Star Wars the Clone Wars: Republic Heroes is a game based on the popular Clone Wars TV series. Given that nearly every platform is receiving a version, it already puts its quality to question. The game has an original storyline that takes place between series one and two. Players assume the role of various characters from the show to fight the Separatists, although anyone not familiar with the cartoon might feel a little lost as to who some of the characters are. Given how popular anything Star Wars related is, the TV show no doubt has many young and adult fans, but it seems this game is one for the younger audience. Going back through my own gaming history, there were a handful of Star Wars games made for a similarly younger audience, so when I first went to play Republic Heroes, I asked myself – Would I have liked this almost a decade ago?

Gameplay:

The gameplay is split into two different categories, players will either assume control of a Jedi or a Clone trooper such as Rex. The game starts off with Anakin Skywalker as well as a tutorial. At first movement seems fluid and responsive, swinging the light sabre is easy, but then the platformer aspect comes into play. Jumping from say a platform to a pipe, an auto landing assist will kick in which should mean the game will adjust the character's height or distance so that they land on the desired piece of scenery. This sounds like it should be simple, but straight away frustration kicks in. Under-jumping is too common and the problem gets worse when the player is required to jump on Droids – there was one part at the start where I found myself just jumping to my death trying to land on some hovering Droids which went on for at least a dozen tries. The trick is not to jump from the edge, you just have to find a sweet spot, resulting in a lot of trial and error. Luckily the punishment for dying isn't harsh as re-spawn points are very common and there is no points penalty. Attacking enemies with the light sabre feels a little duller than it sounds as the game is mostly limited to one attack due to only a single button being required. Sometimes using a powerful force push can dispense multiple Droids at once, but the accuracy isn't always the best. The jumping problem isn't exclusive to navigating the level, but also in combat as hopping on the back of certain Droids and taking control of them is useful and also at times necessary. Again, finding the right spot and judging the distance coupled with the camera angle is harder than it should be.

Taking control of a Clone warrior is strange at first, it's like a retro top down shooter where one stick is for movement and the other stick is for the direction of fire – there is no cross-hair. It doesn't take many hits before you die, so taking cover is the best way to survive. Given that the enemies can be at raised heights and since it isn't completely top down, the game again relies on an assisted aim function. Trying to hit your desired target will half of time result in missed blaster shots or hitting a different Droid. There are random challenges placed around which break up the sometimes mindless Droid killing in which extra points can be earned. Points can be used to buy upgrades both for skills like increased damage and for attire such as comical masks. Playing as a solider the levels are relatively linear since they can't jump it feels like a maze but sometimes when playing as a Jedi, the route forward isn't always clear. Expect a lot of 'I wonder if this is the right way – can I make that jump?' moments. The enemy AI will just stand around and wait to get attacked, but they do have the crude aiming system to help them if playing as a trooper.

Graphics:

The game has that Star Wars feel in regards to presentation and the visuals try to match the TV show, but they don't exactly amaze. The characters are modelled with exaggerated features and such as they should be, but detail is kept to a minimum. The textures are also low resolution. There are some nice effects, such as the blur when swinging the light sabre and the red hot melting metal after a Droid has been sliced in two, but these are pretty much expected in Star Wars games. The environments feel bland and there is a lot of empty space.

Sound:

The voice acting seems up to scratch and the dialogue matches what is said on the show. The familiar Star Wars sound effects are all on board in the game. The backing music throughout some levels was disappointing at times.

Longevity:

Its tricky to say how long the game will take to complete as it will probably differ depending on the age and experience of the player. An older, avid gamer will likely get through most missions in 10 – 15 minutes with around 30 missions in total. There isn't much incentive for replaying the game and it's doubtful many will want to unless achievements are the cause. There is no Xbox Live multiplayer, only co-op play between two players.

Overall:

Perhaps the younger gamers who are fans of the show will find something worthwhile here but the shallow gameplay will deter most. The lack of variety in the combat, the level design and the almost statue like enemies result in a dull single player game that is only helped a little if playing with a friend. The story does seem to be of a reasonable standard, but that is a small positive. If you are a die hard fan of the TV series and think you can put up with the average at best gameplay, then it probably won't be the worst game you play but don't go into it with thoughts of epic space battles or waves and waves of enemies to feed your light sabre as the action rarely gets exciting.