Before The Clone Wars officially debuted at E3 2002 to the press, we assumed that developer Pandemic Studios would try to infuse some of its Battlezone/strategy pedigree into the newest Star Wars game. Turns out that we were mostly wrong: one multiplayer mode does focus on strategy, but the majority of the game is all about action.

In fact, The Clone Wars has more in common with Factor 5's Rogue Leader, and the comparison isn't just a coincidence. Pandemic Studios and Factor 5 have met several times to discuss the game and share ideas. Most missions take place on the ground and are similar to the ground missions of Factor 5's Battle for Naboo on N64, although The Clone Wars is considerably faster and more wide-open than that game. There are two or three on-foot levels which we have not gotten to see or play yet, but apparently those will not be a major part of the gameplay...they're more to break up the vehicle missions and offer some variety.

Surprisingly, 30-40% of the game takes place in the air, via the Republic gunship seen prominently in the Attack of the Clones movie. Although every air mission uses just that one vehicle, the gunship should keep from getting stale by offering quite a few different offensive and defensive capabilities. It also functions as both a troop transport and an assault vehicle, and both uses will factor into mission objectives. The flying levels shown at E3 were highly impressive and quite reminiscent of Rogue Leader's planetary levels.

The Clone Wars will feature several multiplayer modes for up to four players on GameCube, and it seems that Pandemic is working hard to make sure the multiplayer features stand out along with the single-player campaigns. Deathmatch goes the extra mile by allowing each player to choose from both Republic and Confederacy vehicles, and each machine will be noticeably unique in its movements and abilities. Another mode called Jedi Academy can be played cooperatively by one or two (and possibly up to four) players and has been described as being similar to Galaga. In other words, expect to blow up countless enemies as they approach; this one looks to be pure shooting action. Conquest brings in strategy elements by allowing opposing players to compete for outposts out in the neutral areas between bases. Captured outposts will be armed and can create additional forces and supplies for their masters.

We hope to have much more on The Clone Wars this summer, so keep your eyes open.

Last updated: 05/08/2002

The Star Wars series has always been a major source of inspiration for videogames, and Episode II: Attack of the Clones will surely be no exception. LucasArts has already announced Bounty Hunter for GameCube, THQ is publishing a side-scrolling game for GBA, and now…The Clone Wars.

Due out in the fall (the GameCube version is expected to release about a month before the PS2 version), The Clone Wars is an adventure game based somewhat on the new movie. It will combine third-person on-foot adventuring with lots of vehicular combat and strategy elements; this is looking more like BattleZone than Twisted Metal. So far at least five playable vehicles are planned, and many more will be used by allies and enemies.

The three playable characters are, unsurprisingly, the three main action-type people in the movie: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu. (Call him the Token Black Guy and he’ll break your face with great vengeance and furious anger.) Graphics are pretty nice from what we’ve seen so far, with detailed textures for all the various types of landscape you’ll be traversing, and some intricate vehicle models. The game’s sound is being handled by Skywalker Sound, making The Clone Wars one of the first two games that division of Lucas’s empire has ever worked on, the other being Bounty Hunter.

Gameplay details are scarce at this point, but it seems that on-foot and vehicular portions will be seamlessly integrated into missions. Thus, you may be able to zoom around in a hovertank blowing up enemy structures, then get out on foot and go take care of the details with your lightsaber and force powers. So far there are 16 campaigns spread across six different worlds.

A key detail here is the developer: Pandemic Studios. They are mostly known for strategy games, from Dark Reign to the recently released Army Men RTS and the critically acclaimed shooter/strategy hybrid Battlezone. The latter actually seems to be having a strong influence on The Clone Wars. We already know that the multiplayer modes (up to four players for the GameCube version) will incorporate real-time strategy elements, and that could very well hold true for the single-player missions as well.

Speaking of multiplayer, you and three friends can participate in these fine modes: Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Conquest, and Jedi Academy. Conquest is a strategy-heavy mode in which you compete to control bases, which allow you to produce more units. Jedi Academy sends wave after wave of enemies at you and is reportedly a little like Galaga.

We’ll have more info on The Clone Wars very soon, and it is expected to be playable at E3 2002.

Very special thanks to THX 1138 for gathering most of this info at the Star Wars Celebration II event in Indianapolis!