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Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron review: Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

For its tiny package, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron has a lot packed into it. The upgraded multiplayer component now supports a huge 16 players and unlike its predecessor there is now a solid story-based Campaign mode.

David Power
4 min read

There is a lot packed into Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for its tiny package. The game's upgraded multiplayer component now supports a huge 16 players and unlike its predecessor (Star Wars: Battlefront II), there is now a solid story-based Campaign mode.

Battle on the sands of Tatooine as any of your favourite Star Wars characters.

7.8

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

The Good

Single-player campaign mode. Strong multiplayer support with up to 16 players online. On-the-fly character customisation. Good control system for an action game on the PSP.

The Bad

Campaign mode completable in under four hours.

The Bottom Line

There is a lot packed into Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for its tiny package. The upgraded multiplayer component now supports a huge 16 players and unlike its predecessor there is now a solid story-based Campaign mode.

The story is set years after the battle of Endor, and while the power of the Galactic Empire has been diminished, not all is safe just yet. A new squadron has been formed by Han Solo and headed by you, Col Serra. Known as the Renegade Squadron, they are a group of pirates, smugglers, and crooks brought together to defend on a potential invasion on Yavin 4.

The Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron campaign focuses mainly on the point capture mode known as Conquest. Conquest mode consists of a certain number of points on the map. The whole idea is to essentially capture as many of those points and hold them over the other team. However, inside the Campaign objectives will be relevant to the evolving story, where in each mission you will follow a series of smaller objectives. As an example, you will need to capture a certain point and hold it for an amount of time, whereas other times you need to plant Detonation Packs or retrieve an object and return it to your ship. Throughout the campaign you will also encounter well known Star Wars characters such as Darth Vader, the Emperor, and bounty hunters like IG-88 and the notorious Boba Fett. While the Campaign mode is a new addition compared to previous Battleground games, it will only take you about four hours to complete.

You are able to instantly customise your character's looks, weapons, power ups, special items, and attributes from each controlled point on the map. Customising your player's equipment is done with a limit of 100 credits. Each weapon, ability, explosive, and attribute level costs a specific amount and you are not able to exceed the credit limit. When picking your gear you need to think carefully about what you are planning to do. If you want to simply mow down your enemies you would pick up the Chain gun as your primary weapon, some thermal detonators, max out your health, and gain the rage power up (which will increase your damage for a short period of time). Changing around your equipment can easily be done at any controlled point. Therefore, if the need arises for a rocket launcher to take out the incoming AT-ST all you need to is go to your control point and open the equipment menu.

Apart from the campaign there is the turn-based Galactic Conquest, where your aim is to control entire planet quadrants and ultimately invade and control the enemy's home planet. When you invade a planet it switches over to Conquest mode so you can battle for control. However, if you are to invade the enemy's home planet there will be a space battle prior to the ground invasion. If you are able to control a whole quadrant you will earn bonus credit points each turn and unlock the ability to purchase quadrant commanders which give you special bonuses. Credit points are then in turn used to purchase technology upgrades, commanders, and additional troops. Galactic Conquest is broken down into phases for buying troops and technology, moving to or invading surrounding planets, and finally troop reinforcement after a battle.

Alternatively, you can jump into Instant Action and have a quick game of Conquest or Capture the Flag (CTF). CTF can be done in one flag, two flag, or hero CTF mode and is fairly straightforward -- you need to capture the opposing team's flag and return it to your base and prevent them from doing the same. In Hero CTF however, you have the chance to play one of the Star Wars heroes -- like Darth Maul or Obi Wan Kenobi. Heroes make use of their light sabres are a lot stronger and faster, plus have their individual special abilities -- such as Darth Vader's ability to choke an enemy from a distance or Obi Wan's force push.

Be lucky enough to control Han Solo's Millennium Falcon.

As far as multiplayer goes, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron has beefed it up with up to 16 players online and eight players over Ad Hoc. There are 22 maps available across five different game modes; Conquest, 1-Flag Capture the Flag (CTF), Hero CTF, and 2-Flag CTF -- where in space battles, CTF and assault modes can be played.

Like anything Star Wars there is the usual intro and a recognisable cast in and out of cut-scenes. Familiar sounds will be heard from the roaring of the Tie Fighters to individual laser firing sounds. The vehicles and characters details in-game and all around visuals look good on the PSP. Space battles have the massive Imperial Star Destroyer in the background, and all vehicles look the part. The control system works out well and is easy to grab a hold of, offering two separate schemes.

All in all, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron has a lot packed into the tiny package and will in no doubt provide hours of playtime offline and even more online. The Campaign has a solid story line and keeps you entertained with the changes from mission to mission; the only downfall is its fairly short.