Republic Commando puts you in the middle of the clone wars, fighting off everything from droids to lizards too smart for their own good. You play as an elite clone commando for the Republic, specialised with some of the top training programs around. The missions you overtake include battling through whats left of the Geonosian arena, investigating a derilect Republic cruiser and a ferocious recon mission on Kashyyyk.
Graphics: 3/5
Commando's graphics are pretty decent, though they arn't the best, it allows you to play without wondering if the game is closer to reality or another episode of the Simpsons. But some sights are bound to have you raise an eyebrow. Many of the vehicles flying or driving around during battles often resemble plastic toys with 2D beams coming from them rather than tons of metal meant for turning you to a fine paste. Your commando armor (although cool in appearance) also comes stock with a bulky backpack, making you wonder how you are supposed to sneak around with your squad without saying "Uh, hold on I'm caught on another plant".
Weapons effects are a good part of the game. Theres nothing like a stream of energy heading downrange at whatever you happen to be trying to kill. Though your melee attack could have been changed to look a little more lethal instead of a little butter knife coming from your gauntlet. In all, the graphics arn't too bad and it makes the game playable. Lighting effects are near-perfect and the explosions are realistic enough.
Gameplay: 5/5
Your squad comes equiped with a pretty decent weapon as well, capable of changing to three different weapons in itself. With just a few rearrangement of parts, you can have a blaster sub-machine gun, sniper rifle and even a grenade launcher. Although you will probobly find yourself short on ammo sometimes, you can also borrow a weapon from an enemy you fried. Weapons such as the wookie bowcaster with ricochet shots, a futuristic shotgun that will blow a hole in just about anything you shoot it at and even a variaty of turrets, just when you need raw firepower and unlimited Wookie rockets.
The squad tactics that LucasArts had been bragging about have lived up to their word, allowing you to order members of the squad in predesignated spots throughout the game. So if you see about sixty geonosians surrounding something you need to blow up, look for a good sharpshooting position...or better yet, an anti-armor spot. You can also decide how fast something needs to be done. Need a door unlocked when theres blaster fire blinding the crap out of you? Blowing it open would be better than sending a squad mate to type on a computer for 20 seconds, only to be vaporized.
The game features some interesting enemies as well, aside from the usual battle droid, you will learn to hate the super battle droids, who tend to not take having their legs blown off as a problem. Most likely you will destroy every single part of them before they stop shooting you, so be prepared. Geonosian warriors will be a constant menace, since they have the ability to fly and carry possibly one of the most annoying weapons in the game. Also keep a few anti-armor charges and plenty of grenades handy, since you are bound to meet up with a dwarf spider droid. Basicly a walking droid tank with lots of firepower.
Also new to the Star Wars universe so far is the rag doll physics. Incapacitated enemy soldiers, droid and living alike will collapse to the floor in a realistic fashion. Although with most games with this feature, expect some oddities such as strangely twisted limbs, crumpled bodies and even wacky elevator physics. Place a dead body on an elevator and turn it on/off very fast to see what I mean.
Story: 1/5
Although you get thrown into countless combat situations, Commando features a very thin storyline. Throughout the game you find yourself taking in one mission after another, in fact, you will probobly end up asking yourself 'when will it end? I've killed more enemies then I would care to count and still theres stuff to do?'.
Although some missions are pretty tense, especially when General Greivous decides to toss a few of his shiny metric ton bodyguards at you. Just watch out for those sparking things at the end of their staffs and you should be fine...running helps too. As far as star appearances, you face no real important charecters from the Star Wars movies, other than some familiar Kamino faces from Episode II for several seconds. Just the usual people who where too uninteresting to be slapped into the movie. Unless you count the Jango Fett immitations you are surrounded with. With more action then any interesting storyline, you can probobly expect to finish this game in just around 6 hours of solid play.
Audio: 5/5
As with most Star Wars games, Commando is packed with great music and sound effects. Featuring original music from Lucasarts, the game is rigged with some great music, old and new. Sound effects are great too, giving you a good feel of a battlefield atmosphere. Although there isn't much to say, it deffinately has some perfect sound.
Multiplayer: 1/5
What was not expected from me was a pretty bad multiplayer experience. Aside from all the weapons in the game being available to you, nothing else is as pulse pounding. The maps are pretty bad as far as any team oriented games are, proving to even be too small for free for all death matches. Wich leads to another thing, there are less than ten maps. Hopefully some maps will be around for download, wich when looking to other Star Wars games, most likely won't happen anytime soon. Another high point is customizing charecters, wich makes multiplay slightly more interesting. Commando has nothing going for it as far as multiplayer, so those looking for some good online play, forget about this one. With a lack of any cooperative experience as well also has a downer. Most people today like having some sort of cooperative gameplay, so if you don't have xbox live and only have a few people around, don't expect fighting together.
My rating: 6/10
After a few hours of playing and completing the game with a friend I give this game a 6 out of 10. It isn't too bad but it isn't too good. I would only rent this since you will probobly save yourself some money after you beat it...and have nothing much left to do other then accidently leave it at a friends house and never pick it up.
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