Star Wars: Republic Commando
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Star Wars: Republic Commando
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| Developer(s) | LucasArts |
| Publisher(s) | US LucasArts |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 2.0 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Mobile Phone |
| Release date(s) | Xbox JP February 17, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical Shooter, First Person Shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | CERO: 12 ESRB: T PEGI: 12+ |
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Microsoft Windows and Xbox platforms. The game uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine.[1] As of April 19, 2007, this game is backwards compatible for the Xbox 360 with a downloadable patch.[2]
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[edit] Plot synopsis
The game is set during the events of the Clone Wars that started at the climax of the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. In the game, the player is expected to take command of a Clone commando team, made up of elite Clone troopers. These clone troopers have been specially bred at the clone factories on Kamino. The commando team will travel to various locations in the Star Wars universe, including Kashyyyk, Geonosis, and the derelict spacecraft, The Prosecutor.
At the beginning of the game, Delta Squad is deployed from the RAS Prosecutor individually into the front lines of the battle of Geonosis. There, Delta RC-1138 ("Boss", the player character) meets up with Deltas 1262, 1140, and 1207 ("Scorch", "Fixer", and "Sev" respectively). Delta-38 has been selected to lead this unit and guides them on their mission to assassinate the Geonosian leader Sun Fac. After accomplishing this objective, Delta Squad sabotaged the droid factory underneath Sun Fac's headquarters, disable an anti-aircraft bunker that is wreaking havoc on the Republic Army's air forces, and then sneak onto a disabled Confederacy Core Ship, stealing important Launch Codes to prevent the Separatist fleet from retreating, escaping seconds before the ship is destroyed.
A year into the war, the now veteran Delta Squad is sent to investigate the derelict Republic Assault Ship (RAS) Prosecutor, their former home before being deployed to active duty. The team splits up to investigate, when they begin to lose contact with each other one by one aboard the ship. When he first enters the ship, Delta-38 ponders why the interior of the Prosecutor remains deserted and eerily quiet, when he is suddenly ambushed by droids known as Scavengers, which are responsible for the communications disruptions between the squad members. Delta-38 continues fighting off Scavenger Droids and comes across Trandoshan Slavers and Mercenaries. He single-handedly fights his way through the ship, collecting information from the ship and reviving fallen teammates. Once his team is together again, they destroy a jamming device in order to restore communication. Delta Squad then destroys the Trandoshan dropship in a hangar blowing up its shield regulator by accident. Immediately afterward, a Confederate Trade Federation Battleship drops out of hyperspace nearby, as the Trandoshans were about to sell the vessel, to the CIS, in exchange for droid support. As Republic reinforcements are en route, Delta Squad defends the vessel against hordes of battle droids, destroying the docking shield stabilizers, allowing nothing to pass through. They then proceed to code the auto turrets while under fire, saving the vessel and providing support to its recently arrived escort.
As the war drags onward, Delta Squad participates in increasingly dangerous missions. A cry for help is heard by the Republic from the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Delta Squad is sent to rescue General Tarfful from Trandoshan slavers and mercenaries. After spotting General Grievous himself in one of the compounds and fighting off his elite guards, they learn of the full ramifications of a Confederacy/Trandoshan alliance. Delta Squad sabotages a vital Trandoshan supply depot and proceeds to the key battle of Kachirho, the beginning of the battle of Kashyyyk. There, they move through the Wookiee tree city, securing important objectives and battling against hordes of advanced battledroids. They destroy the Bridge at Kachirho, cutting the droid army off from its reinforcements, and proceed to secure the Citadel. Soldiering through the most elite CIS forces and weaponry, Delta Squad once again splits up to man four Heavy AA turrets in order to assist in the destruction of a separatist battleship. Once the ship is destroyed, Advisor orders the Deltas to regroup at 38's position. However, Sev does not make the rendezvous and the squad manages to grab a last transmission from him, in which it's clear that he is under heavy attack and is possibly injured or killed. Delta Squad prepares to rescue Sev, but the commander orders them to pull back. As they head out on the gunship, devastated by the loss of their comrade, they are debriefed by Jedi Master Yoda. A huge Republic fleet is seen deploying outside the gunship, as Delta Squad prepares for another assignment in the battle.
[edit] Gameplay
The game features some gameplay elements that resemble features in other first-person shooters, including Metroid Prime, Halo, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The Heads-Up Display (HUD) in the game resembles the Metroid Prime helmet display. The context-based squad order system is similar to the Rainbow Six games. The usage of health and recharging shields, as well as the general combat gameplay, resemble styles seen in Halo 2. An unusual feature is that blood, or any fluid from a dead enemy can splash onto the helmet, slightly affecting vision until an energy based "windshield wiper" cleans it off.
The squadmate order system allows the player limited tactical control over the NPC squadmates. The order system resembles a simplified version of the context-based command menus seen in Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear. Many objects in the game environment will highlight when the crosshair is placed over them. The player can then press the use key to issue an order automatically associated with the object - for example, a door may highlight with a breach command, while a pile of cargo boxes may provide a "fire-from-cover" command. The player can also order the squad to follow, move to a position (where the crosshair is pointed), or seek-and-destroy.
In single player mode, the player and squadmates do not die when the run out of health, but rather are incapacitated. If the player character is downed, the player can order the squad members to attempt to revive the player or to continue with their current orders. Therefore, the game is only truly over when the player and all members of the squad are incapacitated at once. While reviving a downed commando restores a small amount of health, bacta charging stations are necessary to fully regain it.
Republic Commando maintains a first-person perspective throughout the game, presenting the story from the eyes of Delta 38.
[edit] Multiplayer
The game features a multiplayer mode for Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Assault, and Capture the Flag gameplay, with Xbox Live support for 16 players on the Xbox, and 32 for PC over the Internet.
[edit] Characters
The clone commandos featured in the game have distinct personalities, increasingly independent from regular clone troopers in the Republic's army. Although the player's squad members are said to specialize in certain areas, they all perform tasks with equal skill. The commandos of Delta Squad are:
- RC-1138 (Delta 38 or "Boss")
The player takes control of Delta 38 for the entire game. He is the commander of Delta Squad and issues orders to fellow teammates during missions. He is portrayed as a sensible character, and rarely has an extreme reaction to misfortune or poor circumstances.
Boss's designation is a reference to the number 1138, as seen and referenced in many projects involving George Lucas. "1138" itself is a reference to his first major film, THX 1138.
- RC-1140 (Delta 40 or "Fixer")
Delta 40 is the hacker and technological expert of the team. He portrays the stoic and serious side of the commandos and takes on a strict adherence to protocols; he is also the only one to use actual military terminology during missions.
- RC-1207 (Delta 07 or "Sev")
Delta 07 is a marksman who portrays a morbid sense of morality, desiring to annihilate every foe the squad encounters. One of his favorite activities is sniping ("With extreme pleasure, sir"). His voice is notable for having a deep, menacing tone when speaking. Delta 07 has red markings smeared across his armour. It is unclear if this is paint or blood. He oftens makes fun of Delta 62, but this is only brotherly teasing and the two frequenly trade taunts mid-battle.
- RC-1262 (Delta 62 or "Scorch")
Delta 62 is the demolitions expert. Delta 62 enjoys demolition weapons. He maintains a sense of humor throughout the game, often attempting to crack jokes even in the midst of combat, much to the chagrin of Delta 40. He often makes fun of Delta 07, who exchange wisecracks directed at each other throughout the game. He has the most dramatic reaction at the end of the game when Delta 07 is left behind. He states that Delta 07 is his "pod-brother", but this term is not explained any further.
[edit] Soundtrack
Republic Commando is notable for being the first entry in the official Star Wars game to feature licensed music. The song "Clones," performed by the band Ash, is played when the credits roll. Ash are known for their Star Wars fandom; their debut album was entitled 1977, and contained numerous Star Wars references.
The main bulk of the soundtrack is a break from convention of previous Star Wars games that use abridged versions of John Williams' original score, instead using a combination of Williams' music and new music composed by Jesse Harlin. This new music takes on a high-paced, gritty and vocal theme to the traditional Star Wars score, helping to immerse the player even more in the game.
The Mandalorian battle song Vode An (Brothers All) is also heard throughout several parts of the game, including the main menu and several battle sequences.
[edit] Star Wars Republic Commando: Order 66
A spin-off of the game, called Star Wars Republic Commando: Order 66, was created exclusively for mobile phones. The story followed a squad of Republic Commandos on their quest to eliminate the droids. During the game, Order 66 was executed, so the squad's new mission was to take out the Jedi as well as the droids.
[edit] Hardware issues
- Game has had issues running on nVidia GeForce 8 Series (only 8800) video cards, unless Bump-Mapping settings is set to low.[3] This may or may not have to do with which operating system is being run (Vista vs. XP) and may also be affected by individual hardware configurations.
[edit] Modifications
With the first update to the PC version of Republic Commando, players can design their own maps and levels to be played with Republic Commando both online and off line. Some of the biggest mods require more than just new map files; this includes SQON and Veamon Studio's mod Star Wars Republic Commando 2 the Mod, which is the currently the largest mod for Republic Commando.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Star Wars: Republic Commando at the Wookieepedia
- RC Mod Site Republic Commando Mod Site
