It’s time for a remake of Star Wars: Republic Commando

We’ve engaged in war on Battlefronts, fought Inquisitors in the far reaches of the Outer Rim and…well we haven’t done much else in the Star Wars universe this decade aside from a dip in pod-racing where I purposefully steered a young Anakin into the nearest mountain. You’re welcome, Jedi order. There’s no denying that Electronic Arts bungled their first few years with the official Star Wars license, a permission slip from Disney that hasn’t been used to its full potential…yet.

Star Wars Battlefront II was a blessing in disguise, thanks to a loot box system so heinous and sinister in its construction that world governments actually delivered an ultimatum to EA:

The straw that broke the loot box camel’s back, Battlefront II is currently ending its lifespan in a far better state than what it started. The monetisation doesn’t feel like a taxman squeezing blood from a stone, the modes on offer are brilliant and DICE’s visual work is obscenely good. With all of that progress, those assets and that experience, I’ve just got one question for EA.

Where the fuck is my Republic Commando remake?

I had a laugh earlier in the week with a very debateable top ten list of the best Star Wars games (Surprise! Garth Sirius isn’t real!), but if I was being dead serious I’d chuck Star Wars: Republic Commando into that listicle without losing sleep. Released back in 2005 at the height of prequel mania, Republic Commando was essentially Doom with a Clone Wars wardrobe.

It was an unrelenting display of power, utilising the very best genes of the third-most famous Mandalorian to craft a soldier that was a cut above your regular Clonetrooper. Elite Clone Commandos who could give ARC troopers a run for their money, this quartet of Republic ass-kickers were designed to win at all costs and they were armed to the teeth with enough firepower to bring down a fleet of Star Destroyers if they were pointed in that direction.

With a synopsis like that, holy crap did it feel good to play as one of the best soldiers in the Grand Army of the Republic. Republic Commando had push-forward gameplay that emphasised run ‘n gun action, savage showdowns and a win at all costs mentality that slotted in perfectly into the overall structure of the Clone Wars. On top of that, you had handy prompts for your squad in the heat of battle and just enough banter between them to make you actually care about Boss, Scorch, Fixer and Sev.

Oh no, my video game PTSD is flaring up again. Sev! SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEV!

So here’s the pitch: Imagine that legendary campaign, given new life through DICE’s cutting edge software on the latest hardware. Republic Commando may still feel great to play, but it definitely does show its age when compared to the last 15 years of developments on the first-person shooter front. But just picture the scene: That visceral gameplay, heightened by current quality of life improvements while framed against an epic background of war.

Picture storming the battlefield during the Battle of Geonosis amidst a maelstrom of explosions, crippling Separatist forces in the opening battle of Geonosis. Imagine boarding an abandoned Republic Assault Ship, faint glimmers of light bouncing off of the hull and punctuated only by the occassional scream of a Clonetrooper being ambushed by scavenger droids.

Beyond a visual upgrade, Republic Commando would also benefit massively as a co-op game, each Commando in your team assigned a role and special skills that they’d need to survive battles where the odds are never in your favour and teamwork is the only path to the victory. It’s a damn shame that Republic Commando never got the sequel it was promised, the cancelled Imperial Commando that was scrapped before it ever truly began.

There’s a lot of love out there for Republic Commando, and a fanbase that is dying to return to the Clone Wars for one more push into a war that tore the galaxy in half. Begun, my hunger for a new Clone Wars has.

Last Updated: May 6, 2020