Gaming Target - Xbox: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Written by Nick Doukas on March 13, 2003

First Impressions: УVictory you say? Master Obi Wan, not victoryЕthe shroud of the Darkside has fallen. Begun the Clone War hasФЕ

УFor two years, whispers of war have plagued Palpatine's chancellery. The growing separatist movement has allowed him to extend his term in office as he deals with the increasing crisis. The Military Creation Act was tabled as a means of preparing the Republic for the inevitable, but many refused to believe the Separatists posed a serious threat. An intelligence report from Geonosis served as a wake up call: the Separatists were not only willing to fight, but they had an army to do it. The Republic's response was quick and bold. Empowered by emergency measures, Chancellor Palpatine approved the use of the Republic's secret clone army, and the battlefields of Geonosis became the start of the terrible Clone Wars.Ф
Ц Databank, StarWars.com

Who can forget the foreboding imagery at the end of Attack Of The Clones? As Chancellor Palpatine and Bail Organa look on, thousands of clone troopers board Republic assault ships in a monstrous staging area. As these precursors to the Victory-class Star Destroyers lift-off, the dark strains of the Imperial March herald the darkness that is to come, as a terrible conflict begets yet another, even more terrible struggle for freedom, one that's depicted in A New Hope and its sequels.

For years Star Wars fans have received only the barest of information about the legendary Clone Wars, and it wasn't until Episode II that the roots of the struggle were revealed for the first time. Now, LucasArts brings Xbox owners a chance to take part in epic battles across far-flung worlds in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The game picks up where Episode II ends, and will place players into the roles of Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu. Gamers will be tasked with piloting several different types of craft, including the Republic gunship, speeder bike, assault walker, fighter tank, and even a creature called a Maru. Six expansive worlds, including Geonosis, the Wookie home planet of Kashyyyk, Raxis Prime and Thule, will be featured in a story that concerns not only the epic battles of the war, but a treacherous Separatist plan to inflict a world of hurt on the Republic with an ancient Sith weapon of mass destruction. Obviously, you'll need to stop this from happening. Hey, you signed on to be a Jedi, right?

The game will span 16 missions that are made up of several different types. Some will feature massive waves of battle droids and other Trade Federation hardware that you must destroy, while others will pit you in a desperate race against time. Still others will consist of rescue missions, as well as escort and defense. Overall, you'll have your hands full, and while there are select sequences that see you on foot battling with your lightsaber, the bulk of the combat is vehicular. To this end, each vehicle has been designed to operate in a certain capacity. For example: the Republic fighter tank is a repulsor craft that takes advantage of the heightened abilities of its Jedi pilots, while the Republic gunship is the workhorse of the clone army. Primarily used for troop transport and air support, these aircraft combine maneuverability with insane firepower, and feature multiple laser cannons, concussion missiles, and composite-beam pinpoint laser turrets. The AT-XT Assault Walker is quick and versatile, providing high firepower and a solid defense, and the Assault Armored Tank brings a heavy laser cannon and a long-range concussion mortar to the mix. Overall, there's a good mix of vehicles and objectives, which should keep the single player campaign of The Clone Wars from getting stale as you progress.

Visually, The Clone Wars looks excellent, and the Xbox version will improve upon the GC and PS2 versions with additional effects such as bump mapping on objects, and better shadows and lighting, including self-shadowing and terrain shadows. Xbox gamers will also notice a raised polygon count for certain units in the game, as well as a more consistent frame-rate. The audio of Clone Wars is pure Star Wars, with sound effects drawn from the extensive archives at Skywalker Sound. John William's famous score is presented throughout the adventure, and Star Wars fans will feel right at home as soon as they boot-up the game.

Of course, the big news here is the support of Xbox Live, and the inclusion of new multi-player maps and gameplay modes. These include: Deathmatch, King-of-the-Hill, Co-op endurance, and a team-based strategy mode called Conquest. In Conquest, two teams try to knock out each other's headquarters. In between the two HQ's are several neutral outposts. Whenever an outpost is capture, it will build defensive turrets and AI units for that team. That team can then direct those units to attack the other team. Up to 8 players will be able to slug it out online, with full real-time voice chat. The developers have also confirmed that there will be additional downloadable content available in the near future. Take it from me; it looks like the Force is strong in this one.