Star Wars: Republic Commando review

Star Wars: Republic Commando is a first person shooter that puts you right in the middle of the Clone Wars. Prepare to get your pretty little armor splattered with bug slime, alien guts and droid parts.

As a specially-grown clone attached to an elite commando unit, you and three AI teammates blast through fast and intense combat; as the squad leader, you'll have to make some critical decisions while blaster bolts sizzle past your head. Thankfully, the process of commanding your squad is streamlined to a simple point-and-click interface and your boys know how to handle themselves.

The Unreal engine pushes out some of the most gorgeous visuals we've seen this year. As you battle your way through prequel locales such as Geonosis and Kashyyyk, you'll dish out the pain to Federation battle droids, Trandoshan mercs and even fight alongside Wookiees. Despite being clones, our buddies each have distinctive personalities and by the end of the game you'll feel like they really are your brothers in arms, thanks in no small part to strong voice acting. Both the soundtrack and the sound effects are top-notch as well.

In fact, the expertly crafted surround mix rewards Xbox owners with a sweet 5.1 setup - you'll be glad you invested in the speakers. And if you're a Halo veteran, you'll be right at home with the control scheme. Multiplayer modes on Live include CTF, Team Deathmatch, and Assault, and while each mode is solid, it won't draw you away from Halo 2.