LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Review for Xbox 360

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Box Art

System: PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, 3DS
Dev: Traveller's Tales
Pub: LucasArts
Release: March 22, 2011
Players: 1-2
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p

The missions are broken into three different subcategories: adventure / platform, space combat, and real-time strategy. The adventure missions are the ones most closely related to those of past games of the series, but look and play better, with solid enemy AI and a ton more things to smash. The boss battles do a great job finishing levels with an epic struggle, but we expect no less from a Star Wars game. The space missions and RTS missions are where you see this game break from the standard. With literally hundreds of allies and enemies on the screen and no lag or drop in frame rate, the large scale battles are truly a spectacle to behold. The strategy missions feel like a light version of StarCraft with LEGOs, as you take out enemy buildings using a hefty variety of vehicles, then use blocks to create your own support buildings. But no matter which mission you're tackling, even when surrounded by a seemingly inescapable amount of enemies, the forgiving difficulty keeps you from breaking a sweat. You essentially have unlimited lives, and only lose a couple thousand studs (pocket change) when brought down to zero health. Despite having a varied group to control, you'll most likely keep to those wielding lightsabers, since continuous mashing of the attack button will thwart any attempts to do you harm. However, LEGO games have never been designed with challenging gameplay in mind, making the game approachable to a wider audience.

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Screenshot

As touched on before, the graphics shine in this latest version. The venues are all perfectly molded and believable in the Star Wars universe, and the animations are fluid and varied. Each of the 114 characters is uniquely tailored with its own personality and combat style, so how Anakin swings his lightsaber is completely different than how Mace Windu or Obi-Wan does. Even small elements, like Yoda hobbling along on his cane when pressing the analog stick lightly, then quickly jumping into a double flip to decapitate a droid, all showcase the care given to each character's authenticity.

Little needs to be said about the music and sound. It's Star Wars; the music is world renowned, the sound effects iconic, and both are perfectly integrated into the game, period. The voice acting is an issue all on its own though. While I fully understand that voiced scripts have no more place in a LEGO game then they do in a Sims game, the lack of talking only accentuates the confusing direction and hint system.

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is a pleasant break from the constant onslaught of first-person shooters, only made more satisfying by adding humor to the formula, a nearly extinct theme in modern video games. While the controls and difficulty are watered down, and you'll inevitably find yourself lost many times throughout, the game is just pure, addictive fun. And with so many things to collect and unlock, it's just that many more reasons to keep picking up the controller and redoing a level for the twelfth time.

By Sean Engemann
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.6

Graphics
The best in the series by far, with smooth animations and colorful backdrops, all which befit the Star Wars universe.

2.8

Control
Although there are many different skills and attacks to use, button mashing seems to be the easiest way to get through a level. The lack of direction is also the game's biggest detriment.

4.2

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
From the great orchestrations penned decades ago, to the genuine blaster and lightsaber sound effect, this game showcases them beautifully. However, the lack of voice acting, and even subtitles, makes virgins of the animated series even more lost.

5.0

Play Value
The game's replayability is arguably the greatest in recent gaming history, with so many reasons to keep going back, from the plethora of things to unlock, to the endless things to smash.

4.2

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Massive Ground Battles - Brand new to the LEGO Star Wars experience, players will take control of battalions of clone troopers against the relentless droid army - building bases, deploying vehicles, and calling in reinforcements to defeat opponents.

SceneSwap - Authentic to the Star Wars experience, a new feature allows players to take control of multiple teams in separate locations. Working together to complete various objectives, players will control each team through the press of a button, while playing in single player or in multiplayer co-op modes.

Multi-Layered Space Battles - Players will be able to take off in their favorite ships to navigate and fly through multi-layered combat throughout the galaxy.

Explore the Galaxy - Players will be able to explore exotic locations in a variety of ships throughout sixteen different star systems. Fans will play as villainous Separatists, the noble Republic heroes or even as bounty hunters, tracking down characters across the galaxy.

Expanded Force Abilities - Using the Force in all new ways to control LEGO objects, players will solve puzzles, access new areas, pick up and throw enemies - even turning them into weapons.