E3 2004: Star Wars: Republic Commando

If you're awaiting Episode III, these first hand impressions are for you - and if not, step up anyway: this is a game to check out.

Update: Video coverage added.

It's not often that you can hear about something good coming from the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but if LucasArts continues to pump out titles like Republic Commando based on the properties, then sign us up for Jar Jar Binks Wacky Racing Adventure. It's not going to break any ground in innovation, but the devs behind Republic Commando play it like Tarrantino; borrowing elements from other popular titles, sprinkled with just enough originality and fun to lift it above other titles.

Republic Commando pits you against - gasp! - enemies of the Republic in an attempt to bridge events from Episode II to the forthcoming Episode III. You control a squad of clone troopers, taking place well before their tour as Rogue Squadron fodder, and LucasArts has gone the extra mile by securing the voice talents of Temuera Morrison, Jango Fett himself, to give the game the authentic Star Wars feel.

The game doesn't allow the detailed set of commands to give to your troops as say Rainbow Six 3 does, but serves up more intense action and skillful A.I. in its stead. It's a simple matter of pointing, which frees up valuable control functions for more action-oriented shooting. The user interface looks similar to that of Metroid Prime, but is not in function. Although, it does allow for quick movement and control, as well as immersing the player at the same time.

Visually, Republic Commando perfectly nails the dark, war-time atmosphere that the tail end of George Lucas' prequel trilogy is trying to convey. Republic Commando is not only smooth, but looks terrific. It features some great lighting, nice textures and other visual details that are as pretty to look at as they are engrossing. With a varied group of enemies to shoot at and a nice set of maps, this game is not lacking in any kind of technical aspect.

Republic Commando will also ship with multiplayer support, on both PC and Xbox, and both will support up to 16 players in a variety of online modes - from deathmatch to capture the flag. Xbox owners will not only be able to go at it as everybody's favorite clone trooper online, but download additional content as well.

Already quite playable at E3, there's not much LucasArts needs to tweak to ensure a Fall release. Republic Commando got a constant audience with its nice mix of gameplay and visuals, but will include much more when it hits shelves later this year. If the game continues to progress at this rate, PC and Xbox owners might be in for a pleasant surprise.

Will Federman
Staff Writer, Kikizo.com