you have not played through the course of the original game, this review does contain a major smidgen of spoilers, so read on at your own risk.

Returning to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 3^rd and at a suggested retail price of $39.99, Ultimate Sith Edition brings together the inclusion of three additional levels, one exclusive to the Ultimate Sith Edition (Hoth) and the other two originally available as DLC packs (The Jedi Temple and Tatooine). Following in the footsteps of Starkiller in his role as the slayer of Darth Vader and his journey as apprentice to Emperor Palpatine, the Ultimate Sith Edition delivers in more ways than one.  For the purposes of this review, I will not make note of the Jedi Temple DLC which is indeed included as part of this edition but it has been out for quite some time and has been touched upon several times already, but I will say that it is worth checking out if you have not already, even if only for its fun, challenge, and puzzle addition that were sadly absent from the rest of the game.

My main attraction to the content included with Ultimate Sith Edition is novelty. Ever since my first playthrough of the original TFU, I have been a fan of the dark side ending and was ecstatic to learn that it would be the main focus of BOTH the Tatooine and Hoth levels. The alterations made to the main storyline are consistent and well written, working the Ultimate Evil Apprentice into the established storyline we are familiar with from the movies. The chance to duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi (My favorite Star Wars character) and Luke Skywalker was enough to get me hooked. And while some may complain about the lack of challenge in the new levels, I see it as quite a needed relief and improvement over the main campaign.

As mentioned above, the additional levels put you in the shoes of Starkiller had he chosen to kill Vader and become, though unwillingly, Palpatine’s new apprentice and follows his footsteps as he chases down Luke Skywalker and his companions to force a final confrontation. Both levels take you through familiar scenes from the original trilogy, namely Jabba’s Palace on Tatooine and Echo Base on the ice world of Hoth.

Graphically you can count on the same animations, effects and textures as in the main set of levels.  Hoth, despite there not being much to recreate of a world covered in snow and ice, along with Echo base, is rendered and textured smoothly, though there is not much in the way of mind blowing eye candy, and DMM technology is utilized far less than in the course of the regular TFU campaign. Though there are locations, especially in Jabba’s palace that are immediately recognizable for any fan of the original trilogy and provide a nice treat.

Gameplay wise, all of the familiar elements, both good and bad, from the main game are present. Though admittedly, especially playing through the Tatooine level, I felt I had more of a sense of power. I gained this image of being a near unstoppable Sith Warrior trouncing over everything he came across, which unfortunately is something that the main game sorely lacks, I think. The absence of this in the original set of levels created this sense of mediocrity or even weakness, because for every level and every power the Apprentice would acquire, enemies would always possess a measure to counter it, mostly through cheap game breaking tactics, and in later levels, it becomes quite frustrating when two grunts or souped up droids absolutely wreck you, as a supposedly all powerful Master Sith Assassin, before going down. This is much less of an issue in the Hoth and Tatooine bonus levels, which felt more fun and novel than anything else.

Not surprisingly, I found myself playing these levels a few times over. The novelty of playing as and following the former apprentice of Vader turned semi mechanical Sith marauder along with the changes made to the main Star Wars story to accommodate this, was enough for me to go back. The levels are fair in length and provide enough of a challenge to keep you entertained but not frustrate you. In addition on a smaller note, the costumes worn by Starkiller in the additional levels are super wicked and help create that aura of evil surrounding the Apprentice after his transformation.

Ultimate Sith Edition does not introduce any new powers or techniques and that aside, nothing separates the control scheme or execution from its main counterpart and it goes through the same good and bad problems, which for the sake of length and redundancy, will not be mentioned here.

The sounds and music, as in the original game, and while not new, are phenomenal and I still find the sound of force lightning as it cascades from your fingertips onto a lone jawa immensely satisfying.

Overall I think Ultimate Sith Edition is a solid release considering its price tag and amount of extra content. If you don’t own the original game and have been on the fence about it, I definitely would recommend picking it up. After everything it is still a gorgeous journey through the Star Wars universe and you will quickly find that force gripping a lone stormtrooper, impaling him on your lightsaber while simultaneously frying him with a jolt of force lightning and throwing him into his buddies, will become a favored pastime. On the other hand if you already own the game and one or both of the already available DLCs that are included in this edition, I would likely hold off. While Hoth is a fun and exclusive level, it hardly justifies buying the entire pack.