Platform: PlayStation 4 (PSN)

Developer: LucasArts

Publisher: LucasArts

Genre: Action/Adventure

Release Date (NA): November 17, 2015

Nerd Rating: 9 out of 10

Throughout the years, we’ve seen Star Wars games come and go; some of which made history with the epic content, incredible gameplay, and boundless fun. Titles such as The Old Republic, Battlefront II, and The Force Unleashed rocked our worlds with outstanding contributions to the already massive Star Wars Universe. While previous games have put players in the shoes of infinite numbers of Stormtroopers and powerful Jedi, today I’d like to direct your attention to one of the greatest games spawned from the galaxy far, far away I’ve ever played: Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.

This game places players in the boots of everyone’s favorite Mandalorian bounty hunter: Jango Fett. Bounty Hunter serves as somewhat of a prequel to Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, in which we discover how Jango becomes the template for the massive clone army and eventually the Imperial Stormtroopers throughout the movies. The plot of Bounty Hunter begins with a transmission from Darth Tyranus offering Jango a bounty of 5 million credits to take out a Dark Jedi, Komari Vosa, and his gang, the Bando Gora. They’re believed to be running an illegal death stick operation which appears to be interfering with Tyranus’ own evil deeds.

Needless to say, Fett accepts the challenge and travels all over the galaxy to find Komari, and put a stop to the illicit acts of the Bando Gora.

Blast ’em!!

Initially, Jango is dropped into a pit with a borhek, a big, ugly bug-monster. This is when the player takes control of the bounty hunter, and are quickly introduced to the combat, controls, and pace of Bounty Hunter. While somewhat clunky on the PlayStation 4, the controls are rather easy to get a hang of, though they did get me killed more times than I’d like to admit. It’s almost a throwback to the old DualShock controllers from the PlayStation 2 era. Combat is fast paced, and while there are breaks in battle for players to explore each level, there is always some action waiting around every corner. Players should master each of the weapons in Jango’s arsenal in order to defeat anyone in their path. Bandits, baddies, and beasts alike are only some of the obstacles players must help Jango overcome throughout his hunt for Komari and the Bando Gora. To really succeed, however, players must utilize their wits and a vast array of tools at Jango’s disposal.

Which brings me to one of my favorite mechanics in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter: the tools! Naturally, players have a jetpack that enables them to reach high up and hidden areas. And that’s not all! Players can also use a cutting torch to break through metal gates that heed their progress, a scanner to find and identify various bounties,  and a whipcord to capture them, and many other tools. Collecting bounties (as expected of a bounty hunter) is a crucial part of the game, as it provides players the credits needed to unlock and upgrade Jango’s gear. Each tool and weapon that the player uses is marked on the HUD in a weapon selection wheel. Players should have no problem switching between attack weapons, recon tools, and bounty hunting gear.

You can’t see his face, but Jango’s expression is one of “Oh shit!”

Graphically, Bounty Hunter kills it with diverse environments, unique special effects, and well designed enemies. By the way, I have played both the original PS2 version (released in 2002) as well as the current version, released for download on PSN. Let’s just say, the graphics weren’t updated, but I see this as a good thing. The graphics, as well the clunky control scheme, maintain the games original value without ruining it with a complete overhaul. To me, this is part of the charm. Anyways, considering the age of the game, it’s beautiful!  Draw distance is no issue, which is a surprise for a game of it’s time, although there are some instances where enemies occasionally glitch out when running into a wall.

Otherwise, there’s not much to complain about visually.

Each bad guy is some kind of creature from the Star Wars Universe, some of which originate from this game! Explosions, blaster shots, and other special effects are appropriately placed and look good. Some levels are dark and gloomy while others are vibrant and well lit, but the mixture runs together well. Cut scenes are well animated, detailed, and easily transition the game from one setting to another. I could spend forever and a day playing this game simply to revisit some of the gorgeous environments.

Two blasters = two dead bad guys at a time!

All-in-all, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is an amazing game. Despite some classic controller issues and glitches with NPCs, the game is perfect! I managed to download this game on sale for about $5 on the PlayStation Store but I believe it’s only waving a $10 price tag otherwise. For a Star Wars fan, this game is gold. While some of the characters would be unfamiliar for someone who’s never seen Star Wars the game’s plot makes enough sense that they would still understand and enjoy it! If you haven’t checked this game out before, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Have fun, and happy hunting!