Games That Nobody Plays Anymore: Star Wars Republic Commando

What a game. What a game. Star Wars RC is an unsung hero of the Star Wars video-game universe, it’s a classic first-person shooter mixed with an epic story. I dare say it’s the best Star Wars game to date, and it really is just… awesome. When I first saw this game back in 2004, I thought it would be the usual ‘oholol we’re a star wars game’. Boy was I surprised! Playing it just a week ago, it brings back a wave of nostalgia. So let’s stop with the applause and get on with the show… shouldn’t that be the… oh never mind. Let’s begin, shall we?

Republic Commando tells the story of ‘Delta Squad’ and you play the role of the leader. Delta Squad. Delta Squad is behind the scenes, splicing and dicing their way through the Clone Wars. Unless you’re an actual Star Wars fan, you won’t have much idea of a premise or back story, although it’s not needed to enjoy the story. The dialogue is top-notch, voice action is top of the class and just about every single bit and bob of character is melted down into gooey goodness. The ending is a real “OKAY< WHAT?!”, but it’s the good kind of that. Honest. Well sort of.

The graphics do their job. It was one of the best looking games at the time, by today’s standards they still stand out from the crowd. There’s also an obsession with the level of detail and reference, you’ll find characters and settings that are found in the Star Wars universe. For instance, General Grievous (Star Wars Episode III) appears on a planet which Delta Squad infiltrate, this didn’t even appear in the film. But it’s a nice touch, not one of the flimsy movie characters shouting orders at you. Right at the end, you meet one of the Star Wars characters. I think as well that Delta Squad actually appeared in Episode III… hmm.

As for gameplay, it’s the usual business, except by business I mean totally simplified. Not in a bad way. There’s only four weapons to choose from, but they’re all so balanced and easy to handle. You also have a melee thing which let’s you dig your dagger into droid’s brains and make them leak blue liquid over your helmet visor. Almost disgusting stuff, but it’s actually a nice little touch. Whenever you’re down and out, your team mates can revive you, until you get to the nearest health station. It’s nice being the boss of Delta Squad because everyone wants your babies, especially Sev, cheeky bugger.

This is a squad based shooter, and the squad commands are so simply performed it might as be just a matter of blinking. You tap the D-pad up, down, left, right etc. to make your squad do stuff. When you also come across a special event, like  breaching a door, explosives planting or splicing a computer, you can do it yourself or have your squad take care of it. The squad elements are kind of subtle, but they are needed if you want to survive. One section of the game sees Delta Squad split up, and on your own it is pretty difficult.

Multiplayer wasn’t that important of an element, to me anyway, but from what I’ve heard it was a quite fun experience. With it now on Steam for $9.99, and backwards compatible with the Xbox 360… I don’t see why you should miss the opportunity to play this gem. Multiplayer will obviously be alive on the PC market, but I’m not sure about the console platform. Nevertheless, give the single player experience a shot. You’ll have a blast, trust me. Oh and SEV DIES.