In the extensive canon of Star Wars games, we've seen a wide variety in the titles released. There have been plenty of games featuring dogfighting starships, Jedi duelling with lightsabers, and standard first-person shooters. There's even an upcoming title that presents all of the action from the most recent trilogy as if it was set in an alternate all-Lego universe. However, there's one type of game we haven't seen yet, and it's surprising given the relative popularity of the genre. Tactical shooters have been extremely popular in recent years, but the slightly slower style of play hasn't made its way into the run and gun "Star Wars" universe. That's all about to change, however, with the release of Star Wars: Republic Commando, a game that puts you in control of a group of Stormtroopers on a mission to rid the universe of slave trading and Wookiee opression.

The game begins with the birth and subsequent training of the group of clones that will grow into the elite commando squad that you'll control throughout the game. Although the clones in the movies seem to be devoid of personality and all have the same voices, each of the team members in Republic Commando is a different and distinct character. Each one has a different specialty, with one being a master of hacking doors and using computers, another having the ability to take out far away enemies with his sniper rifle, and the third handling the explosives detail. They all have stereotypical personalities, too, including the requisite joker and the kill-crazy psycho varieties. It's your job to keep the operation running smoothly, and you've got an innovative command system to aid you.


In the world of tactical shooters, you've got to have a solid, easy-to-use way to give commands, and Republic Commando's is nothing if not easy. All you need to do is point your reticle at an area, and if you are able to place one of your men in that spot, you'll actually see a holographic representation (think Princess Leia's plea to Obi-Wan in the first "Star Wars" movie) of where he'll set up. You can have your troops set up in a sniping position or have them use heavy artillery on powerful enemies, as well as open doors or plant explosive on troop carriers. It's odd in way, however, that your men don't always do what suits them best. For instance, if you order one of your men to take a sniping position, it won't always be the sniper. This doesn't really seem to matter in the long run (except in the case of planting explosives or hacking doors, which take other characters longer than the experts), but it doesn't always make sense.

In addition to the individual troop commands, you can also have your men group around you, take over and defend an area, or go on the offensive and kill any enemies that might be around. While this isn't unusual in the tactical shooter genre, it works very well in Republic Commando, thanks to some impressive artificial intelligence. It's not perfect, but you'll be happy with their efforts for the most part. Even when you aren't giving them commands, they'll react realistically to approaching enemies, taking cover and engaging in fierce firefights. Many team-based tactical shooters will require you to effectively babysit your squad, but the clones in this game can hold their own when the going gets tough.

Of course, the going isn't always tough. Most of the levels are very linear, and you'll just about always know where you are supposed to go and how you're going to get there. Although most of the fighting is against small groups of enemies, there are also a few spots where you'll have to set up your men before dealing with wave after wave of droids or aliens. In many of these cases, the foes will keep coming from troop carriers, so you'll have to slowly battle your way toward them before finally blowing them up. These parts of the game require some quick strategic thinking, as well as fast reaction times, though you'll still die quite a bit.