After the
destruction of the first Death Star at the hands of the Rebel Alliance, a man
who was once a known smuggler had become a man of great importance to the cause
against the Empire. Suddenly, it didn’t matter what you were at this point in
the war and those who joined the Rebels have fought alongside this smuggler
turned General. Col Serra is one of these men who followed Commander Han Solo
and his Wookiee companion into the biggest battles and on to the historical
archives that are reserved for heroes. Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade
Squadron for the PSP takes us back into the battlefield but this time we get
a taste of taking part in Han Solo’s army against the Empire.
Renegade
Squadron brings back all the
elements found in past Star Wars Battlefront games and much like Star
Wars Battlefront II for the PSP there’s the added benefit of the
Anakin/Luke Skywalker having already come to an end. Still, Renegade Squadron’s
Campaign and Galactic Conquest modes concentrate on the war against the Empire
rather than the Clone War era that made heroes of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan
Kenobi. Campaign mode has a story that revolves around an archivist on Corsucant
interviewing Col Serra, a hero who aided Han Solo on various battles that led up
to the final battle on the planet Endor. Serra recounts his first mission on
Yavin 4 as a member of an unknown Rebel force named the Renegade Squadron. It is
under the direct orders of Commander Solo and General Dodonna that you follow
Serra through space battles over Alderaan to retrieve an artifact left behind by
Bale Organa (Princess Leia’s adopted father) and into ground battles in places
like Echo Base on the ice planet Hoth.
While the
story in Campaign mode isn’t incredibly deep nor is it told particularly well,
it offers the typical Star Wars Battlefront ground and space battles that
now have something of a meaning thanks to Serra’s account of the situations
leading to the battles seen in the original trilogy. Galactic Conquest makes a
return, bringing back a turn-based strategy mode that has you playing either the
Rebel Alliance side or the Imperial forces. As the Imperials, you’ll get to
control your fleet using three commanders like Darth Vader, the Emperor and
Admiral Thrawn. The Rebel Alliance gets commanders like Han Solo, Mon Mothma and
Leia Organa. You’ll be given only a few strategic options, sure, but at least
you’ll be able to outfit your unit, purchase upgrades (unlock heroes to fight
alongside your troops) and advance your troops to engage in battles. Much like
Campaign mode, it isn’t deep but it’s perfect for the portable medium.
THE LIGHT
SIDE
Renegade
Squadron has a few changes including
additions to the arsenal like a better chain gun, an Incinerator and a Carbonite
Freeze Gun. You can even customize your load-out equipment as well as customize
your characters to reflect the look you want. For example, if you like the Clone
Trooper outfit better than the Imperial Stormtrooper armor you can make the
changes despite the difference in the era. You can even add special items like
recon droids, jet packs and stealth suit. There are even some new maps to play
in Instant Action such as Boz Pity, Ord Mantell as well as Korriban (which, if
you’ve played the Knights of the Old Republic games, is the Sith homeworld). All
the old maps are also back so you can play through Naboo, Endor and Hoth.
What’s a
Battlefront game without a multiplayer? Renegade Squadron allows you
to play against eight players using an Ad Hoc connection or 16-players online
via Infrastructure mode. Online the game runs wonderfully smooth, handling the
maximum number of players without slowing down. While the single-player mode
isn’t bad, it’s the multiplayer game that gamers will be playing for a long time
to come and believe me when I say you’ll find enough Star Wars fan boys and
girls to play against.
THE DARK
SIDE
Unfortunately, the game’s controls are way too awkward to make this the type of
game you can pick up and play. Simple actions like aiming and jumping become
something of a chore here and what was easy in the PSP version of Battlefront
II is just too frustratingly difficult to pull off in this game. I have lost
count how many times I was killed thanks to fiddling with the camera or trying
to aim my chain gun at a turret. Then there are the space battles that use to be
fun in the last Battlefront game. Here, dogfights are just plain
unplayable. The heroes feel a lot weaker this time as well so even if you’re
playing as Vader or Darth Maul you’ll be wiped out easily.
Graphically
speaking, Renegade Squadron isn’t even as pretty as the city of Naboo. In
fact, the game looks like a PSOne title … which is a large step back seeing as
Battlefront II for the PSP looked as close to the PS2 version. The muddy
textures make the backgrounds look a bit ugly and while you can tell your side
apart from the enemy, the character models could have been a lot better than
this. Still, the story mode is accompanied by some nice graphic novel-styled
art. At least the John Williams’ Star Wars score is back and it’s still just as
good. There’s voice acting for the Campaign mode and it’s good but somehow it
doesn’t come out as clear through the PSP speakers.
Star Wars
Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
is
far from the perfect PSP Battlefront game but among the things that hold
it back there are a number of other things that will make this a good game.
While the single-player aspect of the game feels a bit awkward thanks to the
poor control scheme, the game’s multiplayer mode alone is the reason you should
play this game. If you can look past the game’s weaknesses, this game will show
Star Wars and Battlefront fans a good time.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The game’s controls have taken a
step backwards and make flight combat feel a bit too awkward to be much fun.
Still, the more you play the more you get used to the controls enough to make the
ground battles entertaining. Campaign mode has an actual story this time around
and there’s online multiplayer and it’s hot.
Graphics:
7.0
The game isn’t very pretty compared
to Star Wars Battlefront II and the muddy textures give the game a PSOne
quality that has no place on the PSP. Still, the game is able to display a lot
on the handheld’s widescreen and when a hero jumps into the fray you’ll
instantly recognize them before they’re announced. Even the various locales will
be instantly familiar.
Sound: 7.5
The soundtrack, as always, is
excellent thanks to the fact that the John Williams score from both trilogies
play throughout the game. All the usual sound effects are also present like
lightsabre sounds and that cool sound Tie Fighters make when they’re flying. The
voice acting is decent but it doesn’t come out very good through the PSP
speakers.
Difficulty: Medium
Anyone who has played a
Battlefront game can tell you how chaotic it can get and you’ll often be
outmatched and outgunned. The flight combat can get a bit hard but not because
of the enemy AI but rather from the iffy flight controls.
Concept:
8.0
There are many new additions to the
series and even cooler weapons but certain things are sacrificed along the way.
Galactic Conquest is still a fun and deep game, and Campaign actually offers
something of a story told through a series of graphic novel-inspired art. There
are also numerous maps and all the trilogy heroes are present. What really makes
this game worth the price of admission is the multiplayer mode.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The game runs at a rock-steady framerate that seldom dips or takes you out of the game while playing via
Infrastructure more or through an Ad Hoc connection. Online, the game allows up
to 16-players and handles it really well. If anything, this is the reason you
will still be playing this one for a long while to come.
Overall:
8.0
Star Wars Battlefront
fans will certainly find a lot to like about
Renegade Squadron and, even though the controls can be a bit frustrating at
times, all the changes and fun game modes make this one worth a look. It’s a bit
hard to really look past some of the issues that befall the game thanks to the
PSP limitations but with a fun multiplayer mode and plenty of game modes to
play, Star Wars fan boys and girls will not want to miss this one.
