Star Wars: Republic Commando
Encyclopedia
Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter
Star Wars
video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed
and published
by LucasArts
for the Microsoft Windows
and Xbox
platforms. The game uses Epic Games
' Unreal Engine
. As of April 19, 2007, this game is backwards compatible for the Xbox 360
with a downloadable patch.
, Halo
, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The Heads-Up Display (HUD) in the game resembles the Metroid Prime helmet display. The context-based squad
order system is similar to the Rainbow Six games. The usage of health and recharging shields, as well as the general combat gameplay, resemble styles seen in Halo 1. An unusual feature is that blood, or any fluid from a dead enemy that will splash onto the helmet, can slightly affect vision until an energy-based "windshield wiper" cleans it off.
The squadmate order system allows the player limited tactical control over the NPC
squadmates. The order system resembles a simplified version of the context-based command menus seen in Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear. Many objects in the game environment will highlight when the crosshair is placed over them. The player can then press the use key to issue an order automatically associated with the object; for example, a door may highlight with a breach command, while a pile of cargo boxes may provide a "Sniper cover/Anti-Armor" command. The player can also order the squad to secure a certain position (where the crosshair is pointed), or search-and-destroy.
In single player mode, the player and squadmates do not die when they run out of health, but rather are incapacitated. If the player character is downed, the player can order the squad members to attempt to revive the player or to continue with their current orders. Therefore, the game is only truly over when the player and all members of the squad are incapacitated at once or if the player is downed in a position his squadmates cannot reach (such as chasms). While reviving a downed commando restores a small amount of health, bacta charging stations are necessary to fully regain it. Republic Commando maintains a first-person perspective throughout the game, presenting the story from the eyes of Delta 38.
, Team Deathmatch, Assault, and Capture the Flag
gameplay, with support for 32 players on PC over the Internet
and former Xbox Live
support for 16 players on the Xbox.
that started at the climax of the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
. In the game, the player is expected to take command of a Clone commando team, made up of elite Clone troopers. These "clone commandos" have been specially bred at the clone factories on Kamino
. The commando team will travel to various locations in the Star Wars universe, including Kashyyyk
, Geonosis, and the derelict spacecraft, The Prosecutor. About two years pass from Delta Squad's first mission to the end of the game.
At the beginning of the game, Delta Squad
is deployed from the RAS Prosecutor individually into the front lines of the battle of Geonosis. There, Delta RC-1138 ("Boss", the player character
) meets up with Deltas 1262, 1140, and 1207 ("Scorch", "Fixer", and "Sev" respectively). Delta-38 has been selected to lead this unit and guides them on their mission to assassinate the Geonosian leader Sun Fac. After accomplishing this objective, Delta Squad sabotaged the droid factory underneath Sun Fac's headquarters, disable an anti-aircraft bunker that is wreaking havoc on the Republic Army's air forces, and then sneak onto a disabled Confederacy Core Ship, stealing important Launch Codes to prevent the Separatist fleet from retreating, escaping seconds before the ship is destroyed.
A year into the war, the now veteran Delta Squad is sent to investigate the derelict Republic Assault Ship (RAS) Prosecutor, their former home before being deployed to active duty. The team splits up to investigate, when they begin to lose contact with each other one by one aboard the ship. When he first enters the ship, Delta-38 ponders why the interior of the Prosecutor remains deserted and eerily quiet, when he is suddenly ambushed by droids known as Scavengers, which are responsible for the communications disruptions between the squad members. Delta-38 continues fighting off Scavenger Droids and comes across Trandoshan Slavers and Mercenaries. He single-handedly fights his way through the ship, collecting information from the ship and reviving fallen teammates. Once his team is together again, they destroy a jamming device in order to restore communication. Delta Squad then destroys the Trandoshan dropship in a hangar blowing up its shield regulator by accident. Immediately afterward, a Confederate Trade Federation Battleship drops out of hyperspace nearby, as the Trandoshans were about to sell the vessel to the CIS in exchange for droid support. As Republic reinforcements are en route, Delta Squad defends the vessel against hordes of battle droids, destroying the docking shield stabilizers, allowing nothing to pass through. They then proceed to code the auto turrets while under fire, saving the vessel and providing support to its recently arrived escort.
As the war drags onward, Delta Squad participates in increasingly dangerous missions. A cry for help is heard by the Republic from the Wookiee
homeworld of Kashyyyk
. Delta Squad is sent to rescue General Tarfful from Trandoshan slavers and mercenaries. After spotting General Grievous
himself in one of the compounds and fighting off his elite guards, they learn of the full ramifications of a Confederacy/Trandoshan alliance. Delta Squad sabotages a vital Trandoshan supply depot and proceeds to the key battle of Kachirho, the beginning of the battle of Kashyyyk. There, they move through the Wookiee tree city, securing important objectives and battling against hordes of advanced battledroids. They destroy the Bridge at Kachirho, cutting the droid army off from its reinforcements, and proceed to secure the Citadel. Soldiering through the most elite CIS forces and weaponry, Delta Squad once again splits up to man four Heavy AA turrets in order to assist in the destruction of a separatist battleship. Once the ship is destroyed, Advisor orders the Deltas to regroup at 38's position. However, Sev does not make the rendezvous and the squad manages to grab a last transmission from him, in which it's clear that he is under heavy attack and is possibly injured or killed. Delta Squad prepares to rescue Sev, but the commander orders them to pull back. As they head out on the gunship, devastated by the loss of their comrade, they are debriefed by Jedi Master Yoda
. A huge Republic fleet is seen deploying outside the gunship, as Delta Squad prepares for another assignment in the battle.
, is played when the credits roll. Ash are known for their Star Wars fandom; their debut album was entitled 1977, and contained numerous Star Wars references.
The main bulk of the soundtrack is a break from convention of previous Star Wars games that use abridged versions of John Williams
' original score, instead using a combination of Williams' music and new music composed by Jesse Harlin. This new music takes on a high-paced, gritty and vocal theme to the traditional Star Wars score.
was released. These novels tell the story of various Republic Commandos - including Delta Squad
- before and after the events that transpired in the game.
experience out of the other games, despite its lack of Jedi
. Many complaints have been about its short campaign, which is only about 10 hours long and supported by an only average multiplayer experience.
"The bottom line for the single player experience is that it's a good, fun ride. Not excellent, but solidly good."
Of the 1408 readers scores (on IGN.com) the average score was an 8.6/10.
"A well-paced, albeit brief, single-player campaign will keep adrenaline junkies thrilled from the first dropship landing to the final dust-off."
"Jedi need not apply as you command a squad of deluxe model Clone Troopers in this first-person shooter that doesn't disappoint."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
for the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
platforms. The game uses Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
' Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first illustrated in the 1998 first-person shooter game Unreal. Although primarily developed for first-person shooters, it has been successfully used in a variety of other genres, including stealth, MMORPGs and RPGs...
. As of April 19, 2007, this game is backwards compatible for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
with a downloadable patch.
Gameplay
The game features some gameplay elements that resemble features in other first-person shooters, including Metroid PrimeMetroid Prime
Metroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
, Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The Heads-Up Display (HUD) in the game resembles the Metroid Prime helmet display. The context-based squad
Squad
In military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
order system is similar to the Rainbow Six games. The usage of health and recharging shields, as well as the general combat gameplay, resemble styles seen in Halo 1. An unusual feature is that blood, or any fluid from a dead enemy that will splash onto the helmet, can slightly affect vision until an energy-based "windshield wiper" cleans it off.
The squadmate order system allows the player limited tactical control over the NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
squadmates. The order system resembles a simplified version of the context-based command menus seen in Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear. Many objects in the game environment will highlight when the crosshair is placed over them. The player can then press the use key to issue an order automatically associated with the object; for example, a door may highlight with a breach command, while a pile of cargo boxes may provide a "Sniper cover/Anti-Armor" command. The player can also order the squad to secure a certain position (where the crosshair is pointed), or search-and-destroy.
In single player mode, the player and squadmates do not die when they run out of health, but rather are incapacitated. If the player character is downed, the player can order the squad members to attempt to revive the player or to continue with their current orders. Therefore, the game is only truly over when the player and all members of the squad are incapacitated at once or if the player is downed in a position his squadmates cannot reach (such as chasms). While reviving a downed commando restores a small amount of health, bacta charging stations are necessary to fully regain it. Republic Commando maintains a first-person perspective throughout the game, presenting the story from the eyes of Delta 38.
Multiplayer
The game features a multiplayer mode for DeathmatchDeathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
, Team Deathmatch, Assault, and Capture the Flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
gameplay, with support for 32 players on PC over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and former Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
support for 16 players on the Xbox.
Plot
The game is set during the events of the Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)
The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
that started at the climax of the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It is the fifth film to be released in the Star Wars saga and the second in terms of the series' internal chronology...
. In the game, the player is expected to take command of a Clone commando team, made up of elite Clone troopers. These "clone commandos" have been specially bred at the clone factories on Kamino
Kamino
Kamino is an ocean planet, in the fictional Star Wars universe, similar to Mon Calamari and Manaan. It was here that the Army of the Republic was generated. It is inhabited by a race of tall, elegant, long-necked creatures, called Kaminoans, who keep to themselves and are known for their cloning...
. The commando team will travel to various locations in the Star Wars universe, including Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk , also known as Wookiee Planet C, is a planet in the Star Wars universe. It is the tropical, forested home world of the Wookiees...
, Geonosis, and the derelict spacecraft, The Prosecutor. About two years pass from Delta Squad's first mission to the end of the game.
At the beginning of the game, Delta Squad
Delta Squad
Not to be confused with Delta Force.Delta Squad is the designation of a group of fictional specialized clones, in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. They first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando and later were seen in the novel Triple Zero. The game introduces the...
is deployed from the RAS Prosecutor individually into the front lines of the battle of Geonosis. There, Delta RC-1138 ("Boss", the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
) meets up with Deltas 1262, 1140, and 1207 ("Scorch", "Fixer", and "Sev" respectively). Delta-38 has been selected to lead this unit and guides them on their mission to assassinate the Geonosian leader Sun Fac. After accomplishing this objective, Delta Squad sabotaged the droid factory underneath Sun Fac's headquarters, disable an anti-aircraft bunker that is wreaking havoc on the Republic Army's air forces, and then sneak onto a disabled Confederacy Core Ship, stealing important Launch Codes to prevent the Separatist fleet from retreating, escaping seconds before the ship is destroyed.
A year into the war, the now veteran Delta Squad is sent to investigate the derelict Republic Assault Ship (RAS) Prosecutor, their former home before being deployed to active duty. The team splits up to investigate, when they begin to lose contact with each other one by one aboard the ship. When he first enters the ship, Delta-38 ponders why the interior of the Prosecutor remains deserted and eerily quiet, when he is suddenly ambushed by droids known as Scavengers, which are responsible for the communications disruptions between the squad members. Delta-38 continues fighting off Scavenger Droids and comes across Trandoshan Slavers and Mercenaries. He single-handedly fights his way through the ship, collecting information from the ship and reviving fallen teammates. Once his team is together again, they destroy a jamming device in order to restore communication. Delta Squad then destroys the Trandoshan dropship in a hangar blowing up its shield regulator by accident. Immediately afterward, a Confederate Trade Federation Battleship drops out of hyperspace nearby, as the Trandoshans were about to sell the vessel to the CIS in exchange for droid support. As Republic reinforcements are en route, Delta Squad defends the vessel against hordes of battle droids, destroying the docking shield stabilizers, allowing nothing to pass through. They then proceed to code the auto turrets while under fire, saving the vessel and providing support to its recently arrived escort.
As the war drags onward, Delta Squad participates in increasingly dangerous missions. A cry for help is heard by the Republic from the Wookiee
Wookiee
Wookiees are a species of bipeds in the Star Wars universe. The most notable Wookiee is Chewbacca, a companion to Han Solo.-Inspiration:...
homeworld of Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk
Kashyyyk , also known as Wookiee Planet C, is a planet in the Star Wars universe. It is the tropical, forested home world of the Wookiees...
. Delta Squad is sent to rescue General Tarfful from Trandoshan slavers and mercenaries. After spotting General Grievous
General Grievous
General Grievous is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, an antagonist in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. He was voiced by Matthew Wood...
himself in one of the compounds and fighting off his elite guards, they learn of the full ramifications of a Confederacy/Trandoshan alliance. Delta Squad sabotages a vital Trandoshan supply depot and proceeds to the key battle of Kachirho, the beginning of the battle of Kashyyyk. There, they move through the Wookiee tree city, securing important objectives and battling against hordes of advanced battledroids. They destroy the Bridge at Kachirho, cutting the droid army off from its reinforcements, and proceed to secure the Citadel. Soldiering through the most elite CIS forces and weaponry, Delta Squad once again splits up to man four Heavy AA turrets in order to assist in the destruction of a separatist battleship. Once the ship is destroyed, Advisor orders the Deltas to regroup at 38's position. However, Sev does not make the rendezvous and the squad manages to grab a last transmission from him, in which it's clear that he is under heavy attack and is possibly injured or killed. Delta Squad prepares to rescue Sev, but the commander orders them to pull back. As they head out on the gunship, devastated by the loss of their comrade, they are debriefed by Jedi Master Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
. A huge Republic fleet is seen deploying outside the gunship, as Delta Squad prepares for another assignment in the battle.
Soundtrack
Republic Commando is notable for being the first entry in the official Star Wars game to feature licensed music. The song "Clones," performed by the band AshAsh (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, is played when the credits roll. Ash are known for their Star Wars fandom; their debut album was entitled 1977, and contained numerous Star Wars references.
The main bulk of the soundtrack is a break from convention of previous Star Wars games that use abridged versions of John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
' original score, instead using a combination of Williams' music and new music composed by Jesse Harlin. This new music takes on a high-paced, gritty and vocal theme to the traditional Star Wars score.
Novels
Before the game, the first of a series of novels known as the Star Wars Republic Commando SeriesStar Wars Republic Commando series
There have been several spinoff novels and short stories from the computer game Star Wars: Republic Commando, known as the Republic Commando Series. Although there is a degree of intertextuality between these stories, they can be split into several defined story arcs that can be read individually...
was released. These novels tell the story of various Republic Commandos - including Delta Squad
Delta Squad
Not to be confused with Delta Force.Delta Squad is the designation of a group of fictional specialized clones, in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. They first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando and later were seen in the novel Triple Zero. The game introduces the...
- before and after the events that transpired in the game.
Reception
Republic Commando received generally good reviews with mostly minor complaints. It is said to give players the most enjoyable Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
experience out of the other games, despite its lack of Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
. Many complaints have been about its short campaign, which is only about 10 hours long and supported by an only average multiplayer experience.
- IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- Gave Republic Commando a score of 8.2/10.
"The bottom line for the single player experience is that it's a good, fun ride. Not excellent, but solidly good."
Of the 1408 readers scores (on IGN.com) the average score was an 8.6/10.
- GameSpotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
- Gave it a score of 8.7/10.
"A well-paced, albeit brief, single-player campaign will keep adrenaline junkies thrilled from the first dropship landing to the final dust-off."
- GameSpyGameSpyGameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
- Gave it 4/5 stars, and lists its press average score as 8.2/10
"Jedi need not apply as you command a squad of deluxe model Clone Troopers in this first-person shooter that doesn't disappoint."
Cancelled sequel
A sequel to the game was already planned well ahead of production of Republic Commando. The game was titled Star Wars: Imperial Commando and was based on the Imperial commando units-the Empire's elite ground combat troops, however the project only went as far as concept paintings, and was cancelled in 2004.See also
- Star Wars Republic Commando seriesStar Wars Republic Commando seriesThere have been several spinoff novels and short stories from the computer game Star Wars: Republic Commando, known as the Republic Commando Series. Although there is a degree of intertextuality between these stories, they can be split into several defined story arcs that can be read individually...
- Clone commandos
- Storm commandos
- Clone TrooperClone trooperThe clone troopers of the Army of the Republic are soldiers in the fictional Star Wars universe, cloned from Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. They first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and returned in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith where they were played...
s - Delta SquadDelta SquadNot to be confused with Delta Force.Delta Squad is the designation of a group of fictional specialized clones, in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. They first appeared in the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando and later were seen in the novel Triple Zero. The game introduces the...