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Review: Video Game Adds To "Star Wars" Cartoon

By Phil Stauskas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―

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"Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes" Official Site

When the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series on Cartoon Network ended last season, a creepy bounty hunter named Cad Bane had seized control of the Senate Building. When the new season began last week, Bane was now trying to break into the Jedi Temple. What happened between the two events? The new video game "Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes" aims to bridge the gap.

Apparently, the Republic spent their summer battling a Skakoan named Kul Teska. If you've never heard that name before, you're not alone. In the game's cut-scenes, Obi-Wan Kenobi repeatedly asks the new villain, "Who are you?" I was wondering the same thing.

There are already so many great villains in the "Star Wars" animated universe: General Grievous, Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress and the still new Bane. Why is the main bad guy some newcomer? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that the video games are just as important to the "Star Wars" story as the TV shows and movies. But the less-than-stellar antagonist makes the game feel somewhat generic and less epic.

In fact, the best parts of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes" comes when your Jedi character is forced into lightsaber duals with Ventress and Dooku. I wanted more of that, less Kul Teska.

The gameplay is split into two styles which are interweaved throughout the story. Sometimes players control a Jedi, other times it's a Clone Trooper. Several characters can be played including Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan, Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura on the Jedi side and Commander Cody, Captain Rex and even Bane on the trooper side.

But all of the Jedi characters control the same way, as do all of the troopers. Ahsoka is not faster than Kit Fisto. Aayla Secura is just as strong as Mace Windu. Using one character over another provides no real advantage or disadvantage. It's all personal preference. And kind of pointless.

All levels feature two players, showing that "Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Republic Heroes" was designed with cooperative play in mind. But there is no online mode, which hurts. And the focus on co-op breaks the single player game on occasion, as the computer-controlled partner acts erratically. As an example, players must often jump on droids to cross gaps. But the computer player feels the need to attack this enemy, meaning you must first distract your partner like some kind of pet.

However, the biggest flaw with "Republic Heroes" is the lack of camera control. Players are locked into a certain perspective for each part of a level. But jumping is a crucial part of the game. Without a form of camera control, it's difficult to determine the correct angle for jumps. You'll leap to your death several times before finding the sweet spot.

But no worries! Players can't die in "Republic Heroes." There is no 'Game Over' screen. No lives. Leaping off a ledge, or getting blasted to bits, only restarts you from a nearby checkpoint. Even on the hardest difficulty setting, there is no penalty for death, meaning there really is no difficulty to this game at all.

It's easy to point out this game's shortcomings because fans have been treated to so many great "Star Wars" games in recent years, like "The Force Unleashed" and "Knights of the Old Republic." But this isn't a "Star Wars" game for adult fans. This one is clearly aimed at the Cartoon Network crowd. It's a "Clone Wars" game and it's targeted at kids who won't notice its faults. Children will be able to play through it and enjoy the biggest thing "Republic Heroes" does right - celebrate the "Star Wars" franchise.