Star Wars: Republic Commando

Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first-person shooter Star Wars computer and video game, released in the US on March 1, 2005. It was developed and published by LucasArts for the Windows and Microsoft Xbox platforms. The game uses the "Unreal Engine" developed by Epic Games.

Plot synopsis
The game is set during the infamous Clone Wars that was started at the climax of the movie Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. This game helps to bridge the gap between Episode II and Episode III. In it, the player takes command of a squad of elite clone commandos. These clone troopers have been specially bred at the clone factories on Kamino, trained differently than their clone trooper brethren, taught to adapt to the situation and to think on their feet.

Clone commandos were trained by Mandalorian mercenaries, as clone template Jango Fett believed that computerized simulations would teach them nothing. Once the Commandos were fully grown, they were divided into groups of four, nicknamed 'pods' after the aiwha hunting pods that lurked beneath the surface of Kamino's waters.

The newly created Commandos were instructed and trained by the most elite of warriors, people such as the Cuy'val Dar, a group of brilliant training sergeants hand-picked by Fett, and renowned figures such as Sergeant Walon Vau. The Commandos were trained in situations with live fire, making them realize just what battle felt like.

Some commandos chose to concentrate on certain areas of their own expertise, some specializing in slicing (such as Fixer), some in combat (such as Sev) etc. The commando team featured in the game, known as 'Delta Squad', travels to various locations in the Star Wars universe, including Kashyyyk and Geonosis, as well as a derelict Acclamator I-class assault ship. The game is among the first in the Star Wars universe to feature a militaristic style, which sets a darker tone than other games that are a part of Star Wars. The developers state that if the novels and movies are seen from the point of view of the Jedi, then Republic Commando is from the point of view of the troops.

Gameplay
The game features systems that have been featured in other games, including Halo, Metroid Prime and Rainbow Six. For example, in the Xbox version, one analog stick moves the commando, and the other allows him to turn and look around. The HUD in the game has a similar feel to Metroid Prime, and the squad-based order system shares many similarities with the Rainbow Six games. The game also features a multiplayer mode for deathmatch and capture the flag gameplay, with Xbox Live support for 16 players on the Xbox, and the same for PC over the Internet. It was also rumored the PC version was going to contain a level editor, but most people will find that it does not. However if you search around in your system data folder of Republic Commando you will find access to this rarely heard of feature suitable named, UnrealEd (or Unreal Editor). A new feature is being able to revive fallen squad members. If one of the clones in your squad loses his health you can order another clone or yourself to revive him, the clones will automatically do it if you are not in battle or if you lose your health.

Characters

 * The Delta Squad
 * RC-1138
 * RC-1140
 * RC-1207
 * RC-1262
 * Clone advisor CT-01/425
 * Captain Martz
 * Captain Talbot
 * Tarfful
 * Yoda

Major Enemies

 * General Grievous
 * Sun Fac

Locations

 * Kamino
 * Tipoca City
 * Cloning facility
 * Geonosis
 * Petranaki arena
 * Chaykin cluster
 * Prosecutor
 * Kashyyyk
 * Kachirho

Republic Weapons
The Republic-issued weapons are most effective against droids, being ion-pulse blasters. They maintain much of their effectiveness against organics, however.


 * Retractable Knuckle plate vibro blade - This is the main melee attack for the commandos. The vibroblade is built directly into a gauntlet in the left wrist of the Katarn commando armor. Kills most enemies in one strike, but has a very short range. According to the game, this is Fixer's favorite weapon.


 * DC-15s Side Arm Blaster - A quick-firing blaster pistol with effectively unlimited ammunition, but relies on a limited energy cell to provide said ammunition. The energy cell can produce about seven shots in rapid succession before it needs to temporarily recharge.


 * DC-17m Ion Pulse Blaster Rifle - The primary weapon of the commandos, the repeating blaster attachment for the DC-17m has a fast fire rate with very little recoil. Due to its ion-based projectiles, it is best used against battle droids. The blaster uses easily-changed power packs that each provide 60 shots, and a commando typically carries up to an additional four power packs in reserve for a total of 300 rounds.


 * DC-17m Sniper Rifle - The sniper rifle attachment for the DC-17m is a highly accurate and deadly weapon. Equipped with an electromag scope that magnifies up to 20x with no loss of image quality, this weapon can kill most targets from a great distance, with one well-placed hit.


 * DC-17m Anti-Armor Weapon - This gun is very powerful The large size of the anti-armor shells allows each commando to carry only limited ammunition: three shells in reserve with one in the chamber, for a total of four shots. In addition, the ballistic projectiles mean that depending on range, the weapon must be elevated higher or lower to reach its intended target, to compensate for gravity. All shells explode upon impact on any surface.

Trandoshan Weapons
The Trandoshan weapons seem to be analogous to Human weaponry found on Earth. They are effective against Trandoshans and Geonosians, and overload shields very quickly. However, they have little effect against droids' armored hulls.


 * Accelerated Charged Particle Array Gun (ACP Array Gun) - Similar to a shotgun, it is only effective at close range. This weapon can be very devastating against organic enemies, especially Trandoshans. It holds eight charged particle shells, with a Commando usually carrying 16 more in reserve.


 * Accelerated Charged Particle Repeater Gun (ACP Repeater) - This is an inaccurate, mildly damaging automatic weapon. It is most often carried by Trandoshan mercenaries. Inaccurate at a distance and lacking in power, this weapon makes up for it somewhat with its high rate of fire and stability even when fired full auto.


 * Heavy Accelerated Charged Particle Repeater Gun (LS-150 Heavy ACP Repeater) - This is an inaccurate, fast-firing fully automatic weapon. It is essentially a mini-turret, and is very devastating against all organics in its path. Despite the ineffectiveness of ACP weapons against droids, its sheer firepower allows it to threaten lighter mechanicals as well, and it flays shielding off droidekas in moments. It has an ammo capacity of 200 rounds that it can fire in a continuous protracted stream. It is very bulky and heavy, slowing down any Human who wields it, takes a very long time to reload, and its large power supply allows a Commando to carry only one extra; though this still totals to 400 rounds of ammo.


 * LJ-50 Concussion Rifle - The BlasTech LJ-50 Concussion Rifle is a heavy field weapon used in medium to long distance engagements. It utilizes a concussive energy charge that implodes on impact and creates a 500 unit radius area of effect. One power core holds five shots, with an extra one carried for a total of 10 blasts.

Wookiee Weapons
Wookiee weapons are both massive and effective. The Bowcaster has great range while the Rocket Launcher is the most devastating weapon in the game.


 * Bowcaster - The signature weapon of the Wookiees, the bowcaster is as mighty a weapon as its creators. While decreasingly effective beyond 30 meters, the bowcaster is more powerful and accurate than typical blaster weapons. This weapon can fire charged bolts that reflect off certain surfaces (walls, boxes, crates, etc).


 * Wookiee Guided Rocket Launcher - This massive weapon is the most powerful weapon in the game. One shot from this will kill anything in one hit, except for Super Battle Droids (2 hits, 1 takes most of its health off), MagnaGuards, and Spider Droids. Due to its large bulk, it makes the wielder move slower.

Geonosian Weapons
Though there is only one Geonosian weapon that can be used, it is unique. The Beam Weapon is very powerful.
 * Geonosian Elite Beam Weapon - The only Geonosian weapon that the commandos can use, the Geonosian Elite Beam Weapon is only carried by Geonosian elites. Very devastating against organics, the weapon is attached to the Elite's arm, and then drains the elite of its body fluids and converts them into a fiery napalm-like spray.

Delta Squad
The clone commandos featured in the game have distinct personalities, a factor not usually explored with standard clone troopers. The commandos in Delta Squad are:


 * RC-1138 (Delta Three-Eight or "Boss"), voiced by Temuera Morrison
 * RC-1140 (Delta Four-Oh or "Fixer"), voiced by Andrew Chaikin
 * RC-1207 (Delta Oh-Seven or "Sev"), voiced by Jonathan Cook
 * RC-1262 (Delta Six-Two or "Scorch"), voiced by Raphael Sbarge

The four commandos each have a specific job assigned to them. Boss is the team leader and seems to be capable of handling any weapon effectively. Fixer is the second-in-command and the computer slicer. Sev is the die-hard fighter and Sniper. Scorch is the demolitions expert. The player assumes the character of Boss. While every squad member tailors to their specific job, every character can perform the same task just as effectively.

Delta 38 (Boss)
"Delta Squad, lock and load!" "You lizards need to learn I'm a lot scarier than you are." "It's still kicking&hellip;I think we need to hit this thing again." "Hang tight, trooper. Delta Squad on our way!" "Deltas! We got a nest here!" "Get yourself some bacta Delta." "Come on, you fat ugly fierfeks. Come and get me!" "BLAST!" (Fixer: What's that, sir? I didn't copy.)"Nothing, uh... just some interference on the comlink." "Fixer, keep scanning for 62. I don't want this to become a three-man squad." "Misfire? MISFIRE! WHO PACKED THAT CHARGE?!" "Alone against all these droids....? (Hmphs) They don't stand a chance." (After killing a Trandoshan) "I wish they'd stop doing that." "Hold it together, Deltas."

Delta 40 (Fixer)
"Watch the Master at work." "Six-Two, could you cut the chatter until you've got something useful to say?" "Blast! Get that Wookiee out of the firing area!" (Scorch: Okay, you tell him to retreat, Fixer.) "Uh...negative on that." "String 'em along and we'll mop 'em up." "Hold up, Squad&hellip;I'm getting a read on something big headed this way." (A spider droid comes up from an elevator) "With all due respect, Sir, you're in my way." "Enemy neutralized." "38, maybe you should let 62 handle the explosives."

Delta 62 (Scorch)
"If it weren't for all the guys trying to kill us, this wouldn't be such a bad place." "If we're all clones, how come I'm the only one with a sense of humor?" "That was for Delta 23! Or, or&hellip;was that 32?" "I wonder what the weather's like on Kamino right now." "You hear that, Sev? Someone thinks I'm excellent." (Sev: "Well, that makes two of you.") "Look sir, droids!" "Hehehe, that blew up real good." "Do you want a large or small crater, sir?" "These ARE the droids we're looking for." "Rule #1: Kill them before they kill you." "D'ya have to make such a mess?" (Sev: Rule 17: Always make sure they're dead.) "It looks dead to me." (Sev: It is now.) "Rule #39: Never say no to bacta." "Rule #45, Sev: 'Any crash you can walk away from is a good one.'" "One's an anomaly, two's a trend. Rule #89, Boss." "Is it red, red, green, or red, green, red?" (Delta 07: "And he's supposed to be the demolitions expert?") (After kicking a dead hostile) "Hey Sev, this one looks like your mother." "Do you think we used enough?" "I think Sev has an anger problem." (Sev: I think you have an intelligence problem.) "So lemme get this straight... the Trandos have taken over this ship... to give to the Separatists... to buy battle droids?"(Sev: I hate it when they do that.) "Lizards give me the creeps! (Sev: "Everything gives you the creeps.") "The garden has a pest problem: Trandoshans." "Ah, another bug for my collection." (Fixer: "ANOTHER hangar?") "What can ya say? Wookiees like hangars." "The way these droids are swarming, one might think we weren't welcome!" "Can you die later, sir? It just isn't a good time now." "The boss is down!......can I be in charge now?" "Look! Fireworks!" "I love that clunk-sound they make when they fall!" "Sev, did that corpse give you a nasty look?" (Sev: Rule 17...) "Yeah we know, always make sure they're dead." "Anyone have a good story to pass the time?" (After blowing up a Trandoshan Mercenary) "Wheeee!" "Now it's an ex-enemy." "Oh, look... the base has ANOTHER level." (After getting the anti-armor equipment) "Anti-armor... oh... this is nice, a very nice piece of ordnance here, Boss." (Advisor: "Payload includes an anti-armor attachment for your DC-17.")"YES! More explosives! You just made my day, Advisor!" "Yeah! Wookiee life debts for everyone!" "Great, now I've got squished bug guts all over my boots." (When a Trandoshan Mercenary's backpack fuel tank is detonated) "Hey, I didn't know Trandoshans could fly!" (Clone Advisor on a Dwarf Spider Droid: "The only weakness is the optical cluster located on its abdomen.") "In other words, just shoot the big red dot." "WOOHOO! Eat plasma, you stupid droids! YEAH! Have some of that!" I don't think Trade Federation security appreciates our work here!

"Nursery? Is this where they keep the baby Wookiees?

Delta 07 (Sev)
"Ah... more bugs, more kills." "Just point me at the enemy and stay out of my way." "Heheheh&hellip;stupid droids." "That Merc couldn't hit the broad side of an Assault Ship." "Boss, hold on to your guts while I rip out theirs." "Damn! I don't believe it!" (Delta 62: "What's wrong, Sev?") "I've lost count of my kills!" (On Kashyyyk, into a Trandoshan camp) (Delta 62: "This place is giving me the creeps.") "Ah Scorch...nothing better than a jungle hunt...hiding in the bush...putting a plasma bolt through a hostile's cranium (breath in)...makes me feel alive." (Delta 62: "Okay, now Oh-Seven's giving me the creeps&hellip;") (Advisor: Once, you're inside, proceed with disabling maneuvers.) "Disabling maneuvers?" (Scorch: Uh...blowing things up?) "Oh...I knew that." (Scorch: I think Sev might have an anger problem.) "Well I think you have an intelligence problem." (In Kashyyyk elevator)(Scorch: Uh, why aren't we moving?)(Boss: Sev, the button?)"Oh! Sorry, sir." "I think it! I see it! A Trade Federation battle ship!" (Scorch: Yeah, not even you can see into hyperspace, Sev.) "No, it's on the edge of the system. Take a look..." (ship jumps into system) (Scorch: Oh blast...) "I love that crunchy sound they make when they die." (Scorch: Sev, I thought you were invincible.) "Rule #39: Never say no to bacta." "That's what I'm talking about. It's a power generator, in the middle of a TREE. Strange." (Scorch: WOOHOO! I love that smell!) "All I smell is burnt Geonosian." "Area-pacification complete."

Xbox
During gameplay, pause and enter any of the following. You'll hear the sound of a blaster being fired if you enter it correctly:


 * Invincibility - Y, Y, Left Trigger, Up, X, Black, X, Y (Has to be entered after every new area)
 * Refill Ammunition and Grenades - Y, Y, X, Down, Right Trigger, Left Trigger, Right Trigger, Up

PC
For the PC codes, go here.

Trivia
"Looking forward to hanging out—and hearing more about trip back home I‘ll be in PA for july 4th bbq-wanna do that again? 15 years later? Otherwise I’m not sure if I’ll be back in city on Monday or stay down there since I do have that day off…let me know how things unfold for you"
 * The main character's number in the game is 1138. This is paying tribute to one of George Lucas's pre-Star Wars projects, THX 1138.
 * A novel tie-in of the game (Star Wars: Republic Commando Hard Contact) was released in October 2004, with a sequel (Triple Zero) released in February 2006. The third book in the series (True Colors) will be released in August '07 with a forth book in development.
 * There are several references to the Original Trilogy quotes. When you approach B-1 battle droids, Scorch says "Ah! These must be the droids we're looking for!" and "Look sir, droids.", and when you approach the Core Ship, Scorch says "Look at the size of that thing", both references to A New Hope. At one point when Boss is pointing his weapon at a lightsaber, he says, "An elegant weapon for a more civilized time, eh? Well guess what? Times have changed!" That is another reference to ANH.
 * There is also a hidden lightsaber in one of the multiplayer levels onboard an RAS cruiser.
 * The game's main menu screen features scrolling text written in the Aurebesh font. Similar to some of the Aurebesh texts in Galactic Battlegrounds, the selection is totally unrelated to Star Wars. When translated, the text reads:
 * Several holograms in the game display Aurebesh text which reads "I hate computers so much"
 * Some key differences between what is seen in the game and in the films are that all of the B-1 battle droids have metallic-gray armor plating (which appears to be rusty). They also have oversized circular cybernetic eyes instead of black optical sensors. Also some species have had changes made on their physical structure. The Wookiees and the Geonosians, for example, are taller than normal. The Geonosians also look more mechanical.
 * The game features high levels of violence, an unlikely occurrence in a Star Wars game. For example: when the player punches an enemy to death, it (the enemy) essentially spills blood (or oil in the case of droids) over the clone commando's helmet visor, which subsequently cleans itself automatically. The Geonosians (having the most violent death graphical sequences of organic enemies) can explode if enough damage is dealt. Another example of heavy violence is that the player can venture through a Geonosian birthing chamber and kill Geonosian infants. Also, if a player shoots his Wookiee allies, they bleed red blood. This violence is not only limited to alien species, but extends to Humans as well (as the clones are Humans). This is more apparent in the Acclamator-class assault ship raid, where at least in two sites of the ship some clone troopers are torn apart with a little spill of blood near them.
 * The Trandoshans are, unlike the other species in the game, not taller, but shorter than is the norm in other media. Most are short and stocky to the point of looking overwheight. They bear a stonger resemblace to Barabels.

Crew

 * Director &mdash; Tim Longo
 * Writers &mdash; Ryan Kaufman, Michael Stemmle, John A. Hancock, Justin Lambros