[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/republiccommando/cover.jpg[/floatleft]It was sometime late last year when I first saw a preview for this game. Seeing the in-game footage and the concept behind this game just took me by surprise, and I wanted in. Before I start, we here at Snackbar Games are huge Star Wars fans but have been let down by LucasArts in the past with crappy games. Once [i]Knights of the Old Republic [/i]was released, LucasArts got smart and began to release a couple of games that kept them from sliding down the sucking column. Just to mention a few, [i]KOTOR II[/i], [i]Star Wars: Battlefront[/i], and now [i]Republic Commando[/i]. And it seems that the Star Wars Legos have caught the interest of some in our forums lately.

[i]Republic Commando[/i] throws you into the shoes of a clone squad commander trained especially for covert and tactical missions. The game’s setting take place between [i]Episodes II[/i] and [i]III[/i] of the [i]Star Wars[/i] saga. Just like the game’s catchline says, “The squad is your weapon!” In this high-action FPS, you must learn how to you use your squad in order to be effective. If you dismiss your squad, you will find yourself breaking your controller time and time again. You are Delta three-eight, or what the squad calls you as “Boss,” and you are commanding a unique squad of clones to go behind enemy lines and carry out impossible missions. I know what your thinking, “A unique squad of clones? How can clones be unique?” I don’t know-this is how they made the game. Within your squad, you have Delta four-oh or “Fixer,” who is your hacker and will slice into any security system and computer program you need. Next up is Delta oh-seven or “Sev,” who is a battle-hungry clone who can snipe anything from miles away. And finally you have Delta six-two or “Scorch,” who is your demolition expert who can pretty much blow anything up. As part of the Republic, you are sent on missions that require you to take on countless odds and infiltrate enemy strongholds.

Controlling your squad has never been easier. As you progress through each mission, certain areas will appear with ghostly images of your squad. Just point with your reticle and press the A button to command your squad to move to that location. Each of these commands is carried out in the same fashion. Just point and click. These commands go from manning turrets to taking sniping positions, slicing into security devices, planting explosives, healing your squad, etc. Holding down the A button and using the directional pad will allow you to carry out your orders to secure a certain location, search and destroy, or reform your squad. Hitting your directional pad once allows you to change from weapon to weapon. Weapons come in the form of attachments to your original weapon. Movement, shooting, zooming, and switching grenades have a similar controlling to that of [i]Halo[/i]. It’s safe to say that LucasArts made a very controller-friendly game.

[floatright]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/republiccommando/ss02_thumb.jpg[/floatright]I still haven’t beaten this game, but I have put enough time into it to say that the graphics are well done-not spectacular, but well done. There are very few things in the environment that are interactive and destructive. It’s always very entertaining to look at how other artists design characters from [i]Star Wars[/i]. Seeing the droids and different species come to life in a much-up-close-and-personal setting was cool to experience. The heads-up display really gives you a since of being a clone soldier. When in close combat, you will tend to find enemy blood and guts being sprayed all over your facemask. Also, your HUD will contain squad information and mission objectives.

[i]Star Wars[/i] isn’t [i]Star Wars[/i] without the music and sound effects. The sound of the environments, the droids, the gun blasts, and the voices all have a huge part in [i]Republic Commando[/i], immersing you into this world. The music is always a plus, especially in a heated battle or an intense moment of anticipation. The music is most definitely a sweet addition to the whole commando experience.

The multiplayer of [i]Republic Commando[/i] allows you to customize your clone’s outfit or become a Trandoshan. The multiplayer has a 16-player deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and assault. The online multiplayer features split screen but no co-op mode, which in my opinion should’ve been added to the mix.

[floatleft]http://www.snackbar-games.com/images/reviews/republiccommando/ss05_thumb.jpg[/floatleft]I’m super excited about [i]Republic Commando[/i] and very pleased with what LucasArts has done with this FPS. If you’re looking for a friendly squad-based shoot’em up FPS, this will definitely be your game. Not to mention that it’s [i]Star Wars[/i] and you get blow things up and kill a bunch droids and odd creatures. This is a great game that will keep you entertained for a good while, and definitely is a good change of pace from [i]Halo 2[/i]. These is definitely one of the year’s top FPS games to hit stores, so do yourselves a favor and get this game.