Star Wars: Republic Commando

[h1]After 584 hours, Republic Commando still has me in its sights[/h1] This game is old, yes. The graphics show their age, the controls can feel stiff, and some parts are clearly from another era of shooters. But somehow, that is also part of its charm. [i]Republic Commando[/i] still delivers something many modern Star Wars games do not: [b]atmosphere, squad identity, and the feeling that clone troopers are more than background soldiers waiting to be replaced.[/b] Delta Squad feels alive. Boss, Sev, Fixer, and Scorch are not just voices in your helmet. They argue, joke, cover each other, and make every mission feel like a real squad operation instead of a solo power fantasy. The command system is simple but satisfying, and it makes you feel like you are actually leading elite clone commandos through Geonosis, a ghost ship, and Kashyyyk. The game is darker, grittier, and more grounded than a lot of Star Wars media. You see how dangerous the Clone Wars really were, especially for the clones on the ground. The sound design, the visor effects, the music, and the banter all build this military Star Wars tone that still holds up. [hr][/hr] Is it perfect? No. Some enemies are bullet sponges, aiming can be rough depending on your platform, and the game ends way too soon. But even with those flaws, I keep coming back. If you like clones, tactical shooters, or the darker side of the Clone Wars, this is absolutely worth playing. And if you already love Delta Squad, then you already know: [b]Rule Thirty-Nine: Never say no to bacta.[/b]

I haven't made a lot of game reviews, so this might be amateur, if that makes sense, but I'm really trying to convey how awesome this was. [h2] What I Think [/h2] This game was honestly incredibly fun and is one of the best Star Wars video games ever. The graphics and animations are beautiful, and Delta Squad feels so alive with their unique dialogue and body language. The game is pretty short (ironic, having 12 hours on record) with three main "levels": Geonosis, the lost Prosecutor ship, and Kashyyyk. Each level took me about 3.5 hours depending on how quickly you want to work (the Super Battle Droids can take a lot of hits, exhausting all of your ammo if you just fire at it, and the dispensers are even more irritating because you have to fend off the droids while one of your squadmates are actively trying to plant a bomb on it). [h2] Competent Squadmates [/h2] I love how dynamic Delta Squad is. Not only is every squadmate unique and very likeable, but they're also not mindless soldiers following you around while they shoot at every enemy. The squad can also get injured and downed, so you have to use the different shooting positions to give them cover and be on the lookout for heals a lot, which honestly makes them more realistic and adds to the feel of leading a group of military commandos. The squad actually feels competent, taking cover behind doors, holding defense in one area, and actually keeping each other (including you) alive. When you go down, you can command the other commandos to keep fighting until they are able to help you, or get one of them to heal you right now. Fortunately, as I like to say, Delta Squad has enough plot armour to have just enough time to heal you and clear the room, as I end up surviving 9 out of 10 times I try healing a squadmate while taking fire from threats. [h2] Easy Controls [/h2] The HUD is super intuitive. Since you're a republic commando, you're always looking through a helmet visor. It's very immersive and doesn't get in your way, as the main "helmet" parts are mostly tucked in the corner. You're able to switch through 3 different visibility modes, normal vision, tactical vision (which allows you to see your squad's locations and health), and night vision, which you do actually need to use at times to detect enemies and navigate corridors. Instead of cycling through commands to use, certain landmarks and positions are marked with a big digital icon like a scope for sniper position or an explosive icon for a grenadier position, and you can assign a commando to such an action just by looking at the landmark and pressing a button. With three other buttons, F1, F2, and F3 (but you can change that in settings, every hotkey and bind can be changed), you can also order your squad to take offensive formation (charge and destroy enemies), form up (gather up and follow you, but the commandos can still attack while getting to you), and hold a position (stay in one area), all things the squad handles easily and without getting in your way. Well, I did run into a few softlocks, like when one of the commandos got stuck and we needed him to open a door, but besides that, softlocks are an EXTREMELY rare occurrence. Another neat thing about the visor HUD is that it actively cleans obstructions like rain, cracks in the visor (I have no idea how that makes sense, but looks cool nonetheless), and wipes away bug blood/droid fluids with a sick laser that slides across the screen. The weapons are also very intuitive because the amount of ammo you have is pretty clear. You can see the number of bullets on your rifle, which is also shown by little lights on the magazine. This is also the case with the sniper attachment, anti armour attachment, and bug weapons (you can pick up guns and those guns' ammo from eliminated creatures) [h3] Sound [/h3] Oh, and the music. The music and sound design are just so great. Every time I open up the game, I spend like 30 seconds jamming to Vode An before loading, it's so epic and perfectly encapsulates the mood of the game. Yeah that's kinda it, I like how it sounds. [h2] Screen Resolution [/h2] If you're interested in playing this game but aren't a fan of full screens (the game was primarily made for 4:3 screens, and the highest resolution is 1600x1200), you can definitely get a widescreen mod to play in 16:9. While I had no issues playing in widescreen, it did bother me sometimes how stretched and oval some HUD elements were, and I personally had no problems playing on 1280x1024 anyway, the black bars on the sides of the screen were super neglible to me. TL;DR This is a good game, super fun shooter, very charming and unique, looks and sounds amazing, need a mod to get widescreen support and actual ability to use high bumpmapping settings

There's jank, it's an old game, but from characters to shooting, it's pretty good. It very much scratches a star wars itch, and this game actually gave me a lot more respect for super battle droids. Those chunky clankers are a pain