GameRx: Republic Commando

Perhaps the biggest underground hit of the Star Wars brand, Republic Commando is a tactical shooter made by LucasArts in 2005. In light of concerns and speculations regarding the upcoming paradigm shift in Star Wars, I think it’d be worth our time to realize how quality content can come from a well-established franchise without the initiative of or referendum to its own fanbase. In short, change doesn’t have to be scary.

Released for Windows and X-Box

As far as the big picture of Star Wars canon goes, the setting and rising action of the story is pretty straight-forward. You are Delta RC-1138, a clone commando in the Grand Army of the Republic, acting as the commander of Delta Squad. After years of advanced combat training, you and your team are deployed for special operations in the assault on Geonosis (for those of you not as keen on Star Wars, that’s the same battle as the one at the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones). From there, you go through select engage-ments and special assignments of Delta Squad throughout a span of about two years in the Clone Wars. The campaign is a bit on the short side, and what’s left of the multiplayer game is generally lack-luster, especially in the shadow of such finely tuned experiences as Modern Warfare and Counterstrike. However, the levels have tight design that delivers a well-paced narrative, the likes of which you’ll be hard pressed to find in any other Star Wars game.

What makes this game stand out from the rest of LucasArts’s work is the shift in narrative focus as the brand tried to find a way to keep up with the times. The game came out in 2005, which was the same release year as Call of Duty 2, the year after the release of Battlefield Vietnam and Halo 2, and right smack in the middle of Medal of Honor‘s peak popularity. This was when the shooter was riding high thanks to popularity of dual-stick joypads, back in the days where a World War II shooter was a considered a copper-bottom investment. Much of this narrative shift was due to the success of Saving Private Ryan (1998) in its uncomfortably realistic depictions of the western front, subverting the crisp cleanliness of the war as established by films like Battle of the Bulge (1965) and The Big Red One (1980). Star Wars has always had a parallel feel, being more or less bloodless in its storytelling (except for that one poor bastard in A New Hope). Funnily enough, this is because many of the tropes and themes of the original movies were taken shot-for-shot off World War II movies and combat footage. This shift in its sister genre presented the perfect opportunity to use Star Wars as a vehicle to tell a new kind of story, looking at the romantic struggle of the Jedi and the Sith from the eyes of an agnostic soldier.

For me, the most refreshing part of the game was the complete exclusion of the Jedi. Not once in the game do you see a functional lightsaber, a Jedi, or anyone channeling Force powers. Considering how low the Jedi to normal person ratio is, we should really know a lot more about what it’s like for the average bloke. The Jedi and the Sith are the one-percent-ers of the Star Wars universe. They have tons of money, they can blackmail almost any gov-ernment with nasty secrets, and they can cheat the laws of science with space-magic. They’re overpowered and uninteresting in their current use, and their presence devalues most characters on screen to the status of glorified meat puppets. What makes the first Jedi and Sith we meet interesting is the air of mystery surrounding them. Without that, the Jedi is a flat, static character archetype – a space cop with a laser sword. By looking at the life of the soldier, we explore an entirely new realm of conflict, both externally and internally. It’s not about what higher ideals either side is fighting for; it’s about mission completion and self-preservation. It defenestrates the traditional notions of the Jedi and the Sith and makes room for the common soldier to take the limelight. Considering that most of the franchise follows the story as told by the Jedi, this makes for a refreshing change of pace and tone, providing a unique experience in the Star Wars universe. The game even sports a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack by Jesse Harlin, successfully deviating from the long-standing LucasArts tradition of using John Williams’s original soundtrack as a narrative crutch. I know that smacks of heresy to some, but he’s not going to be around forever; we’d better get used to the idea.

A  laser squeegees Trandoshan blood off your visor. Image from MobyGames.com

Shifting more towards gameplay, the core strengths of Republic Commando definitely lie in the unexpected competence of your team. The AI for each member of your squad is surprisingly comprehensive, taking the concerns of squadmate stupidity inherent to the genre out of the picture. Squad commands are very straightforward and are generally issued without confusion. Mission failure is generally due to your own error as a player, either in your combat ability or in your tactical judgement. The characters of Delta Squad (including yourself) also remain comfortably vocal for most of the game, giving kill confirmations, complimenting good shots, sharing plans, or making snide banter. Each character has a consistent personality, filling in the typical Bad Company style squad: “Sev” the master hunter, “Scorch” the snarky nerd, and “Fixer” the professional soldier.

My main disappointment with the game is both the missed opportunities with this title and its general lack of favor with Star Wars fans. This game would have been incredible to experience with a multiplayer story where each player controls one commando. Granted, this was about three or four years before Left 4 Dead would prove this to be a marketable gameplay mechanic, but I don’t believe there’s anything keeping them from going back and doing another game like this (aside from money, that is). The prospect of combining gameplay aspects from both Republic Commando and Left 4 Dead seems like a promising premise for a powerful multiplayer experience.

As for fan reception, my evidence is largely anecdotal. Whenever a shooter fan or a Star Wars nerd asks me for a game recommendation, I suggest Republic Commando. The general response, even from hardcore Star Wars nerds, is a resounding “Huh?” Of the countless people I’ve mentioned this game to, I’ve only met two people who have ever played the game, one of whom was the one who recommended it to me in 2007. I’ve even asked people who cosplay as the members of Delta Squad with the 501st Legion at conventions, and even they haven’t played the game. What happened? I mean, this was a big shooter release from one of the most popular developers of the 90s and the 00s, but it seems like no one really cared for whatever reason (even though the success of the Battlefront series shows there was and still is a significant demand for a Star Wars shooter). With the new uncertainties shown by the fans in Disney’s choice of J. J. Abrams, I think the obvious has become all the more apparent; in order to understand where we’re going, we have to understand everywhere we’ve been.

Doc Watson is one of three editors for the Redshirt Crew Blog and is the resident Star Wars nerd of the site. He hopes to one day complete a screen accurate Tusken Raider costume. Don’t judge. Feel free to validate his internet existence by posting a comment below or sending him a tweet at @DocWatsonMD.