As its title suggests, Lightsaber Duels is based on the relatively new Clone Wars CG cartoons. The game lets players fight in various battles from series, namely the feature-length film and around five or six episodes into the first season. Each battle is accompanied by a brief cinematic, with the Clone Wars announcer filling in the gaps and explaining each situation. Unfortunately, despite the series being renowned for focusing on secondary Star Wars characters, there is a measly cast of only ten playable characters. While there’s a decent mix including the likes of Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Kit Fisto and Asaji Ventress, it feels a little short when compared to other fighters available on the Wii.
What happened to Count Dooku's cape?
On the gameplay front you’ve got a fairly standard fighter. Each match sees you try to beat your opponent in two out of three rounds. You’ve got an array of combo and defence moves at your disposal, and if you’re playing as a Jedi/Sith character you’ll even be able to use the force to boost your attack power or throw around the rubble that litters the stage. As you execute combo moves, you’ll also charge up your character’s unique special attack which can inflict great damage. To the developer’s credit, they’ve tried to implement hazards on each stage to give players an edge in battle. Examples range from clones/droids firing at their respected opposition and causing minor damage, to damaged machinery causing electrical surges that stun fighters who are within range. While it’s obvious Krome meant for these hazards to bring a level of strategy to the battle arena, it just isn’t fully realised and becomes more of a distraction rather than a compelling part of gameplay.
The game’s biggest drawback however is its control scheme. Early in development Krome promised players would be able to swing their Wii remote like a lightsaber, but the reality is it’s nothing more than second-rate waggling. It’s not so much the game isn’t playable, it’s more to do with the fact the controls are unimaginative and simplistic. Players basically gesture the Wii remote left, right, up, down and forwards to chain together combos – a missed opportunity to say the least. Like a lot of other waggle heavy games, your wrists can get very sore during extended play sessions, so it’s advised you take regular breaks. Another let down is the AI. Opponents simply don’t put up a decent fight, meaning you can randomly swing the Wii remote and almost be assured victory. It’s a shame really, underneath all the mindless waggling there is quite a lot of potential, but it just doesn’t take shape or form.
In addition to fighting, Krome has also implemented a few mini-games in the form of lightsaber locks. Basically, when two fighters lock sabers a short mini-game will play. On screen a prompt will display telling you to motion a gesture, and whoever does it first wins the lock and causes damage to the opposition. There are two variations of this: either a single prompt will be displayed or you’ll be required to perform and chain multiple gestures. It’s a simple element, but it adds to what would otherwise be a straight forward match.
Waggle waggle waggle waggle, and you're dead.
Aside from the Campaign mode, players will also have the option to play in Free, Quick Play and Multiplayer modes which are all self-explanatory. There’s also a Challenge mode which gives you objectives to complete in battle. These can range from beating Obi-Wan while playing as Anakin without using the Force, to completing a set amount of combos. Again, it’s all pretty straight forward, so there isn’t a lot that will keep you coming back for more.
Despite the generic gameplay, Krome have done a pleasant job with the presentation. In most cases stages have battles playing out in the background, so it feels like you’re really a part of a huge battle taking place around you. On the down side animations are a little stiff, but as a whole the game captures the look and feel of the Clone Wars series. Like its Nintendo DS counterpart, the voice cast from the TV series lend their talents to Lightsaber Duels. It’s just nice to hear familiar voices while in the heat of battle, and when combined with the trademark lightsaber hum emitting from the Wii remote’s speaker, it’s a Star Wars fan’s dream come true… Assuming you can overlook the mediocre gameplay.
While there’s nothing majorly wrong with Lightsaber Duels, it just lacks extra refinement to standout from other fighting games. There are only ten playable characters, standard gameplay modes, and the controls feel unimaginative and simplistic. Unless you plan on getting this as a present for a child, then there’s really little here that will keep you occupied for long.
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