Star Wars: Bounty Hunter

Publisher: LucasArts
Platform: Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube (Review based on NGC version)
Players: 1
Rating: T
Availability: Out Now

Overall Score: 8.1

Jango Fett - good guy, bad guy or just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe? Now's your chance to decide for yourself with the release of Bounty Hunter. Take control of Jango as he becomes involved in the Sith plot to control the galaxy in the years between Episodes I and II. As the most-feared bounty hunter, the player will collect on bounties, explore the various worlds we've come to know, and fill in some plot points that lead to the beginnings of the Clone Wars.

As befitting our asskicking anti-hero, Jango comes loaded to the gills with a variety of weaponry and tools. You can choose from twin blaster pistols, a flamethrower, a laser cutter, poison darts, ID scanner and more. Jango can also leap, crouch and cling to precarious ledges to get to where he's going.

Every weapon and skill can and will be used in the course of the adventure that cuts across eighteen gameplay levels. You'll run into many familiar characters, including Rodians, Grans, and various types of droids.

The following review is based on the Nintendo GameCube version, which provides a much smoother framerate and higher resolution graphics than the Sony port.

Graphics:

Speaking of graphics, Bounty Hunter is not the gritty, darkly atmospheric experience I was expecting. Even the sewer levels were brightly lit, and thus, easier to navigate.

The framerate was steady, mostly holding to the 60fps standard of most intense games. There was very little drop, and what there was usually occurred during melee action. The bowels of Coruscant were appropriately dingy, while the mists in the swamplands of Malastare were done very nicely. All the levels had a nice level of pedestrian or wildlife traffic, adding to the experience.

Personally, I wasn't too thrilled about the "cartoony" look to the graphics, as I'm partial to a more hyper-realistic look. However, considering the amount of detail going on, the graphics are very well done.

Voice Acting:

You can't ask for more than having the original film actors reprise their roles, and you get it here. Both Temura Morrison (Jango) and Leeanna Walsman (Zam Wesell) are featured, and do a great job of recapturing their on-screen personalities. Additional characters are also convincing - no issues here!

Controls/Camera:

But there I go, having to mention issues. If there were any in Bounty Hunter, it's with the controls and camera.

I found the controls to be a little on the clunky side, not very intuitive and a little problematic when you have to activate the ID scanner, zero in on a potential bounty and rope him in the few seconds you have before he starts to run away. You move Jango with the analog stick and he can use a lock-on targeting system when the player presses the R button in combat. There are specialty moves, such as shooting (A), jumping (B), grabbing ledges/context-relevant actions (Y), ducking (X) and using the jetpack (Y).

The camera tends to stray at the worst possible times, and doesn't keep a solid over-the-shoulder view at any other time. It gets a little frustrating, if not annoying.

Music/Sound:

Hello! This is a LucasArts game! The music is always top notch, even when the gameplay is atrocious. The soundtrack is a combination of the Episode II score by John Williams and original music created just for the game. While NGC doesn't provide for 5.1 surround, the standard Dolby surround sounds very nice.

Sound effects are excellent, another LucasArts trademark. Everything from blaster bolts, to the hissing of pneumatic doors to swampland creatures comes over clearly and realistically.

Replay Value:

Beating levels unlocks various goodies that can be accessed in the main menu. Also, secondary goals are given during each level, so reaching those gets you more money than if you only complete the primary mission goals. A standard level of replay value, more than seen previously in other Star Wars titles.

The Skinny:

Overall, it's a fun romp through a tiny part of the Star Wars universe. Bounty Hunter keeps true to the theme and atmosphere of Star Wars, so story and film purists have nothing to complain about. On the other hand, issues with the controls and camera may keep away the average gamer. This is definitely a great rental, and if you can overlook the control problems and are in the market for a decent Star Wars title, Bounty Hunter should have some space on your shelf.

Light Side of the game:

• Well-done graphics, high attention to detail.
• Original character voices.
• Excellent music and ambient sound effects.
• Original storyline, but it plays into the overall events of the prequels.
• Better-than-most replay value.

Dark Side of the game:

(Jody Reeves is known on Xbox Live by the GamerTag of ImpSlave. It's amazing she's stopped playing long enough to actually write this review.)

(Screenshots from official website used by permission of Lucasfilm.)
(Logo made to dance by demented web designer, not with permission of LucasAnything.)

Purchase Bounty Hunter for Playstation 2
Purchase Bounty Hunter for Nintendo GameCube