First off, I must say that the Play Station Portable system is really incredible. I recently received the Renegade Squadron PSP bundle for Christmas, which came with the white PSP, complete with a Darth Vader helmet silk-screened on the back. The graphics are amazing, and the PSP also comes with a wide array of other features, including Wi–Fi Internet connection and UMD movie drive. The screen is bigger than both of my Nintendo DS’s screens combined.
The story starts with Renegade Squadron’s leader, Coll Serra, telling the story of Renegade Squadron to Tionne, a New Republic-era Jedi historian, who is compiling a database on the Rebellion’s history. You play out the battles as Coll Serra tells the story of Renegade Squadron. Essentially, Renegade Squadron was a fighting unit composed of outlaws, smugglers and bounty hunters, operating under the command of Han Solo. You get to play battles like Yavin 4, Hoth and Endor, as well as a good number of missions created for this game.
I was surprised to find that almost every single map in this game was new, exclusively created for Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. We got to see a lot of Expanded Universe references and locations in this game, including maps like Boz Pity, Saulucimi and Sullust.
One of the coolest features in this game is the character customization. In previous Battlefront games, you had the different unit kits, all of which had a different array of weapons. With Renegade Squadron, not only do you get to customize the look of your character, but you also get an “equipment budget” with which you can buy weapons with. There are a number of weapons that were created for this game, like the Tri-Shot rifle and the Carbinite Freeze-Gun. Also, with your budget, you can buy things like a Jet Pack, Stealth Suite and Personal Shield.
My only complaint about this game is the awkward arrangement of the controls. You use the small movement pad on the left of the PSP to move, and the rest of the buttons are used to do things such as jump, fire, change weapon or target. It is impossible to aim without using the target button, but I guess that’s one of the trade offs for building a game for a portable system.
Overall, I think this game was entertaining, fun and addictive, and a step in the right direction for future Battlefront games. I’d definitely suggest it and the Play Station Portable to anyone.
