No self respecting nerd saw the Kinect and didn‘t think “I wanna play a Star Wars game on that.” It‘s a must for any motion game, so it was just a matter of time before one made it‘s way to consoles. However does Lucasart‘s decision to go with motion games pay off or does this title deserve to get force choked out?
Let‘s be honest, no one really thought a Star Wars game would feature a dancing component, but it seems like the first thing I should address. Please look at the video below…
Yes… that was Han Solo. Dancing. It‘s a little much for any fan to wrap their heads around, but I digress. The game is more of a collection of mini games including lightsaber battles, podracing and my personal favourite rancor rampage with several others. The only “story” tying these games together is R2-D2 and C3P-0 browsing through the old Jedi archives in the academy on Coursant. But dancing? Why is there dancing?
Now, I should mention that I am a big fan of the series and have played pretty much every game in the series… even a few I don‘t care to mention in public, but somehow I have mixed feelings about Star Wars Kinect. The controls, movement and voice can be a hit or miss. Aside from dancing and podracing, it’s a little difficult to know exactly what is going to happen while flailing about.
The lightsaber battles is what every fan was looking forward to, but for the sake of their demographic the battles have become formulaic with one party defending and the other attacking, then switching. It’s a little disappointing that the major component of almost every Star Wars game has been watered down and has become a tedious gameplay mechanic. I could write pages on the matter, but let’s get on with the rest of the review…
The graphics are unfortunately a little subpar. For this day and age, it is a little outdated and simplistic opting for a cell shaded style. The game is geared towards children, and I understand that, but that is no a license to skimp in that regard.
The multiplayer is a pleasant and necessary addition to the game. although the controls do make the experience a little stressful and something you aren’t likely to find other endure with you.
Final Verdict
Gameplay 6 /10
Graphics 6 / 10
Controls 4 / 10
Replayability 5 / 10
Overall 5 / 10
There isn’t a nerd either on this earth or a galaxy far far away who didn’t have high hopes for this game, but unfortunately this game didn’t live up to expectations. I’d recommend if the die hard fans stay away from this one and wait for LucasArts to come out with another game. Maybe something that merits a mature ranking with graphics that fit the age and console. Star Wars Kinect is now available for Xbox 360.