Star Wars: Republic Commando was playable at the Xbox E3 booth and was as solid as ever in the one level demonstration. The game mixed fast shooting action with squad based tactics that kept players on their feet.
The E3 demo had a simple objective that let players try out a little bit of each gameplay style. When you walk up to an object, on-screen directions will let you know how to manipulate it. Players can power up health at recharge stations and utilize different objects to perform actions. Several barrier objects let players enter a sniping mode just by hitting the A button. You can also command your squad to perform different actions by different D-pad presses, or command with the A button at certain points. Several barricades let players hit the A button to have a squad member start a detonation device to break through. But it wasn't a cake walk because of flying beasts waiting swarming to kill you.
The shooting was a literal blast in the game. Several flying beasts land on the ground or float in the sky and attack you and your crew. The blaster hits were easy to perform, though players had to be a bit more accurate than most console FPS shooters because the standard Star Wars rifle spits out thin lasers. Keep your aim up and the beasts will splatter into gooey pieces on the ground. When you kill a beast up close the goo splatters on your visor and a laser windshield wiper takes it off. Very nice.
The visuals were very atmospheric. Dark caverns with high cielings and treacherous terrain held home to detailed flying beasts. The action stuck to a solid 30 fps but slowed down a bit when too many beasts flew around. Also, squad members wouldn't back away after the bomb was detonated and caught on fire after the explosion. At least the fire effects looked good.
Star Wars: Republic Commando looks to be an awesome FPS for Star Wars fans and FPS fans alike. It hits Xbox this fall.
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