Clone Wars Adventures

For the 2008 T.V. series, see Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series). For other uses, see Clone Wars (disambiguation).

Clone Wars Adventures
Developer(s)	Sony Online Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Sony Online Entertainment
Platform(s)	Windows, Macintosh
Release date(s)	September 15, 2010
Genre(s)	Massively multiplayer online adventure game
Mode(s)	Multiplayer, CCG
Rating(s)	ESRB: E10+
Media/distribution	DVD-ROM, digital download[1]

Clone Wars Adventures is an online virtual world based on the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Players create and customize in-world avatars and can participate in a variety of Clone Wars themed mini-games and activities, earning Republic credits to purchase new weapons, outfits, ships, and furniture.

Clone Wars Adventures is free to download and play, but only those that have a paid membership get access to a majority of the game's features. Additionally, many outfits and premium items can only be purchased with Station Cash, a form of in game currency that players need to purchase with real money instead of in game credits.

Generally, the game is updated with new content from each new episode of the television show the night that the episode airs.

The game follows a similar business model to the popular SOE MMO, Free Realms. However, unlike Free Realms, the game was released at retail, though the game is free-to-play.^[1]

Business Model

Clone Wars Adventures is free to download and play, but free players will have restricted access to mini-games, equipment, and game areas.

For a monthly subscription fee, members have full access to game content, excluding any premium items that must be purchased separately with station cash such as original costumes or exclusive actions and housing items. Players can receive Station Cash by purchasing Clone Wars Adventures game cards at select retail stores or by using a parents PayPal or Credit Card. Each card comes with 1000 Station Cash and grants one of four parts of a costume including a Jet Pack trooper, Kit Fisto costume, and Anakin Skywalker robes. Rarely, SOE will announce days when players can receive double or even triple Station Cash. Players can also buy game Credits with Station Cash.

Jedi Members are given access to VIP areas, ability to wield dual-lightsabers, member-only items, and a special deluxe house. Members are also allowed access to more mini-games and extra game content.

Environment

The in-game world of Clone Wars Adventures is set in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Here players can interact with popular Clone Wars characters like Anakin Skywalker, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and play more than 20 different mini-games including Lightsaber Duel, Republic Defender, a tower defense game, and Speeder Bike Racing. Other mini-games are campaign based on Seasons 3 and 4 from Star Wars the Clone Wars. There are also several multi-player games including Card Commander, Force Connection, similar to Connect 4, and Attack Cruiser, two players battle enemy ships with their lone Republic cruisers. Players can challenge each other in these multiplayer games to win Credits. Even though the game is based on the Jedi temple, players can travel to different planets like Ryloth and Mon Calamari when going to the hangar bay. When exploring the different areas of the temple, players will often find blue or gold spheres that give free Credits when clicked on. The blue spheres give the player 25 Credits and the gold, which are relatively rare, give 100 Credits. When a player collects a lifetime total of 100 blue spheres and 100 gold spheres, they will receive 1,000,000 game Credits. Clone Wars Adventures also has daily mini-games that are played once a day, but reward huge amounts of credits. These games include a Daily Spin, Daily Holocron, and Trivia.

Sony Online Entertainment adds new game content every week like new costumes or pets. Every day, there will be a 50% discount on any one Station Cash item so players should check everyday in case if an item they really want comes out for sale at 50% off.

Player Housing

All players are given their own personal house in game. Free players are provided a Padawan Dormitory, while members are given the larger and more customizable Jedi Living Quarters. Add on rooms like the Droid Destruction Chamber or the Hidden Armory can be purchased with Station Cash.

Additional player houses can be purchased with Station Cash as well, like the Attack Cruiser house that gives the player access to their own Republic battleship, and a Mustafar Lot which allows players to customize their house on a volcano surrounded by rivers of lava. Each of these houses has its own set of furniture appropriate for its environment such as Cruiser sets and Mustafar furniture.

Players can customize their houses with furniture and other decorations. Other players are allowed to rate each others houses. Some furniture sets can only be unlocked by buying Card Commander packs and winning certain mini-games. Other mini-games reward the players a virtual trophy after successfully completing a level or by performing certain tricks in the game. Some trophies can be placed in the player's house while others are auto-placed in their trophy room.

Non-Members are allowed one set of housing items based on lower city furniture, while Jedi members are given access to purchase over 15 different sets of furniture using game Credits or Station Cash. Players are still allowed access to these even when their membership ends, but only if they still have them in their furniture storage. Station Cash furniture sets include Gungan furniture and a Mon Calamari set. A few items can perform actions when clicked on by the player like turning on lights or party disco balls.

Sony allows players to buy promotional items like tree lights, face masks, and sparklers on special Holidays such as Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Christmas (known in Star Wars as "Life Day").

Pets

Players can purchase droid pets like R2-D2 or TO-DO to follow them around in game. There are also special attachments that allow pets to do new things, like a boombox to make other players dance, or mounted guns to fire lasers when clicked on. Players can unlock more droids by entering special game codes by purchasing Clone Wars Trading Cards or McDonald's Happy Meals.

There are several Creature Pets available such as the Convor, a bird-like creature, with helmet attachments available for purchase. Other creatures include an Anooba and a Kowakian Monkey-Lizard which was only available to those who attended Fan Fair, but now can be bought with SC.

Development

Clone Wars Adventures was developed by Sony Online Entertainment, the developers of well received massively multiplayer online role playing video game, Free Realms. It was announced at E3 2010, and is based on the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The game was designed with young fans of the television show in mind. In an effort to support online safety for children, strict filters only allow pre-approved words to be shown in chat, restricting the ability of a player to communicate personal information to others in game or to use bad language.^[2]

Reception

Clone Wars Adventures received mixed reviews from critics, with an aggregate score of 65 on Metacritic.^[3] GameZebo gave it a score of 3.5/5, stating that it contained "Incredible variety of mini-games", and praised its presentation, commenting that it "matches the look and feel of Clone Wars series perfectly". They further criticized it because "Too much content is locked away."^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Mike Fahey (June 1, 2010). "Free Realms Meets Star Wars In Clones Wars Adventures". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5552522/free-realms-meets-star-wars-in-clones-wars-adventures. Retrieved May 30, 2010. 
2. ^ http://www.gamezebo.com/news/2010/06/02/star-wars-clone-wars-adventures-online-game-announced
3. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/star-wars-clone-wars-adventures
4. ^ http://www.gamezebo.com/games/star-wars-clone-wars-adventures/review

• Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Review - MMO - Page 1 at Eurogamer
• Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Impressions - PC Review at IGN

External links

• Official website
• Official Press Release
• Article, initial release, kotaku.com.