Begun, the Clone Wars has
Star Wars games have been apparent in the industry for almost as long as video games themselves. However, perhaps the largest load of games came in light of the arrival of the prequels. No matter how you feel about the actual films, you cannot deny that some quality video game titles were produced in that time, particularly during the sixth generation of consoles. Republic Commando, LucasArts' 2005 offering, stands out among the crowd. Not just amongst other great Star Wars games, but with some of the best first person shooters on the market.
Surprisingly, the story in Republic Commando is minimal and largely insignificant. The game is situated during the height of the Clone Wars, taking place during and immediately following the events following Attack of the Clones. You take on the role of squad commander and clone trooper Delta RC-1138 (frequently referred to as "Boss"), tasked with his military team to find and hunt down General Grievous. With the exception of a rather well-done opening sequence and the occasional mission interlude, the narrative attributes more or less take a backseat to gameplay. Some of the actual storytelling methods, particularly the ending mission, are presented in some interesting ways, but the story itself is simply shunned. While not a genuine disappointment, I feel that more narrative pieces could easily have been incorporated, especially given the license at their disposal.
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first person shooter. However, do not let the genre alone determine its depth. The game features its core mechanics around your three squad-mates. Reminiscent of other other tactical shooters such as the early incarnations of Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, the game's focus revolves around the positioning and commandment of your troops. This could range from ordering to snipe at certain locations to manning control of a nearby turret. Alongside this, you have four general commands in which you must keep a constant eye on. These commands respectively consist of the equivalent of a full-frontal assault, defending a position, a reformation of all troops, and a cancel to the previous function executed. A "game over" is not achieved until all four soldiers are incapacitated, including the player. If the player is incapacitated, then you have the option to call out for help for your comrades to revive you. With the addition of these commands comes an improved combat experience. Firefights featured within missions are almost always tense and rewarding when beaten. In order to be triumphant, you must balance all commands and weaponry of your squad, all while keeping the health and wellness of your comrades in tact. Weapons in the game range very differently and ultimately help shape the tactics versus certain foes, allowing for more gameplay variety as it practically forces you to rotate around utilizing guns, melee, and grenades. The shooting itself is a tad stiff, but flows well in general, as the game's overall methodical approach compliments this design choice. Keep in mind that all of this is adhered to with challenging aspects. Overall, the game is fairly difficult, even on the "normal" difficulty, but remains manageable at all times. It never ceases to be a lot fun.
Fellow genre powerhouses of the era such as Metroid Prime and Half-Life clearly present an influence upon Republic Commando in terms of its presentation. For instance, the HUD is presented to represent a clone trooper's helmet, akin to the heads-up display found in Metroid Prime. In addition to this, the game never leaves first-person, fully utilizing its "helmet" attribute competently. Accompanying the entirety of the game is an outstanding soundtrack that contains some of the franchise's best tracks from the prequels, notably being the first game to feature these songs. Graphically, the game is definitely dated and shows its age, but these visuals never get in the way by any means, and generally gets the job done.
Tactical shooters have seemingly taken a backseat amongst the public following the release of Republic Commando. Some franchises such as Rainbow Six are seeing a revival to its roots, but some key games in the genre have been excluded since. Republic Commando exhibits the perfect reason as to why the genre deserves a full-on revival. The game's methodical approach and command system has stood the test of time since its release ten years ago. Some missions in the game left me more on the edge my seat than any other game played in years. I can condemn its lack of story all I want, but that will never change my desire for a spiritual successor within the inevitable load of Star Wars games coming in light of the new upcoming trilogy.