Star Wars Bounty Hunter – PS2 – Review

Two thugs stood apart in front of him,
blasting away. One was at a 45-degree angle off to the right, the other
a little outside his left. Three more thugs were closing him from behind.

“Get him!” one yells as the firefight intensifies.
Without so much as looking right or left, Jango Fett raises his twin blasters
and pumps off two quick rounds from each gun. The thug to the left jerks
backward, then falls face forward while the one to the right twists through
the air. Both are dead.

Jango fires the jetpack, soaring straight
up over the fire from behind him, then turns in the air. As he begins the
descent back to solid ground he opens fire and all three embrace eternity.

Star Wars Bounty Hunter, a PS2 release
from LucasArts, is a shooter game that will not only please fans of the
genre, but also bridges some of the storyline between the films Episode
1 and Episode 2.

Those who have seen Episode 2 know that
Jango Fett was the prototype for the clone army. He was also the father
of Boba Fett, a bounty hunter in the time of Luke Skywalker, although Boba
was a clone of Jango.

However not too much is revealed about
this feared bounty hunter in the films ­ at least not with the depth
that the cutscenes of this game do.

The game begins with Count Dooku receiving
a holographic visit from Darth Sidious. Sidious reprimands his apprentice
for failing to kill the Bando Gora’s leader (the Bando Gora are a mysterious
and deadly cult) when he had the chance. Count Dooku is charged with eradicating
the Bando Gora and finding the ideal specimen from which an army can be
cloned. Dooku sees this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
He places an incredible bounty on the head of the Bando Gora leader, reasoning
that any bounty hunter able to collect the reward is not only extremely
resourceful, but also the perfect template for the clone army.

That’s where Jango Fett comes into the
picture.

Not only is this mercenary extremely deadly,
but he is also ruthless, relentless and remorseless. So what if a few bystanders
get in the way? You want to stand in a crowd of shooters, you take your
chances.

The game itself begins with a training
exercise of sorts. Chapter One of the program concerns Fett’s pursuit and
capture of Meeko, one of the well-protected scum of the universe. During
this early phase, players will learn the game’s controls and Jango will
get his jetpack ­ he makes the merchant an offer he can’t refuse: give
him the jetpack or die.

At its core, Bounty Hunter is a shooter
game. Granted, Jango will have to solve some minor puzzles along the way,
but this is a game that is action-packed. Can’t figure out how to get through
an area? Hmmm, your cutting torch and that grating may offer a hint. Jango’s
equipment also has a scanner, which will identify those who have a bounty
on their heads. You can snag the perpetrator for the bounty, though there
seems little reason to collect the money.

Each level is scored upon completion, which
gives incentive to repeat the level. While the mapboards are quite large,
the path through them is linear and early on players will be guided along
the way by the power-ups glowing in the air.

Initially the control element s looked
daunting, but after jumping into the game, they turned out to be somewhat
easy to get a handle on. The jetpack does not have unlimited fire power
though, and you will need to use it wisely.

The sound of the game is very good. Temuera
Morrison, who played Jango in the movie, voices the character in the game.
Of course, the special effects are wonderful and very much in line with
the Star Wars universe.

Graphically the game is also very nice.
The environments are well done and the animation is terrific. The cutscenes
do an excellent job of advancing the storyline, not only of the game, but
also of the film series.

Bounty Hunter is a shooter game played
from the third-person perspective. In general terms of gameplay, it is
solid, but unexceptional. What translates this game from the horde of average
titles to the realm of excellent are the lead character and the universe.
Regardless of what you may think of his role in the Clone Wars, simply
put: Jango Fett rocks!

This is a game that will definitely be
a must-have for Star Wars fans, while shooter game fans will find it challenging
and quite enjoyable.

This game is rated Teen for violence.

Gameplay: 8.5

The game is, in many regards, a typical
shooter game. The mapboards are nicely sized and there is a host of enemies
to battle in each level. Load times are incidental and the cutscenes are
excellent. The game does seem linear in the path taken through the maze
of maps, and the only reason to replay the game is to better your score.

Graphics: 9.2

Some of the environments are not as well
done as the others, but the overall look of the game is excellent. The
animation and special effects are also superb.

Sound: 9.3

LucasArts scores its games well, and this
is no exception. The vocal acting, music and special effects are all wonderful.

Difficulty: Medium

Knowing what you have to do, and doing
it can be two different propositions, especially as the game progresses.
The initial phase of the game is very easy to work through, but the game
does get harder as the story evolves.

Concept: 9

Jango Fett is a character worthy of his
own game, and LucasArts succeeds in taking players into his world. The
controls are kept simple and the player interface is easy to navigate through.

Overall: 9

Jango Fett is a terrific anti-hero who
fights without compassion for the innocent. If they get in his way, it
doesn’t matter if they live or not. He is a pit bull hanging on to the
trail of his target with relentless, dogged determination. Couple that
with his athleticism, the way that designers have animated him, great environments
and you have the ingredients of a very good game. This is a joy to play.