Kinect: Star Wars – Game Review for Xbox 360
Other games let you wave the light sabre with a button press, but Kinect: Star Wars is banking its success on enticing fans with what they had always wanted, to swing it themselves.
The game strives to provide the most immersive Star Wars video game experience to date, whether you get in duels, use the force, pilot vehicles or jump into other mini-games that capitalise on the license. If you are an adult, there is occasional fun to
be had when it works. The control issues often hamper even the best of moments. The game regularly goes from immersive to monumentally frustrating. Add to this a general amount of polish and you have a decent Star Wars-themed distraction for children and something
that the rest of the people should probably pass on.
Presentation
The Star Wars universe is rich with recognisable settings and Kinect: Star Wars makes good use of the LucasArts brand.
Jumping into the recently recovered Jedi archives, you can select from the game’s main campaign, which recounts the story of a Jedi master and her padukones. You can also jump off into other modes such as the Rancor Rampage, Duels of Fate, Podracing, or
the bizarre Galactic Dance Off.
The story itself is fine for Star Wars yarn, but sloppy visuals and lack of impressive voice acting prevents the title from shining. Some parts of it look pretty, but the frame-rates drop randomly, textures pop in and characters have animation issues.
Gameplay
Stories are important to Star Wars, but what the fans really want is action. The campaign mode gives you the force power and light-sabres, but does not always make using them a lot of fun. While it is okay to fail because you screwed up, it is extremely
frustrating to move your body correctly, only to have your character fail to react. What is really problematic is how the game constantly breaks up the action. You often fight for only a few seconds before the control is taken away from you. The game does
that so often that you will often find yourself confused when you are supposed to start playing. This makes it hard for you to immerse yourself.
One of the many things a fan of Star Wars won’t like about the game’s campaign is the force. Only about 20 percent of the enemies in the game can be moved with the force, while the rest simply stumble and move through, making your Jedi feel like just another
padukones with a Jedi sword. The only time that the force really serves an awesome purpose is the moments where it is the only way to proceed. While using light sabre and force may prove a bit laborious, other actions in the game work well enough.
The space battles where you will be piloting the ship will prove to be fun, while the Podracing mini-game is surprisingly robust. The controls not only work well, but the story it tells will also appeal to many players, especially the kids.
The other modes are not that impressive either, though the kids may have a few good things to say about the experience. Most of the modes are multiplayer, thus making them a bit more enjoyable than they would have otherwise been.
The Verdict
Making a Star War games that appeals to all ages is indeed an immensely challenging undertaking. Kinect: Star Wars only partially achieves that, although there are plenty of things that the kids will get a kick out of. Occasional moments and Podracing are
fun, but the hardcore gamers will have a hard time to digest the polish and control issues.
I give the game a 5.5 and recommend it to young children and parents who plan on joining their kids for a bit of fun.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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