Software for tweens and children doesn't have to be mediocre. More often than not, however, games based on licensed characters fall short of the mark. If the Star Wars franchise was originally marked with innovation, excellence, and compelling storytelling, this game is its dark opposite: dull, repetitive, and often not much fun to play.
Based upon the cartoon series, this Star Wars tale is set just before Annakin becomes Vader. Obi-Wan is still a relatively young Jedi.
The story will sound all too familiar to those who read the news: Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away the Republic is embroiled in a long ambiguous war engineered by its leader to engender fear and erode liberty.
You'll play as Annakin or his padawan, using a combination of blaster, lightsaber and Force combat techniques.
You will also spend a lot of time "droid jacking"; that is improbably taking control of a robot by jumping on its shoulders and jamming your light saber into its head. And when I say a lot of time, I mean a lot of time - until you'll beg for some other way to solve a problem. Repetition becomes one of the game's most obvious flaws.
There isn't much humor, and what there is is barely entertaining. Although the platforming is relatively simple to master, bosses are sometimes overly challenging and frustrating.
Compared to the Lego Star Wars titles aimed at roughly the same audience of casual and younger players, this game lacks visual richness, humor, or variety. Game mechanics, something that should be precise and repeatable in a platforming title, are so loose as to be an impediment to completion of the many missions.
I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but even my devotion to the series couldn't get me or my kid testers to stick with this game. LucasArts is in an enviable position, having the Star Wars universe to draw upon. In fact, they could use the franchise's appeal to create new kinds of gameplay, new experiences for gamers.
Relatively early in the history of videogames Lucas produced several of the best so-called "educational" titles ever made. They featured innovative, mind expanding, activities for kids based on the Star Wars universe. Although probably not a huge commercial success those programs garnered significant critical acclaim.
LucasArts has eschewed any wiff of creative, intellectual, or educational content ever since - to its detriment. Tweens, in particular, deserve more than dumbed down versions of adult shooters. Their games should be good looking, well engineered; one would hope that goes without saying. But a company that makes so much money selling products to children has an additional responsibility in my opinion, to provide entertainment that goes beyond the mundane. There is no reason that games based on the Star Wars universe cannot stimulate young people to think, to be creative, to grow. So long as LucasArts only serves up violence laden rehashes (with poor graphics and gameplay, at that!) it treats its audience with disrespect.
A certain segment of tweens will enjoy stepping into the robes of the Jedi, extending the pleasure of the cartoon series into another aspect of their lives. The jump in, jump out co-op gameplay may provide opportunities for parents and their children to play together. However, to say that the game is not without some merit is faint praise, unworthy of such a strong creative force as George Lucas.
