Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron | ||
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Writer(s) Gordon Rennie | | |
Series | Star Wars: Battlefront | |
Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable | |
Release | : October 9, 2007
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Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is a
The game's single-player campaign follows the eponymous
Renegade Squadron received a mixed reaction from the video gaming community. The game was considered an improvement to its predecessor (the PSP version of Star Wars: Battlefront II) and it was praised for its customization options and online play, but the single-player campaign was criticized for being brief and shallow. Opinions on the graphics were mixed, and the controls were generally described as inadequate.
Gameplay
The overall structure of Renegade Squadron is similar to other games in the Battlefront series in that it is a war game played primarily from a third-person view.
At the ending of each mission, every time the character
Single-player
There are three options for single play: the campaign, instant action, and galactic conquest. During the story campaign, the player takes control of Renegade Squadron, under the command of Col Serra and occasionally Han Solo. Serra describes the formation of the unit in the beginning cutscene of the campaign; the player then starts a series of missions with a range of different objectives, with voiced cutscenes in a static, motion comic style between the missions to provide background information and move the story along.[12] The final mission features the Battle of Endor, where the objectives are similar to the corresponding footage in Return of the Jedi.
With instant action, players are able to take part in battles against
A holdover from previous Battlefront games,[1][4] galactic conquest is played as a type of turn-based board game with segmented turns, similar to Risk.[14] The board is a simplified representation of the Star Wars galaxy, with four quadrants containing several planets each. The player and the AI opponent each start with several planets (including a headquarters planet which has more reinforcements), which generate revenue each turn in the form of galactic credits.[14] Credits are used to purchase reinforcements and hire special commanders, who are leaders like Admiral Ackbar and Tarkin.[10] During each turn, a player is allowed to move reinforcements around their controlled planets and attack opponent-controlled planets.[15] Attacking a planet initiates either a ground or space battle, which can be fought manually or automatically. The player wins by conquering all of their opponent's planets.[11]
Multiplayer
In addition to the single-player story missions, Renegade Squadron allows up to 16 players to compete via the PSP's infrastructure mode, which is a Wi-Fi internet connection. It can also support eight-person matches with ad-hoc, which is a local connectivity option for players in close physical proximity.[9] The multiplayer game types are limited to conquest and capture the flag. A GameSpy network account is required to play using infrastructure, and offers players a rankings system so they can track their performance.[11]
Plot
Renegade Squadron takes place during the original
Renegade Squadron is formed shortly before the Battle of Yavin at the request of Han Solo and General Jan Dodonna,[16] who are looking for experienced warriors who require no additional training.[13] Solo contacts one of his former smuggling associates, Col Serra, and asks him to help. Serra agrees to Solo's request and puts together a unit of mercenaries, bounty hunters, smugglers, and other fringe-types who will work behind-the-scenes to further the goals of the Alliance. All of the members of Renegade Squadron are wanted by the Empire and generally harbor an intense hatred for it, ensuring that they will remain loyal to the Alliance.
Under Serra's command, the unit is responsible for several operations undertaken for the Alliance throughout the war. The unit operates in secrecy and is able to work anonymously at several major incidents, including the Battles of
Development
"First off, we all know about the fact that the game is built from the ground up for the PSP. From this we crafted a twofold mission statement, or main goal for the project: 1) Deliver a fun, compelling game with all the features and highlights of a traditional Battlefront experience that the millions of fans out there have come to expect.
2) Consider the PSP audience that likes to play games on the go and sometimes for shorter periods of time compared to the consoles."
—K.C. Coleman, assistant producer at LucasArts[13]
The game's developers made it clear that it was being designed specifically for the PSP.[21] LucasArts made this decision after Rebellion convinced them that the PSP's multiplayer capabilities were well-suited to another Battlefront game,[22] in addition to the strong sales of Battlefront II on the PSP.[23] The game's lead designer, Mike Rosser, stated that the development team tried to retain some aspects of Battlefront II, specifically its "fast and furious action".[20] Other elements borrowed from Battlefront II included the controls—LucasArts solicited feedback from players of the previous game and subsequently decided to make Renegade Squadron's controls more "arcadey" so players could learn them faster.[22] After screenshots of the game were released, several forum posts from fans complained about the game's visuals compared to its predecessor. In response, Rosser claimed that Renegade Squadron "boasts a longer view distance, higher resolution textures and better lighting".[13]
The design team stated repeatedly that the focus of Renegade Squadron was its customization system.[20][21] There were initially concerns in Rebellion that the feature would lead to unbalanced gameplay; lead programmer Richard May stated he was "worried it might lead to uber-classes and be a balancing nightmare, losing some of the trade-off structure that the old class system provided."[13] Prolific testing of the game eventually assured LucasArts that the system had been implemented appropriately.[22]
The game's setting was based primarily on the Clone Wars and Civil War eras of Star Wars history.
Release
Renegade Squadron was featured at the LucasArts booth at
LucasArts and Rebellion have discussed downloadable content for Renegade Squadron, but were not strongly invested in exploring the prospect during the game's development.[13] LucasArts has also stated that issues with Sony have hindered its implementation.[23] Rebellion has considered the possibility of a comic book or novel based on Renegade Squadron.[20]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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1Up.com | C+[29] |
Eurogamer | 6 of 10[30] |
GameSpot | 8 of 10[5] |
GameTrailers | 8.2 of 10[31] |
GameZone | 8 of 10[16] |
IGN | 7.9 of 10[12] |
Critical reception of the game was mixed, and as of March 2009 it holds a score of 73/100 on media aggregator site
Comments about Renegade Squadron's controls were mostly negative, and they were typically described as clumsy or sluggish.[17][31] GameZone referred to the space dogfights as "unplayable" and Eurogamer called the lock-on feature "a waste of time".[16][30] One reviewer complained about the PSP's lack of a second analog nub.[43] Despite the criticism, a few reviewers were more favorable towards the controls, with GameSpot noting that they were an improvement over Battlefront II.[5]
Reviewers were polarized on the game's graphics. The cutscenes during the single-player campaign were accepted positively,[5][12][31] but reception of the in-game visuals was less glowing. GamePro stated that the "character and vehicle models look great",[7] but the visuals were also described as "blah" and "substandard".[12][18] GameDaily said "the graphics look good but there's a lack of polish."[44]
Though the single-player campaign was criticized for being short,
References
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- ^ Sandoval, Angelina (6 October 2004). "Star Wars Battlefront Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ "Xbox Review: Star Wars Battlefront". Computer and Video Games. 20 October 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ 1UP.com. Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kevin VanOrd (9 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 31 October 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (10 May 2007). "Star Wars opens new PSP Battlefront". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
- ^ a b c Hall, Spenser (10 October 2007). "Review: Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP)". GamePro. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
- ^ Zacarias, Eduardo (9 November 2005). "Star Wars Battlefront II Review - PSP". GameZone. Archived from the original on 30 September 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
- ^ LucasArts. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Developer Blog (page 2)". IGN. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ LucasArts.
- ^ a b c d e Miller, Greg (5 November 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Developer Blog (page 3)". IGN. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Workman, Robert (11 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron on PSP review". GameDaily. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Wesley Yin-Poole (15 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron review". VideoGamer.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ a b c d Angelina Sandoval (15 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 31 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ a b Reiner, Andrew. "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 14 March 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Tracy Erickson (11 October 2007). "PSP review, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron". Pocket Gamer (UK). Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- LucasArts.
Tionne: And Renegade Squadron was disbanded after that? / Col Serra: We disbanded ourselves, faded back into the shadows again.
- ^ a b c d e f Fleenor, James (16 September 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Developer Interview". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 1 April 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ a b "GameSpy Interview with KC Coleman". GameSpy. 6 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ a b c "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Interview (page 2)". GameSpy. 6 June 2007. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ a b "GameSpy Interview with KC Coleman (page 3)". GameSpy. 6 June 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- ^ a b "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Developer Blog (page 1)". IGN. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
- LucasArts. 9 October 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
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- 1UP.com. Archived from the originalon 12 October 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ a b Whitehead, Dan (12 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron". GameTrailers. 9 October 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ a b Keller, Matt (23 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ IGN PlayStation Team (31 October 2007). "IGN: Game of the Month: October 2007". IGN. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
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- ^ "List of PSP Greatest Hits". Sony. Archived from the original on 23 February 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ Haynes, Jeff (8 May 2006). "E3 2006: PSP Greatest Hits Program to be Launched". IGN. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ^ GamesRadar. Archivedfrom the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ Workman, Robert (11 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron on PSP review (page 2)". GameDaily. Archived from the original on 14 December 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ a b Phil Theobald (10 October 2007). "Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron review". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2 March 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
- ^ Chris Scullion (12 October 2007). "PSP Review: Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
External links