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Platform: Xbox Genre: Action Publisher: LucasArts Developer: Pandemic Studios ESRB: T (Teen) Released: Q2 2003 Support AE! Buy Games Here:
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Star Wars: The Clone
Wars
Score:
8.1 / 10 |
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Pros: -
Great Xbox Live multiplayer choices -
The magnificent Star Wars soundtrack and score -
Variety of different single-player levels decreases repetitiveness of
gameplay
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Cons: -
It’s based on a mediocre movie -
Flying missions are frustrating -
Unless you’re a big fan of the movie (there are a few of you out
there) single-player game is not as entertaining as multiplayer
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Related Links: Review: Star Wars: Starfighter (XB) Review: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (XB)
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"Fans of all things Star Wars will be most enamored with The Clone Wars."
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From
E.T. and Jaws on the Atari 2600 to Shrek, Superman, and Batman releases
on today’s consoles, some of the most dreadful video games ever made
are licensed titles, which rarely do justice to the movie/book/TV series
they are based on. With justification, games created with some kind of
licensing usually are regarded with high skepticism as to how good they
will be. Star Wars has been one of the few licensed series of games to
have avoided, with few exceptions, the licensing curse. Star Wars: The
Clone Wars for the Xbox zooms into the ranks of yet another decent Star
Wars title, although even with strong multiplayer options, because of a
short single-player game filled with some frustrating flying missions it
isn’t quite able to measure up to some of the better Star Wars-based
games LucasArts has released over the years.
I
am personally an old-school Star Wars aficionado, so I haven’t even
bothered watching either The Phantom Menace or The Clone Wars movies. If
they don’t have Han Solo and Chewbacca, I’m really not too
interested in viewing them. So I played The Clone Wars with nary an idea
of what to expect story-wise. It’s set right where the events of
Episode II left off. Your goal throughout the single-player campaign is
to lead the Republic army with Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan
Kenobi and the ageless muppet himself, Yoda. Your mission is to stop the
Separatists from creating a Death Star-like super-Sith weapon of mass
destruction. Primarily
The Clone Wars is a vehicle third-person action game covering 16
missions on six worlds from the Star Wars cosmos. But there are some
scant missions where you will actually get to play as one of the
game’s heroes in a third-person perspective using either a lightsaber
or the force to defeat ground-based enemies. These missions weren’t
bad, but since the thrust of the gameplay is done in one of the five
crafts you will pilot (depending on which level you are on) they did
feel out of place in The Clone Wars. Each mission has specific goals
that must be completed to advance and reminiscent to GoldenEye on the
N64, there are bonus goals that can open up hidden easter eggs. Overall,
the well-developed, yet too-linear single-player campaign mode is
unfortunately too short and not entirely challenging. But there is a
facet of gameplay that usually is associated with warfare titles that
allows you to manipulate the functions of more than one craft at a time
as the squad commander. You can’t employ the squad commander controls
is every mission, but when you can the gameplay is a lot more
strategy-based and becomes more enjoyable.
What
throws a damper on that fun are the specific missions where you will be
flying the Republic gunship. No question about it, trying to complete
these missions is the worst part of The Clone Wars. You cannot actually
stop the constantly-in-motion gunship as a result you’ll be constantly
smashing into not only the ground, but the surrounding environment like
mountain ranges. I was never happier than once I completed these
aggravating and headache-inducing gunship-flying missions. Controlling
any other Star Wars craft in The Clone Wars is a complete 180 from the
gunship, especially in the Republic Fighter Tank -- the vehicle you will
be hyper-driving most in the game. Each vehicle features laser cannons
(rendered with some nifty particle effects) as its chief weaponry, but
there is also a secondary weapon like missiles and a special ability
such as shields inherent to every craft. Controlling these weapons,
abilities, the speed boost, and having the ability to strafe from side
to side while also engaging in battles is easy to do because of the
tight control setup. Strategy must be used in using your more powerful
secondary weapons, because there are in a limited supply. But power-ups
will replenish them and also provide health and a temporary super
blaster at times. Visiting
all the varied worlds and having to learn the intricacies of the crafts
you’ll maneuver in The Clone Wars keeps the game from getting too
repetitive. The development team at Pandemic did a great job of making
The Clone Wars sensually appealing. The soundtrack naturally features
the magnificent John Williams score that is some of the best music ever
created for a movie, and in kind any Star Wars game benefits from this.
Visually, The Clone Wars features Xbox-enhanced graphics that really
bring alive the Star Wars universe as you travel through highly detailed
snow-covered frozen tundra, welcome-to-the-jungle forests, and Mars-like
desert environments.
Multiplayer
modes, particularly played online, really save The Clone Wars from
mediocrity. Playing on Xbox Live in a full spectrum of multiplayer modes
elevates The Clone Wars to an enjoyment level it doesn’t reach in the
single-player campaign. Among others, the basics king-of-the-hill and
deathmatch are available, and also a team-based conquest mode that
allows you to play multiplayer with the squad command feature that is
one of the better aspects of the single-player campaign. Playing
conquest mode, when I docked my ship and took command of a base reminded
me of the Command & Conquer series, and any time a game can be
compared favorably to great games such as Command & Conquer should
give an indication of how good The Clone Wars’ Xbox Live gaming can
be. Even offline, The Clone Wars offers a few multiplayer options such
as the Russell Crowe’s Gladiator-inspired Academy mode that really
extends the life of the game tremendously. Fans of all things Star Wars will be most enamored with The Clone Wars. Xbox Live players who love MechAssault may also enjoy playing The Clone Wars because of the similarities in the type of combat and destruction machines that you can use online. But casual Star Wars fans without Xbox Live are better off renting The Clone Wars. -
Lee Cieniawa (June 8, 2003)
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