4/5 ★ – Nicky_LynchTK421's review of Star Wars: Republic Commando.

Republic commando is difficult for me to discuss in an unbiased manner as it’s a game in which you command a squad of what is essentially the seal team 6 of Star Wars, while this may sound like a normal premise for a movie tie in tactical shooter, for me it is a dream come true as I am enamored by both clone wars era and Mandalorian lore which this game and its subsistent media such as its tie in novels incorporate heavily. As a game in all honesty? It hasn’t aged very gracefully, however, I must emphasize that the ideas presented in this game are great, its truly a shame that Lucas arts never got a chance to improve the mechanics at play here with the infamously canceled imperial commando sequel and while I am not one to advocate for game remakes, I strongly feel that the premise here is so strong and also relevant with the recent resurgence in interest towards the star wars prequel films and its respective media. The gameplay here feels like a squad shooter designed around a controller which very much was the case with this game as it was a console exclusive for the original Xbox, this is to its benefit however as it provides substantial enough tactical decision-making while not overwhelming players with the tedious micromanagement present in some other tactical shooters of this era, the obvious example being the original rainbow six. Gunplay feels dated and lacks impact or punch towards most enemies, however, still feels very much playable whether you are playing the game on a mouse and keyboard or gamepad. Weapons here are outstanding regarding art and sound design with the fascinating DC-17 interchangeable weapon system with the ability to convert from a standard rifle into a grenade launcher or sniper rifle with the press of a button, while mechanically this isn’t any different from the toggling through weapons in other games it does wonder in immersing the player into the universe presented, another huge example of immersion is the heads up display which quite literally puts you in the helmet of a clone trooper, it does shamelessly take the hud wiping system from Metroid Prime however it is undeniably satisfying seeing Geonosian blood removed from your visor. Other weapons include an awesome Geonosian beam weapon with amazing animation and sound work, interesting takes on what more traditional projectile weapons would look like in the Star Wars universe with the Trandoshian shotgun, sub-machine gun, and heavy machine gun, a Wookie bow caster weapon which while amazing in design lacks substantial impact, an appropriately oversized Wookie rocket launcher and finally one of the most laughably inadequate handguns I have ever seen. Level design feels like your average linear shooter while sprinkling in an appropriate number of tactical choices, I do feel that the game could have been made more interesting with the incorporation of diverging paths and or more substantial overarching decision-making moments. The game’s difficulty feels balanced on its normal difficulty however two segments just felt poorly designed one introducing high damage per second enemies far too late into an already chaotic combat arena and a timed segment that just felt like trial and error. Overall, the gameplay is very average. If you are not already a Star Wars fan or are exclusively interested in combat and looking for a perfectly refined and balanced shooter republic commando, is not it. The premise, presentation, dialogue, and context of the story told here is the highlight of republic commando, there is simply no other Star Wars media available that emulate the gritty feeling on display. The four members of Delta squad Boss, Fixer, Scorch, and Sev do fill stereotypical roles however they are extremely likable, with their dialogue and banter radiating charm, had the game originally released as intended with four blank slate clones it would have suffered, and lost so much of its identity and iconography. The game features three main locations these being Geonosis with the context of the opening battle of the war, a derelict acclimator assault ship lost in space, and finally an investigation into potential separatist activity on Kashyyyk. Geonosis is a fun bombastic intro to the game that neatly ties into the events of episode two, the assault ship presents an incredible atmosphere and ambiance acting as a nice change of pace from the all-out war of the previous segment, finally, Kashyyyk while excellent in presentation is without a doubt the weakest part of the game and feels padded, with repetitive objectives and a frustrating cliff-hanger ending of which has gone unresolved to this day. Music and sound incorporate a mix of the iconic John Williams soundtracks with some original themes that sound phenomenal, particularly vode-an, a war theme sung via the Mandoa language, it fits into the game perfectly and feels like its begging to be re-utilized in more modern Star Wars media the obvious example being the Mandalorian television series. In conclusion despite its status as legends within the Disney Star Wars continuity, I would recommend republic commando to any fan of the Star Wars prequel era, clone wars, or even just the expanded universe lore or media in general.