Star Wars Republic Commando Hands-On

LucasArts' E3 lineup this year maybe isn't as expansive as in years past, but each game in the lineup is looking solid. Take, for instance, Star Wars Republic Commando. The game is shaping up to be an immersive squad-based first-person shooter that allows you to play as an elite clone trooper like the ones featured in Star Wars Episode II. We got a chance to play a level from the game taking place on Episode II's rocky planet of Geonosis, which gave us a good impression of how the game was shaping up. The gameplay is coming together, and it seems to have some unusual and well-implemented features to it.

It looks as though you can basically run and gun your way through Republic Commando if you try, but you also have the ability to issue basic, useful orders to your small squad--in the Xbox's case, you can just press and hold the A button and tap the directional pad. Your teammates can be ordered to follow you or to fan out for a search-and-destroy operation, and more. There are also certain context-sensitive orders that can be given. For example, we were able to order our teammate to take up a sniping position and cover our backs.

The overall feel of the gameplay seems to be coming together well. In a nod to the GameCube's outstanding Metroid Prime, Republic Commando is seeking to really try to immerse you in the role of being an elite trooper. Your heads-up display is shaped like a helmet, and we liked seeing how the green blood of one of those buglike Geonosians splattered on our visor (only to be wiped away by a little cleaning device) when we took one of them out. We also got a good sense of the clone troopers' overall versatility. They can chuck grenades, use a powerful melee attack, set up breaching charges to blast open doors, and more. The game's visuals look impressive at this stage, and contribute to making the world of Republic Commando seem cohesive.

We didn't get a chance to play the game's multiplayer mode, but we did see it running on both the PC and the Xbox. And while our hands-on experience with Republic Commando was admittedly brief, first impressions with games tend to be telling, and our first hands-on impression of this game was decidedly positive. Republic Commando draws influences from all the right places--Metroid Prime is incredibly immersive, Halo has the shooting mechanics down pat, and Rainbow Six 3 nails small-squad team play. So if Republic Commando can combine those games' strong suits all within a convincing Star Wars atmosphere, it will not only be an outstanding game, but it'll be a great, new Star Wars property. Republic Commando is slated to ship in the fourth quarter of this year, so stay tuned for lots more information on the game between now and then.