Republic Commando has the force

By James Bregman
BBC News

Take control of your commandos

If the upcoming final movie in the Star Wars series is as polished and entertaining as its latest video-game tie-in, fans will have little to complain about.  

Available on Xbox and PC, the superb Star Wars: Republic Commando is set between Episodes II and III of the film series and puts the player in the shoes of a clone trooper, one of the army of lookalike soldiers created in 2002's Attack Of The Clones.

You know you are in for something slightly different when proceedings kick off without the ultra-familiar opening music and yellow-lettered intro sloping off into space.

It is still Star Wars, but with new subtlety.

The story is introduced through a brief but brilliantly-realised intro movie seen through your character's eyes - being born (or rather engineered), raised and trained in the clone factory that will be familiar from the big screen.  

There is a further sense of freshness in delving into the down-and-dirty grunt work of the Star Wars universe. Lightsabers, beautiful princesses and philosophical old sages are in short supply - the focus instead is on the gritty military chores.

Clone troopers

If the Jedi Knights are the series' royalty, these clone troopers are its low-level civil servants.

REPUBLIC COMMANDO Format: PC, Xbox Graphics: 8 Sound: 9 Gameplay: 9 Enduring appeal: 7 Overall: 8.5

Three identical cohorts accompany you in a set of first-person-viewed missions, battling against an army of droids under the command of shadowy General Grievous, the new villain from the imminent film Revenge Of The Sith.

  This squad element dictates the gameplay dynamics - rushing around alone, blindly shooting everything in your path just will not do the trick.

Issuing commands to your buddies and working as a team is the order of the day, and can be accomplished with ease thanks to the sensible and easily-mastered control system.

Assigning tasks to fellow troopers could not be simpler. A typical setup might be ordering one companion to provide some covering fire while another heads for a sniper's lair to take out enemies lurking behind a door that the third is preparing to blow up.

It is varied enough to be compelling, but not complicated enough to annoy.

Wookie's growl

One key to this game's success is that it features enough of the franchise's familiar riffs, characters and sound effects to ring true - there's no mistaking a Wookie's growl or a burst of laser gunfire - but also ventures far enough away from the movie plotlines that it feels thoroughly new.   

The authentic feel is boosted by dialogue and voice acting that are many cuts above the often ropey standard you come to expect in games.

In stark contrast to the awful dialogue and acting of the new Metal Gear Solid 3, the sense of atmosphere and character here is immense.

The butch New Zealand twang of actor Temuera Morrison works a treat as he bosses around his similarly gruff cohorts with an iron fist - one of the most effective video game acting turns since Vin Diesel lent his voice to The Chronicles of Riddick.

  Technically, everything goes according to plan. The game engine and AI are solid, and it is exceptionally easy on the eye, giving the likes of Halo 2 and Riddick a serious run for their money.

Deft touches

Deft touches like alien slime splattering across your character's visor and being cleaned off by a handy wiper are an entertaining bonus.   The very decent multiplayer version feels curiously like an anti-climax, but that is purely because the single-player setup is so good.

As on online experience it still offers a perfectly enjoyable experience with all the usual scenario options.

   It may have crept up without fanfare, initially resembling a curious mish-mash of elements from the galaxy's most lucrative franchise, but as it turns out, Republic Commando is easily good enough to restore everyone's faith in the sometimes-patchy output of LucasArts.

Roll on Episode III.