Star Wars: Force Commander

Star Wars: Force Commander

CD jewel case cover
Developer(s) LucasArts,
Ronin Entertainment
Publisher(s) LucasArts
Director(s) Garry M. Gaber
Designer(s) Garry M. Gaber
Programmer(s) Edward Kilham
Artist(s) Garry M. Gaber
Writer(s) Garry M. Gaber
Composer(s) Peter McConnell
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)
Genre(s) Real-time strategy
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Star Wars: Force Commander is a real-time strategy video game released for the Microsoft Windows platform on March 21, 2000. It was co-developed by Ronin Entertainment and LucasArts, and published by LucasArts.

Gameplay

The game utilises a birds-eye view around a 3-D map. The levels are largely plot-focused, with initial levels playing as the Imperial faction against the Rebellion, whilst as the plot progresses and the character defects to the Rebellion, players then fight against the Imperials. Levels are ground assault based, as the game lacks space combat. Outsides of the main story-mode Campaign, scenarios can be re-played under the Scenario option, and players can set up their own battles in the Skirmish mode where up to 4 sides can compete against one another, though they only have the faction choice of Imperials or the Rebellion. A multiplayer option also exists.

Plot

Force Commander is the first Star Wars strategy game to be rendered fully in 3D. Previous games used sprites and textured backgrounds.

The game interweaves its story through the events of Episodes IV through VI, sometimes intersecting with known Star Wars events, while telling an original Star Wars story. It is shown from the point of view of a young officer in the Imperial Navy, Brenn Tantor, who begins as a stormtrooper, but soon enough is given his own command. The first task (from the training missions) is to search for an escape pod that landed on Tatooine, and then track the droids that were inside - which is a reference to the opening scenes of Star Wars Episode IV when C-3PO and R2-D2 escape Imperial clutches via an escape pod which crashes on Tatooine.

The main character is loyal to the Empire for the first half of the game, until his brother, Dellis Tantor discovers that the Empire killed their father. Dellis is imprisoned by the Empire for revealing this information, though Brenn is initially led to believe that Dellis has been killed. Brenn defects to the Rebel Alliance and proceeds to fight his former commanders. As well as the Tatooine training missions, the player participates in the Battle of Hoth (from the Imperial point of view) and the Battle of Endor (as a Rebel). The game ends with the battle to capture the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, and ultimately the liberation of Dellis.

Development

Originally conceived as a 2-D strategy game, LucasArts scrapped the overall design after its first public viewing at the 1998 Electronic Gaming Expo. LucasArts decided instead to use an optimized version of a 3-D engine supplied by Ronin Entertainment. The title was jointly developed by LucasArts and Ronin Entertainment, using Ronin's programmers and engine partnered with LucasArts' project leadership, designers, and artists.

The latest and last patch for the game is version 1.1 released in March, 2000. One feature of note in Force Commander is its music, which consists of remixes of John Williams' original Star Wars scores, done by Peter McConnell.[2]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings58.42%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[4]
GamePro[5]
Game RevolutionD[6]
GameSpot6/10[7]
GameZone8/10[8]
IGN4.7/10[9]
PC Gamer (US)43%[10]
PC Zone81%[11]
FiringSquad60%[12]

Star Wars: Force Commander was met with very mixed reception. Gaming Age gave a largely positive review, stating that 'Force Commander lives up to the hype and is a game that deserves a chunk of your precious hard drive space'. Later the review relates that 'the graphics in Force Commander are excellent'.[13] Greg Kasavin of GameSpot gave the game a 6 out of 10.[7] He cited dated graphics, ineffective controls, and flawed gameplay as reason the game "falls short of its ambitious intent."[7] Kasavin conceded the game "has some good ideas. Its campaign has an involving plot and interesting mission objectives", and praised the 3D mission briefings.[7]

Mark Hill of PC Zone gave it an 81%.[11] Michael Lafferty of GameZone gave it an 8 out of 10.[8] Electric Playground gave it a 7 out of 10.[3] Nick Woods of AllGame gave it three stars out of five.[4] Sarju Shah of Firing Squad gave it a 60%.[12] Tal Blevins of IGN gave it a score of 4.7 out of 10.[9]

In a feature on the history of Star Wars games, IGN's Rus McLaughlin called Force Commander "a blocky, buggy, undiluted failure".[14] A similar article in GMR Magazine from March 2004 listed Force Commander as the worst Star Wars game.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 Star Wars: Force Commander at GameFAQs
  2. ↑ From Italian fan-site Lucasdelirium, its section "Biographies" (folder of Peter McConnell): "His masterpieces come in the last two years of his career as Lucasian: the incredible soundtrack of the wonderful Grim Fandango, steeped in jazz, swing and bizarre Danny Elfman (the composer for Tim Burton), as well as rearrangements in key hard-rock / techno style of John Williams's music for the Star Wars saga, for RTS Star Wars: Force Commander."
  3. 1 2 "Star Wars: Force Commander for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Woods, Nick. "Star Wars: Force Commander - Review". AllGame. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ Wight, Brian (March 31, 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 19, 2005. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  6. ↑ Johnny B (April 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kasavin, Greg (March 24, 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander Review". GameSpot. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Lafferty, Michael (March 27, 2000). "Star Wars Force Commander Review - PC". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Blevins, Tal (March 24, 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander". IGN. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  10. ↑ Poole, Stephen (August 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on September 22, 2004. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Hill, Mark (2000). "PC Review: Star Wars: Force Commander". PC Zone. Archived from the original on June 24, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Shah, Sarju (April 1, 2000). "Star Wars: Force Commander Review". Firing Squad. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ Star Wars: Force Commander Review - Gaming Age Online
  14. ↑ McLaughlin, Rus (September 10, 2008). "IGN Presents the History of Star Wars Games". IGN. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "New Issue of GMR has me H-A-R-D". Chud. March 2, 2004. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
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