Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
The only Battlefront experience gamers will get this year is on a handheld. Go figure...
Star Wars is one of those names you can put on anything and it will sell. So, that Sony was able to get an exclusive out of Lucas Arts, and for the PSP only nonetheless, is nothing short of amazing. Later this year, Sony will not only be putting out the PSP slim, but also the new Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, to help boost the ranks of PSP owners.
Renegade Squadron looks to bring a solid single-player and multiplayer experience. Players can play through a single-player Galactic Conquest campaign, or they can try their hand at either 8 player ad hoc, or 16 player infrastructure, multiplayer. Multiplayer will allow players to either play deathmatch or capture the flag games. And, though those modes sound stereotypical for the series, they did manage to spice up the capture the flag with the addition of a "hero" capture the flag. Essentially, in this mode of capture the flag, the player that takes the flag becomes a hero like Count Dooku, or Han Solo, and then has the extra help to make the flag return. Could be interesting if the balancing is done right.
New to the series will be the player's ability to customize their character. Prior to entering combat, the player will not only be able to customize the appearance of their character by modifying their race and color scheme, but will also be able to tailor their characters abilities to their liking. Players will be given 100 credits that they can spend to upgrade such features as their speed, equipment, weapons, and health. The customization is a definite step up from the previous game's choice of character classes.
Altogether this title is looking to go well beyond where its predecessors had. The game appears to be feature rich, with new content that should appeal to the inner nerd in every fan of the series. The new customization options that the game offers, if correctly balanced, could provide an experience that is as new and exhilarating for veterans of the franchise as it does for first comers. PSP owners, you have been given notice, the force is strong with this one.
