Star Wars Bounty Hunter – GC – Review

Many years ago, LucasArts
gave players the chance to play from the bad guy’s point of view by allowing
them to fight against the Rebels as a pilot for the evil Empire.  The result was
Tie Fighter, one of the most critically acclaimed space flight sims ever.  Now,
LucasArts gives us another chance to play as the bad guy, this time as the most
notorious bounty hunter in the universe, Jango Fett.  The game does an excellent
job of really letting us feel like Jango, and gives us an excellent original
storyline to work off of.  While there are a few minor flaws, Star Wars: Bounty
Hunter is an excellent game that no Star Wars fan should be without.

The game’s storyline takes
place right after the events in the first film.  Jango Fett has been hired by
Darth Tyrranus to claim a bounty on the head of the leader of the Bando Gora, a
mysterious cult led by a renegade Jedi.  Along the way you’ll encounter
characters from your past, claim bounties on the side, and gain more of an
insight as to just who this enigmatic Jango Fett character is.

The gameplay is quite
good, albeit a little linear.  Controlling Jango is a breeze and you have access
to most of his abilities from the get-go.  You have a myriad of cool weapons at
your disposal, from a flamethrower to poisonous darts, though your main mode of
disposing enemies is your dual blasters, which you wield akimbo.  With these two
blasters, you take down two enemies at once in different places, which is really
cool.  However, you have to be careful when killing enemies, for some of them
have bounties on their heads which you can claim if you capture them alive.
Claiming these bounties is also a snap, all you have to do is use your visor to
determine if they do in fact have a bounty on their head, mark them, and then
capture them using necessary means.

The graphics look great.
The overall presentation is much cleaner and crisper than its PS2 counterpart,
and the animation looks very good.  The characters move naturally and Jango
looks remarkably like his film counterpart.  The game boasts a ton of great
lighting effects, and the framerates are for the most part solid, except for a
few hiccups when the onscreen activity gets too intense.  The only noticeable
problem is the camera, which can get a little jittery in parts.

LucasArts has never
faltered when it comes to having excellent sound in their games, and Bounty
Hunter is no exception.  The music is pulled straight from the movies and does a
fabulous job of accentuating the onscreen action.  The sound effects are nicely
done, featuring the well-known laser blasts and explosions from the movies.  The
voice acting is also superb, featuring the talents of Temuera Morrison, who
played Jango in Episode II.

Bounty Hunter is a great
game that effectively puts players in control of Jango Fett.  While the game is
a bit on the linear side, it does a fantastic job of telling an interesting
original story.  I wholeheartedly recommend Bounty Hunter for any Star Wars
fan.

#Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 8.9
Controlling Jango is a breeze, and
you have a plethora of great weapons to choose from.  Also, the bounty hunting
side quests are also very nicely executed.  The only real problem is the linear
presentation of most of the levels.

Graphics: 9.0
The graphics have been improved upon
from the PS2 version and the result is a much crisper presentation.  The
textures look very nice, and the character animation looks really good.  The
framerates are smooth, only taking a minor hit when the action gets too
intense.  The camera angles are a bit on the jittery side, though.

Sound: 9.5

The sound is excellent.
The music is great and changes with the flow of the game’s action.  The sound
effects consist of nice laser blasts and explosions, and the voice effects are
outstanding.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.2
The game’s original storyline is
excellent and provides a great back story for Jango, and the story is nicely
told through great in-game movies. Plus, you get to be the bad guy, and who
wouldn’t want that?

Overall: 9.0

Bounty Hunter does a fine
job of putting you into Jango Fett’s universe.  With a great story, nice
graphics and fun gameplay, Bounty Hunter is a great game that any Star Wars fan
should check out.