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Req.: P233, 32MB / (64 Win2000 - XP) RAM, 2mb video Card, 4x CD Reviewed On: P3 800, 256MB, GeForce 2ti, SB, Win XP Pro | |||
Intro With Episode II out in theaters, it was only a matter of time before games based on the better-received Star Wars installment would make their way onto gamers' hard drives. While the recently released Clone Campaigns expansion for Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds offers a nice chunk of the Episode II universe with a plethora of new units and a campaign representing each side, it still remains so close to the original Battlegrounds that many who didn't enjoy it won't be converted over. Gameplay: 6.5/10 The story of the Clone Campaigns is told through two main campaigns, the Confederacy and the Galactic Empire. Since neither are based on the movie and play as side-stories, the events will simply parallel the events in Episode II as opposed to reenacting them. As the title is attempting to create its own section within the Star Wars universe, the game has to be played in the order of the Confederacy and then the Galactic Empire. What makes this feature nearly pointless is that as the Confederacy, the player assumes the role of Sev'Rance Tann, an upstart general who gets her orders directly from Count Dooku. However, while playing as the Galactic Empire, the game is relayed to the player as a story from Mace Windu, with the player acting out the role of Echuu Shen-Jon, as a sort of living story. These methods both work on their own, but they fail to unite the campaigns into one coherent story. As the Confederacy has ties to the Trade Federation, this side will have access to related units, as well as a few new ones. As Sev'Rance, it will be your job to establish base camps, fend off Empire forces, and gain Count Dooku's favor, solidifying your status as general with each victory. Playing as Echuu is a totally different matter, as he fights a war of attrition and his story is one of a slow descent into the Dark Side. Without giving too many of the specifics away, I will say that Sev'Rance provides a cool backdrop for the Confederacy's story, but Echuu's tale is absolutely outstanding and I found his exploits, and partaking in them, much more enjoyable than any of the campaigns in the original. While the existing sides gain two additional units and special bonuses, I found the new sides more refreshing as my disappointment of playing unknown characters turned to appreciation as they were worked into the Star Wars universe very well. Needless to say, I stuck with the newcomers. Basic improvements like the decreased turret strength and improved anti-air defenses help solve problems found with the original. The Jedi have also been tweaked with quicker health regeneration and less cost for their research. The addition of clone troopers, prototype starfighters, rechargeable shield regenerators, bounty hunters - similar to the ones that cause the chase in Episode II - new droids, and the option to take these new units into the original campaigns all add a good deal of variety to Clone Campaigns. However, even with these improvements, I still found the overall gameplay to move in the same slow fashion as the original. With five resources to keep track of and maintain, I spent most of my time gathering materials instead of fighting. The fighting itself wasn't edge-of-your-seat action either, as the enemies took an approach similar to Emperor of Dune, in which the computer simply sends small waves that look like a bulky single-file line to attack, as opposed to using large armies to out-maneuver and overcome adversity. While I may not be a huge fan of the game's pacing, the stories were the definite high point for me. Playing an upstart general and a Jedi falling from grace presented an excellent change of pace from being Obi-Wan battling on Naboo, or a random starfighter battling droids in space. The amount of additions goes far beyond my mentioning; to be honest, there's too many to mention as the review would just turn into a very long list, and while these new units gave a good deal of diversity and replayability - especially with the scenario creator - I just couldn't shake the doldrums I felt as I trudged through some of the missions. The extra units helped beef up the rosters, but the fundamentals were altered so little in the new single-player campaigns that I just couldn't launch into them wholeheartedly.
Graphics: 6/10 Sound: 8/10 Overall:
6.5/10 [ top ] |
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