‘Star Wars’ Classic ‘Republic Commando’ Coming To PS4 And Nintendo Switch April 6
Get ready to fight for the Republic one more time because Boss and the rest of his elite Delta Squad are heading to Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch on April 6. Originally released back in 2005 on the original Xbox and PC, Republic Commando allowed players to take on the role of squad leader 1138, nicknamed Boss. The game actually put players inside the helmet of a clone for the first time in a video game, and it gave them a chance to experience what it was like to be a military soldier on the ground during the Clone Wars. Republic Commando has been regarded as one of the best Star Wars games and has been a fan favorite since its release. That is why it is so exciting that fans and newcomers will get the chance to suit up now on PS4/PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
StarWars.com recently interviewed Lucasfilm Games’ executive producer Matt Fillbrandt, who worked on both the original and the rerelease coming in April. Matt spoke about what made Republic Commando so special to players, and why it had a lasting impact on the Star Wars fandom:
“I think Republic Commando connected with fans because it was the first time they got a look at the story from a clone trooper’s perspective, literally from within the helmet, and it went deeper into the special operations side of Star Wars military. That hadn’t been done before and it wasn’t shy about trying to project more of a gritty edge.”
Matt also spoke about the actual mechanics of the game being another driving factor of the success and fan impact:
“The idea of a game where you could control an entire squad of characters to get through the mission, ‘The Squad is Your Weapon,’ and give them commands to take out targets, heal each other during combat, was something different that fans hadn’t seen from a Star Wars game before.”
The Squad mechanic for the game did help give the game a more strategic and grounded militaristic feel, which is something few other Star Wars games have attempted. Matt also went on to talk about how giving each member of the squad a voice and unique personality helped to drive home the story and make it feel more personal which led to a better sense of immersion.
Matt went deeper into what design ideas they wanted to put into Republic Commando and why he believes it holds up over 15 years later:
“The goal was to bring together influences from tactical military shooters and other shooters, that were popular around that time, trying to capture that feeling of coordination of a co-op experience within that genre. Those influences contributed to the idea the player having some tactical control of a squad of commandos that wasn’t overly complex. Really, a very difficult problem to solve was finding a good balance of the feeling of tactical control that isn’t overly complicated, that is fun and not frustrating - all of which the game does press well, and did it over 15 years ago.”
He also discussed how some of the older shooters they took inspiration from had a tendency to be “hardcore,” so they really wanted to tone that down for a larger Star Wars audience. Matt also remarked on the story adding to the canon of Star Wars:
“Being able to contribute to the continuity with this unique perspective, that later made appearances to The Clone Wars animated series, was really rewarding.”
He also added that it felt rewarding for him to see it still have a following so many years later and that he was excited for all the people who missed out on it before to finally get their chance to play it.
“Republic Commando is part of that legacy, and for some, it leaves an indelible mark on their fandom that they carry the rest of their lives. I hear from fans all the time that it was their favorite game, just like many other games from the original Lucasfilm Games and LucasArts are for so many others. That’s the spirit and feeling we want to capture with the return of the renewed Lucasfilm Games brand.”
Republic Commando will be launching on PS4/PS5 and Nintendo Switch on April 6, 2021.
Source(s): StarWars.com