Star Wars: Republic Commando is a tactical first-person shooter developed by LucasArts and released in 2005 on the original Xbox. Since then, the game has gained a dedicated fanbase, with many praising the story and combat. The game was made backwards compatible on the Xbox One, along with many other original Xbox games and is now being re-released on the Switch and PS4 by Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games.
Republic Commando takes place between the films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and follows a squad of specially trained clone commandos. You play as the leader of Delta Squad, “Boss” and must lead your three squadmates, “Sev,” “Fixer,” and “Scorch” through a few of the conflicts of the legendary Clone Wars. Issue orders, breach doors and blast your way through the caves of Geonosis, the tall forests of Kashyyyk, the corridors of spaceships, and other iconic Star Wars locations.
Republic Commando has more than earned its legendary status amongst Star Wars fans and not all of the rose-tinted love for the game is exaggeration. However, 15 years and 3 console generations later, some aspects of this beloved game may have started to show its age, but, like many of gaming’s golden classics, Star Wars: Republic Commando is definitely worth trying out.
When 16 Years Old, You Reach…Look as Good, You will Not
The first thing any newcomer to Republic Commando will notice are the graphics. Oh, man, the memories lied to me. I remember thinking this game and Halo 2 were the pinnacles of graphical technology. It can’t get any better than this, can it? Unfortunately, just like taxes and poor decisions made by Disney, aging is a constant. Games have improved massively in terms of their looks and unfortunately, Republic Commando doesn’t do much to update itself. This isn’t a full remaster like Halo: The Master Chief Collection. This is more like the games that get updated to be Xbox backwards compatible. Sure, the resolution is higher and the frame rate is nicer, but ultimately, the polygons just aren’t there.
A lot of initial criticism of Republic Commando of being too dark and gritty still apply today. There aren’t too many options either to adjust this, with most of the settings being related to your normal sensitivity, difficulty, subtitles, and brightness options. I do recommend playing this game on Medium if you are experienced with FPS’s but Republic Commando can get rather difficult so newcomers may want to start on Easy, especially if you are not familiar with tactical FPS’s.
The controls were designed for a controller, given that the game first came out for the original Xbox, and are easy to use. Many tactical video games or video games trying to mimic tactical real life military actions, tend to have complicated directions or controls, intending to cover all the bases for what a player may want their squad to do. Instead, Republic Commando’s command system is a simple point and direct. Want Fixer to open the door? Point at the door, wait for the blue indicator, and issue the command. Want Sev to take cover behind that pillar? Point at the pillar, wait for the blue indicator, and issue the command. Of all the things that could’ve aged poorly, the controls are definitely not one of them. The hardest thing about Republic Commando will honestly be the transition from more popular fast paced FPS games like Halo or Call of Duty to something a bit slower, more methodical, more punishing like Republic Commando.
This is Where the Fun Begins
Vode An, the main theme of Star Wars: Republic Commando, translates from the Star Wars language of Mando’a to “Brothers All” and that could not be a more perfect summary of the gameplay of Republic Commando. Your brothers, your squadmates, are essential to your success. You and your squad are alone most of the game, just the 4 of you and your blasters against a seemingly endless onslaught of Trandoshans and battle droids. Seems impossible right? Not for a clone commando, it’s not.
Sev, Fixer, and Scorch are not just brainless AI that just act as meat shields, though. Even for a game from the early 2000s, they demonstrate a level of intelligence, that although perform far better than dumb AI, are about on par as your typical Call of Duty teammate. As a player, you can issue simple commands to your teammates, from taking cover to healing. This is where the core gameplay of Republic Commando is.
Most fights in Republic Commando can be boiled down to this: enter an arena, determine where the enemy is, position your squad in the best spot possible, kill enemies, rinse, and repeat. Now, this sounds repetitive and boring when it’s dumbed down like that, but the variety of settings from outdoor battles to cramped spaceship interiors helps keep each fight different and unique from the rest. Some fights happen faster than others, with you breaching a door and staring down the gun barrels of some angry Trandoshans right away. Other sequences leave you with little cover, forcing you to rush down the enemies as quickly as possible.
The lack of automatically regenerating health also forces you to use your brothers in an intelligent manner. Maybe I’ll send Sev, the sniper, to a covered position near the bacta station so that I can order Scorch, who’s low on health, to heal. Fixer can then move up towards the enemy position while I provide covering fire. Republic Commando doesn’t just let you step into the boots of a clone commando, it makes you *feel* like a clone commando.
Your brothers are not the only weapons in your arsenal, however. Your main arsenal consist of a primary DC-17m blaster rifle and a secondary DC-15s sidearm. These will be the main tools of your trade. As a clone commando, not only are you proficient with your blaster, but the many modifications you can unlock for it. Your blaster rifle can be converted into a sniper rifle and a grenade launcher, both of which provide you options in how you want to fight your enemy. Additional weapons picked up later on in the campaign act to fill roles not filled by the standard issue weapons of a clone commando, such as a shotgun or the iconic bowcaster. The tactical-ness of Republic Commando is not just in the ways you approach battle, but how you engage in it. Limited ammunition means using all of your resources in an efficient way, lest you end up facing down dozens of battle droids with nothing but your weak, inaccurate handgun. Enemies tend to have higher than expected health pools (don’t expect the pushover battle droids from the movies or the TV shows), so despite having hundreds of shots for your rifle and dozens of rounds for your sniper and grenade launcher, combat will still be challenging. The strategy in Republic Commando’s gameplay is how you combine your weapons and your individual skill at the game with your leadership and tactics as a squad leader.
You were my favorite childhood game, Republic Commando. I loved you.
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a must play game for any Star Wars or first-person shooter fan. Team-based tactics, a gripping story that bonds you with your squad and aggressive, fast paced shooting will keep your adrenaline pumping the whole way through. Although the remastering of the game has improved the clarity of the graphics, it’s hard to disguise a 16-year-old game as a modern game with modern graphics. The levels, textures, and models definitely show their age.
Regardless, the few downsides that Star Wars: Republic Commando has aren’t enough for me to not recommend this game wholeheartedly. It can take a bit of an adjustment period to get used to the controls and the gameplay, but for any Star Wars enthusiast, any FPS fan, or any connoisseur of high quality games, Star Wars: Republic Commando is truly a one of a kind experience. So strap on your helmet, load your blaster rifle, and get ready to ship out. I’ll see you planet-side, Delta-38.
10/10
Check Out the Star Wars Republic Commando Trailer:
Star Wars Republic Commando is now available for digital purchase on Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store for $14.99.
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My name is Matt Tran and I have been playing video games since I could remember holding a controller. I've always been a hardcore gamer growing up, from the hectic MW2 and Halo 3 lobbies, my many journeys through several Halo clans and my current exploits with my Destiny 2 clan. I love shooters and RPGs and overanalyzing every component of every game I've played, from weapon stats to ideal perks. When I have time to play other games, I currently play Genshin Impact and Star Wars Squadrons.
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