PC Review Reviews Gaming Star Wars Republic Commando



Republic Commando really offers only three different types of enemies throughout the game. These enemies are the Geonosians, who are the bug-like aliens that infest Geonosis; the Trandoshans, who are more of a lizard people that enjoy enslaving Wookiees; and of course the Trade Federation with there many different types of droids that they dispatch against you. The most notable of these droids is the MagnaGuards. They're more like acrobatic human-sized droids that will jump all over the place with their electric staff in hand and ready to pounce on you.

To spice things up a little, Republic Commando allows you to issue simple orders to your squad. These orders can consist of such things as regrouping, guarding an area or moving ahead and shooting all enemies. Commands can also be issued to certain objects by pointing your aiming reticule at them. So you can order your teammates to blow open a door, set a demolition charge on a wall to clear a path, hack a computer, retrieve some health from a health station on a nearby wall or even disable mines. Of course you can do all of these things by yourself, but it's usually better to have your squad complete them while you cover their backs. Fortunately the AI is well up to the task of handling these orders perfectly. Even when not given orders your squad mates will perform to the best of their ability depending on the situation. However, the same can't be said about the enemies as they just seem to mindlessly come at you. Although that does fit the profile here as this is an action-packed title that sees you blowing up and shooting everything from start to finish.

One of the best overall features of Republic Commando lies in its interface. Everything has been made so that you don't just see a random health bar or ammo supply number on your screen. Your whole HUD has been fused together perfectly to create the feeling that you're actually in a clone commando's suit. You're always seeing everything through the eyes of the suit with your health, armor, squad member's health, objectives, and other important information all incorporated into the viewing are of the helmet which greatly adds to the realism. Even your ammo supply can only be determined by looking at the numbers or bars on your guns.

The graphics and sound effects are superb as always in a Star Wars game. The graphics, while having some rather plain textures, do look great as such features as bumpmapping are visible in certain parts of the game. The dynamic shadows and character skins also look great. Republic Commando also excels in the sound department with its great musical score and attention to detailed sounds within the environment.

When it's all said and done, Star Wars Republic Commando comes out as a enjoyable action experience. It should certainly appeal to all action and Star Wars fans. With that said, it does come with a few disappointments. The squad control just feels a little to simplistic and not as deep as it should be. The game also doesn't offer much in terms of multiplayer with its use of classic modes like capture the flag and deathmatch. Plus its single-player campaign is a little on the short side at just around 10 hours or less. So, while Star Wars Republic Commando doesn't necessarily offer up a truly unique experience, it's still very enjoyable to play.