On May 16, 2002, the exact same day “Attack of the Clones” came out, a trailer for a tie-in video game called, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was revealed at E3 2002. The game was released in October 29 on Nintendo GameCube. Later released on PlayStation 2 fifteen days before Christmas. Four Months Later, it came out on Xbox a month before “X2: X-Men United” came out. The Clone Wars earned mixed reviews from critics, fans and gamers alike. Despite mixed receptions, the game was a commercial hit.
I have a few reasons why I wanna review this game from my childhood. They’re all Star Wars related. Mark your calendars.
- Pedro Pascal will reprise his role as The Mandalorian in follow-up film to the series, “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” It’ll be released on May 22, 2026
- “Fate of the Old Republic“ is currently in development. BioWare developer, Casey Hudson confirmed the game will come out before 2030.
- “Galactic Racer,” a racing game like Episode I’s “Podracer” on Nintendo 64 is coming sometime around 2026.
- Ryan Gosling will headline “Starfighter” with Shawn Levy as director. It is intended to come out on May 28, 2027. The exact month Attack of the Clones turns 25.
It doesn’t matter if SPOILERS are listed. This game’s no longer canon.
Light Side & Dark Side Qualities
Light Side: Voice Actors all did a solid job for their respective voiceover performances.
Graphics for a PS2 game look good.
Gameplay/Mechanics
- Presented as a vehicular combat game, you play as Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi traversing in tanks, animals on horseback, speeders, gunships and occasionally on foot.
- Main Missions have 16 Levels. You can play ‘em on Padawan, (Easy) Jedi Knight (Medium) or Jedi Master. (hard)
- Each level also has secondary objectives. Completing a number of ‘em unlocks extras such as concept art, behind-the-scenes and multiplayer modes you and your buddy can participate. My favorite mode in multiplayer is the battle arena from Attack of the Clones.
- Combat heavily relies on firing lasers and missiles. Restore your health and missiles just in case. Flee from enemies to regenerate shields.
- Taking a page from “Jedi Starfighter,” command your squad to attack, defend and regroup. Also another game I used to play as a kid.
- Acquiring temporary buffs like invincibility and super lasers will get you out of a jam.
- Enemy variety consists of aircraft, ground vehicles and droids on foot.
- Boss Battles are intense.
- Some vehicles feature a unique ability. Tanks strafe left or right. Republic Gunships fire frickin’ laser beams.
- Google some Cheat Codes to enable some juicy bits.
Soundtrack retains John Williams’ instrumental tracks.
Sound Effects from the films are also retained.
First three levels are set during the Battle of Geonosis. The rest takes place after Attack of the Clones ended.
Random Thought: I think I got The Clone Wars game as a Christmas gift in 2002 along with the first “Kingdom Hearts game and EA’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” I miss my childhood. Back when I didn’t have to worry about real world problems. I was lucky growing up in the late ‘90s to 2000-2005.
The Plot primarily focuses on the Galactic Republic and the Jedi to stop the Separatists from unleashing a super weapon. It ain’t the Death Star. Now that Disney bought Star Wars in 2012, the game’s no longer canon.
Dark Side: Navigating on foot as a Jedi felt stiff. It pales in comparison to other past and present lightsaber themed games. A Jedi isn’t supposed to be a walking tank like “RoboCop.” They have acrobatic combo attacks.
It took me 5 hours to be the main campaign. Going back to finish all secondary objectives didn’t last long. Not enough to equal a full price tag.
The Final Verdict: B, FOR BREATHTAKING!
Although a short game and lackluster control as a Jedi on foot, The Clone Wars still holds up. I had fond memories playing this game along with “Bounty Hunter” Jedi Starfighter and “Revenge of the Sith.” Before the dark times, before microtransactions. If you wanna relive your childhood, buy it on PlayStation 5. I’m glad some old games are ported into current consoles. A great way to introduced newcomers to the good stuff. Which upcoming Star Wars game are you looking forward to the most? Mine’s Fate of the Old Republic.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 