.FLYINGHEAD WE GOT GAME!
.TITLE Are you a hero of the Republic?
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY Released to coincide with the second season of the animated series, Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes puts you in the shoes of the cartoon heroes of the Republic. It’s no secret there’s a long history of bad Star Wars video games; is Republic Heroes a rare Star Wars success, or does it fall prey to the curse of previous titles? Read on as Editor-at-Large takes a look at this new release from Lucasarts.
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I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big Star Wars fan, and like most fans I eagerly anticipate each new video game addition to the franchise; unfortunately, there’s a long history of bad Star Wars video games. Released to coincide with the second season of the animated series, Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes puts you in the shoes of the cartoon heroes of the Republic.
Set during the Clone Wars of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes is crafted in the style of the currently-running Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series on The Cartoon Network. The covershot in Figure A shows the style of animation used in the both the TV series and Republic Heroes.
.FIGPAIR A A somewhat-anime style of animation is used in both game and television show.
.BREAK_EMAIL Is Republic Heroes a heroic success or a heroic failure? Click here to find out.
.H1 The heroes of the Republic
In Republic Heroes you will take on the persona of multiple characters from the animated series, both Jedi and clone trooper alike. Throughout various missions and game segments you will get to play as Anakin Skywalker, his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Other Jedi characters include Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Luminara Unduli, Kit Fisto, and Aayla Secura. In addition, you get to take on the role of clone Commander Cody, various anonymous troopers, and Captain Rexx of the 501st Legion.
Character choice is actually controlled by the game engine and based on which segment of the campaign you’re playing; the player has no actual control over which hero they play. Some portions of the campaign are designed for trooper play, others specifically for Jedi; the character choice is pre-programmed based on the location setting. The player will have ample opportunities to play as every character available in the game though.
Unplayable characters making an appearance are Count Dooku, the Magna Guards of General Grievous, and new-to-the-animated series, bounty hunter Cad Bane.
.H1 Type of play
Republic Heroes is an action-platformer similar to Prince of Persia or Tomb Raider, the exception being that you always have a second, computer-controlled character accompanying you. The mission paths are linear, with "running and gunning" segments, climbing, jumping, and puzzle-solving segments; missing though are the Quick-Time Events popular in those other titles. Puzzles are tailored to the type of character you happen to be playing at the time, Jedi or trooper, and involve electronic hacking as in Figure B, demolition, and use of environmental or enemy elements to solve.
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.FIGPAIR B Troopers sometimes have to hack security controls by lining up the colored bars.
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While there is no multiplayer component, Republic Heroes does offer a wireless adhoc co-op mode with friends who also own the game. Secondary players can take over the role of the normally computer-controlled partner for in-game challenges and cooperation.
Throughout the game, Master Yoda is there as a narrative character to give you gameplay hints and tips. Interspersed throughout the missions and acting as informational segues are animated cutscenes like the one in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C The game is peppered with animated cutscenes similar to the cartoon.
.H1 How it plays
Overall, Republic Heroes is only a so-so diversion. Other than the fact that it takes place in the Star Wars setting, there really isn’t anything unique or trend-setting to the game to set it apart from other titles in the genre. The campaign only contains about the same content as a two-episode plotline of the animated series, and only took me about ten hours to complete, leaving me feeling as though the game were over much too soon.
Character play is identical for all Jedi, as well as all troopers. Regardless of whether you’re playing as a Master Jedi, such as Mace Windu, or the Padawan Ahsoka Tano, all Jedi have the same moves, powers, combat techniques, and skills. The only real difference is the character skin applied to the model. The same applies to the clone troopers, with the only exception being the use of dual pistols when playing as Captain Rexx, as opposed to the standard-issue blaster rifle carried by most troopers.
At times, the puzzles required to advance can be somewhat vague or difficult to solve due to your partner’s actions. For example, at one point, playing as Anakin, you’re required to jump on a robot to take control and then fling it into a ventilation grate in order to break the gate and open the path for advancement. The trouble is that Ahsoka, your computer-controlled Padawan, continually destroys the droids before you have a chance to jump on one. To make matters worse, the controls are often awkward and infuriatingly unresponsive.
Worst of all though is the camera and visual perspective. The player has absolutely no control over the camera or the zoom level, resulting in the characters at times appearing microscopic even on the PS3. This can be a serious problem on the small screen of the PSP as you can see in Figure D.
.FIGPAIR D The characters can be downright tiny at times.
In fact, it was so bad that sometimes I couldn’t tell the difference between the battle droids and my Jedi, even with the lightsaber swinging. Figure E shows an example of about how large you can expect the characters to be under the best of circumstances.
.FIGPAIR E Even at their largest, the characters still aren’t all that large.
.H1 The verdict
My final word on Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes is that for die-hard fans it’s an interesting, if somewhat short diversion, allowing the player to romp through their very own episode of the animated series. But for the average, casual gamer not fully immersed in the Star Wars universe, it will only be a disappointment and certainly not worth the price of a brand-new game. In either case, I would recommend waiting a few months until the novelty of being a new title wears off and the price comes down a bit.
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.RATING 3
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.H1 Product availability and resources
Learn more about [[http://www.lucasarts.com/games/theclonewars_republicheroes/|Star Wars The Clone Wars Republic Heroes]].
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