Mission, Vehicles

It's a time of trials and challenges in the galaxy. The Jedi Knights lead battalions of cloned supersoldiers against an enemy driven by the Dark Side of the Force. As the Clone Army of the Republic battles the Confederacy of Separatists, planets will fall, legends will be made, and best of all, lag time will be negligible. Yes, The Clone Wars have begun on XboxLive.

Galactic Battlegrounds
To start, you'll have access to three different planets that reward diverse strategies. We'll focus first on the duel maps, which are available right out of the box. (The single-player game lets you unlock additional maps and other goodies.)

Geonosis
It's rocky and full of ravines and stone spires that make maneuvering tricky. There are moving bridges all over the place, and they make excellent sniping perches. Watch out for the ring-shaped pit in the center of the map—fall in, and it's certain death.

Rhen Var
Rhen Var is an icy battleground world. The Xbox Live duel map is centered around two roughly perpendicular ravines. A levitating platform moves back and forth between two higher areas, accessible by an elevator platform. A deep pit near the junction of these ravines contains a teleportation portal that will fling you back into one of these ravines (and, if power-ups are on, into a string of health and ammo that you can turbo boost your way through).

Raxus Prime
This planet bears some resemblance to Geonosis at first glance, if Geonosis had been turned into a galactic junkyard. Wreckage is strewn all over this map, creating both cover and hunting blinds. Gullies, ravines, and portals also make Raxus a great map for sneaky players. Look for moving platforms that give your vehicle quick access to power-ups.

The junk-strewn planet Raxus Prime.

Knight Rides
Every time your vehicle explodes (and trust us, it's going to happen, no matter how high your midichlorian count is), you get the opportunity to switch to a different one. Initially, the following five vehicles are open for Xbox Live play.

TX-130 Republic Fighter Tank
The tank is the mainstay of the Republic ground forces and a well-rounded choice for beginners or veterans. Since it's the vehicle you start with in the single-player game, odds are, you're already a pretty good shot with it, and the basic controls of this vehicle are the template for those of the GAT and the Hailfire Droid.

• Primary Fire (A): Dual medium laser cannons.
• Secondary Fire (X): Concussion missiles.
• Special Ability (B): Turbo boost.

AT-XT Assault Walker
A favorite of many Team Duel players, this two-legged early version of the "chicken walker" serves the Republic as a walking weapons platform. It won't win awards for speed or maneuverability, but it is the only vehicle that can aim its primary weapon perpendicular to its movement direction (in exchange, the walker cannot technically strafe) and boasts extra shields as its special weapon, to help make up for the armor, which is lighter than an AAT.

• Primary Fire (A): Heavy laser cannons.
• Secondary Fire (X): Proton mortar.
• Special Ability (B): Plasma shields.

An AT-XT stares down a group of AATs.

AAT (Armored Assault Tank)
Big, slow, and built like a, well, tank, the AAT represents the Trade Federation's sturdiest vehicular contribution to the Separatist forces. If it's got a special ability, this reporter couldn't' find it, but the AAT's heavy armor and potent weaponry help make up for it. The long-range mortar can be particularly devastating when combined with zoom (Y).

• Primary Fire (A): Heavy laser cannons.
• Secondary Fire (X): Long-range mortar.
• Special Ability (B): ???

Hailfire Droid
I'll admit—I have a soft spot for anything in Star Wars that dares to have wheels, and this "self-aware weapons deployment vehicle" not only has charmingly goofy wide rims, it also comes packed with powerful concussion missiles. Rely on speed and an excellent turn radius to stay alive.

• Primary Fire (A): Medium laser cannons.
• Secondary Fire (X): Concussion missiles.
• Special Ability (B): Turbo boost.

Ground Armored Tank (GAT)
The GAT is essentially the Separatist answer to the TX-130, with very similar weapons payload and stats. Players going head-to-head in Conquest mode on Xbox Live will play on two teams, one of which is GATs, the other Republic Tanks.

• Primary Fire (A): Medium laser cannons.
• Secondary Fire (X): Concussion missiles.
• Special Ability (B): Turbo boost.
  

By Danny Chihdo