Video Game Bytes: Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Republic Heroes

Here’s an abbreviated look at a video game for the entire family.

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Republic Heroes (from LucasArts for PlayStation 3, $49.99) — I expected so much more from a game based on the popular Cartoon Network series that chronicles an interplanetary conflict in a galaxy far, far away.

Surely LucasArts could have come up with something better than this mediocre, poorly designed action platformer. More disappointing, Krome Studios, responsible for the brilliant Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Viva Pinata Party Animals, developed the dud.

A pair of players can cooperatively visit the far regions of the Star Wars universe in a story bridging the gap between the first and second seasons of the Clone Wars.

Bad guys such as Count Dooku, Assajj Ventress and Darth Sidius are conspiring and the noble Jedi and their indentured Clone troopers are on the hunt to stop the evil Trade Federation.

During the 40 missions visiting four planets, a pair of Jedi or troopers go into action. Their job is to solve and eliminate enemy forces across obstacle-laden environments (the icy planet of Alzoc III was most satisfying), to collect lots of points to buy masks for their characters, unlock droid dancing and tap into Force powers and more weapons.

The biggest problem is the almost constant death wish a player must subscribe to as he tries to navigate almost any area with a platform. The leap of faith, with no ability to control a camera to see where one might be landing, is a constant source of frustration.

A variety of options tries to make up for this mess, including jacking a droid (jump on it and plunge a light saber into its head) to control it and either help solve a puzzle (drop a mine to blow open a door) or blast away at robotic brethren.

So is it cool to ride Droid STAPs, fight new villain Kul Teska, traverse across molten spillways, launch rockets and toss a light saber around like a yo-yo?

Sure.

Do I like reading about all of the characters, vehicles and locations through an onboard encyclopedia, viewing some of the cut cartoon scenes, playing mass droid-destroying minigames and hearing the voices of the lead actors from the animated series?

Yep.

However, the lazy graphic design (characters can magically disappear as they walk through some obstacles), sloppy targeting and constant death leaps of the controllable characters did not make it fun.

Suffice to report, I believe the Lego Star Wars video game series remains the benchmark for entertaining young Jedis.

Fortunately for LucasArts, my point of view, tainted as a guy who has played video games for the past two decades or so, was not shared by at least a couple of younger gamers.

I walked in on two 10-year- olds mired in the action and guess what? They loved the game. They ate it up, especially the dancing droids, the key controllable characters and the frag fest afforded by being a pair of heavily armed troopers. I watched these two die-hard Clone Wars fans attack their controllers for 90 minutes, laughing and high-fiving the whole time.

Do I think they will try to actually complete the game? Probably not, so parents might see a rental in the future for Republic Heroes but “invest further, not” as Yoda might say.