A long time ago, on consoles far, far away, 'Star Wars' fans took on the role of bounty hunters for a game of jet-pack-boosted shootouts. Now, the nostalgic noughties visuals are back in the remake of 'Star Wars: Bounty Hunter'. — Photos: Aspyr/dpa
BERLIN: Star Wars: Bounty Hunter was released in 2002. The video game was all about the prequel to Episode II of the popular science fiction epic.
The main character was Jango Fett, would-be Mandalorian and bounty hunter. Hired by the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, better known as Count Dooku, he was supposed to capture a dark Jedi.
Now, after the release of the Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster and the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection in the spring, fans can also experience a updated version of this 22-year-old bounty hunter adventure.
Despite the many options, you usually reach for the bounty hunter's tried and tested double blasters, which prove useful in almost every situation.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter consists mainly of third-person shootouts in which you move through various locations in the Star Wars galaxy with a jetpack.
From battles on the planet Coruscant to an audience with Jabba the Hut on the desert world Tatooine, all kinds of story missions await Jango Fett. All the while the Mandalorian with the iconic silver-blue helmet pursues his favourite activity: bounty hunting.
A scanner is used to identify potential bounty targets. Once they have been recorded, a digital wanted poster provides the most important information about them. Most targets can be taken dead or alive, although there’s usually a higher reward for crooks caught alive.
From battles on the planet Coruscant to an audience with Jabba the Hut on the desert world Tatooine, all kinds of story missions await Jango Fett.
However, some wanted posters come without the “alive” option and seal the fate of the wanted person. With 150 bounty targets included in the game, quite a few villains have to be brought down.
Old gameplay, new graphics
In terms of gameplay, the remaster differs only slightly from the 2002 version. Thanks to a new automatic aiming aid, shooting at enemies is made easier. Even so, in a fight with several enemies, it quickly becomes difficult to aim at the desired target.
The main character is Jango Fett, would-be Mandalorian and bounty hunter. Hired by the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, better known as Count Dooku, he was supposed to capture a dark Jedi.
Jango's choice of weapons depends entirely on the situation. For example, a flamethrower is good against enemies in the immediate vicinity while a rifle can be used to take out targets at a distance. There are also rockets.
However, despite the many options, you usually reach for the bounty hunter's tried and tested double blasters, which prove useful in almost every situation.
Even though the game's graphics have been tweaked compared to the original, the differences are hardly noticeable. In addition, the black borders on the sides of the screen are now finally history thanks to the contemporary resolution.
The original level design may be out of line compared to modern games, but it also gives the game a nostalgic charm.
The original level design may be out of line compared to modern games, but it also gives the game a nostalgic charm. Packed with legendary characters and the voices of the original actors such as Christopher Lee, the game invites Star Wars fans on a trip back to the early 2000s. And even if time has left its mark, you can still spend a few fun hours as a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is available for around €20/US$20 (RM49 in Malaysia) for the Xbox Series, the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and 5 as well as PCs. The recommended age rating is 12 years. – dpa
