 | | Republic Commando is a dark first person shooter set between Episode II and III |
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There's a shot towards the end of Attack of the Clones where the war's just kicked off and we see hundreds of clone troopers right in the thick of battle. It's smokey, the camera's shaking, and the entire screen is filled with red and blue lasers coming from all directions. It's a little out of place in a Star Wars film, as for that brief moment your mind drifts more towards Saving Private Ryan than Ewoks and Gungans.
Republic Commando takes that sequence and basically turns it into an entire game. This is hardcore warfare in every sense of the word, and certainly not your typical Star Wars title. The first level for instance, feels more like the chopper insertion from Black Hawk Down than anything found in the holy trilogy.
Impressively though, while it comes from a more brutal perspective than usual, it still remains a Star Wars game at its core. You could say it slots nicely into a universe we know so well, while simultaneously showing us a side to it we've never seen before.
C-Day
 | | Mission briefings are handed out via holographic images on board your ship |
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Republic Commando is by far the best of the prequel-era titles. It's a bloody exciting game to play, using a first person combat style very much reminiscent of Halo's blasting, 'nading and melee bashing, yet it feels a lot more interactive and engaging in many ways, thanks to the four-man squad dynamic you have at your disposal.
The single player game is split up into three separate missions, each consisting of numerous sub-levels, and together the game covers a two year span of the Clone Wars in total.
After a series of flashbacks covering your "birth" at the beginning, the real action kicks in at the start of the war, with you battling critters and droids on Geonosis amid Episode II.
 | | The second mission takes place on a deserted Republic Assault Ship |
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Following that the game takes a more sinister and Event Horizon-esque turn, when you're called in to investigate a stolen Republic "ghost ship" in the second chapter, in what was easily my favourite segment of the game.
This eventually leads you onto the Wookie home world of Kashyyyk for the final mission, which ties more directly into Revenge of the Sith, and includes some fleeting glimpses of new bad guy General Grievous. Each of these "episodes", as we used to say back in the Doom days, is rounded off with a massive set piece, including some of the most epic and tense battles you'll ever see in a game of this genre.
There are brief moments scattered throughout the game in fact, that I'd easily rate alongside the likes of Far Cry and HL2 for gob-smacking brilliance. Sadly it does have one
huge gaping flaw that ultimately puts it back in its place however, but I'll get onto that later. First though, let's cover the good.
Dark Forces Eat Your Heart Out
This is a
great looking game. Given the more ominous and gritty tone at work, it does a solid job of creating darker, more Empire Strikes Back-style environments. With a huge emphasis on bump-mapping and lighting, it has a realism to it rarely seen in sci-fi games.
 | | The level of detail on your fellow clone troopers is suitably impressive |
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This is accompanied by fantastic player models that come complete with glorious animations and good old ragdoll physics. These physics aren't perfect, mind you - don't expect Source engine quality shenanigans by any means - but it does allow for some hilarious deaths and the odd bit of destructive scenery.
While the playing areas aren't particularly big, the game uses scripting and animated backgrounds to convey a much more epic sense of war and chaos. There's a constant stream of ships and starfighters duelling in the skies on Geonosis for example, and it provides not only fantastic views, but also a wonderful (if false) feeling of size.
The shadows on the models are a little spazzy at times though, letting the graphics down a tad, but this is still a stunner of a game to look at from beginning to end, and one of those titles where I can't help but constantly spam the "PrtScn" key every five seconds.
And if all that wasn't enough, switch on the nightvision mode and prepare to be wowed.
Holy Sweet Auditory Canals
 | | Your visor regularly gets covered in rain, cracks and slimey alien entrails |
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Sound is, without doubt, some of the best I've ever heard in a game. It finds a beautiful sweet spot between vintage Star Wars sound effects and an absolutely mind-blowing score. Using a mixture of prequel-era film cues, and brand new recorded material, the music well and truly summarises everything that's great about movies, games and Star Wars in one go.
The sound's also helped along by a wonderful script and solid voice acting. Temueru Morrison, who played the original clone Jango Fett in the movie, lends his vocal talent, but it's actually the other squad mates who truly shine.
I love the little jibes and banter between your crew. At one point for instance, I sent one troop over to a rock to provide us with sniper cover, and the guy standing next to me casually muttered, "Sir, don't you want someone who can shoot straight?". It's just one of a number of spontaneous little moments between your men that bring this game to life.
Band of Clones
 | | The squad are great at finding cover and acting as an authentic military unit |
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In fact the squad are the greatest thing about Republic Commando. Without them, this would be a pretty yet average FPS to be honest, yet with your three brothers in arms tagging along, the game takes on a much more impressive life of its own.
As squad leader, you can order your troops around via a streamlined command system, one that allows you to decide and execute commands both quickly and easily, while avoiding micromanagement on a more mundane level.
Throughout all this, I found the squadmate AI to be surprisingly good. They do a damn solid job of both following your orders, while still using a degree of their own intelligence at the same time. They'll find cover, suss out targets and even heal themselves as needed, while constantly looking cool as fuck while they do it.
While they're happy to do their own thing most of the time, you're free to interrupt all this and give them specific actions and targets whenever the situation calls for it.
 | | Get up you lazy fuckers, I'm not doing all the damn work! |
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All in all, the squad dynamic works so beautifully well in fact, that when you occasionally find yourself split up from the team and flying solo, it dawns on your how much you miss them. There's no better example of this than the death system. Taking a shot in the head and laying there comatose while your buddies struggle to heal you is pulled off with stunning results. I literally can't count the number of times they saved my life throughout the course of the game.
How ironic that clones bred solely for warfare and killing are some of the most human and realistic AI team mates I've ever seen in a game of this ilk. I'm simultaneously playing Brothers in Arms at the moment, and I must say I'm amazed at how much more of a brotherhood my squad in Republic Commando feels in comparison to that much hyped title. They just drip personality and humour from every pore, in a way that's damn hard to pull off in
any game, let alone a Star Wars title. My fave of the bunch would have to be 07 (or "Sev"), an uber-bad arse who has a tendency to stroll over to fallen enemies, shoot up their corpses, then mutter, "Stay down".
 | | When wounded in action, the screen dissolves into a blur while you await help |
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Whether it be the military-style hand gestures they use in the heat of battle, or the cheeky arguments they share on comms, these guys had me well and truly won over, and they're a big part of what makes the Republic Commando experience such a memorable one.
Enemies are also reasonably smart, flying around the sky and dodging your fire, although the more low level droid "grunts" are about as stupid as FPS enemies go. This however, is perfectly in tune with the movies, and actually kind of comical.
The game has a great sense of humour on the whole, in fact. I love blasting said droid's head off with a sniper rifle and watching them fumble around blindly. Or charging into a war-torn battlefield and finding you can use dead Wookie corpses for cover.
Yeah, but...
With all this going for it, what gives? Ah yes, the aforementioned gaping flaw. Sadly it's an all too common tale, really...Republic Commando is just too damn short. You can happily breeze through it in a day in fact.
 | | The levels retain originality, while still remaining Star Warsy at all times |
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I'd happily replay it again from beginning to end, and there's also three multiplayer modes to keep you going, including an impressive Assault mode. But honestly though...I can't see it taking off hugely in the online world.
I guess it ultimately boils down to whether or not you're happy to spend money on a game that kicks some hella arse, yet will most likely retire to gather dust on the shelf within a week or so. It's a pity because even just a tacked-on co-op mode could have given the game a much extended life-span. When will developers learn?
Another less conspicuous downer is the fact that while it's great fun to be a part of the Star Wars military, you're essentially just doing your job at the end of the day, and nothing more. There's no real story, no memorable characters beyond your squad mates, and nothing personal at stake. While the gameplay grips wholeheartedly, the storytelling doesn't at all, simply because there is none.
Even the traditional scrolling text intro seen in every Star Wars game
ever made is missing. Understandable really, as there'd be nothing to put in it here.
Stop Whining
 | | Though useless for 99% of the game, nightvision mode looks truly gorgeous |
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Never the less, I find it hard to criticise RC for too long. Along with Mercenaries and KOTORII, LucasArts are on a major roll at the moment. Their output over the last five years has been a bit hit and miss, but things certainly seem to be picking up in 2005.
There was a massive rumour going around about a year ago that there was already an in-the-works sequel to this game titled Imperial Commando, in which you once again took up the role of a special forces trooper. The difference being of course, that the Empire is now in power, so you're essentially working for the bad guys this time, hunting down the Jedi alongside Darth Vader. Fingers crossed that this turns out to be true, as there's certainly ample space for more adventures in this grittier corner of the universe.
 | | Weapons include pistols, carbines, shotguns, sniper rifles and 'nade launchers, and although they take a while to get used to, all still pack a heck of a punch |
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Things seem to be kicking into hyperdrive with Star Wars lately - you can't even stretch in the morning without bumping into a new game, book or trailer - a sure sign that Episode III is right around the corner. With that in mind, RC is a nice setup for Revenge of the Sith, one that gives us a quick glimpse into the Clone Wars and even the odd location from the flick itself.
Whether you want a kick arse Star Wars game, or just a rock solid first person shooter, Republic Commando will fit the bill nicely. In this day and age it also seems rare to play a game so polished, pretty and bug-free.
It's short, yes...but boy is it sweet.
