Join the covert world of the clones

Product: Star Wars Republic Commando Price: $280 Pros: Cinema-quality graphics and intense action scenarios Cons: The single-player games are brief

LucasArts' first-person shooter game, Star Wars Republic Commando, is set during the Clone Wars, between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - events which filmmaker George Lucas says happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

A player enters the covert world of the Star Wars infantry, becoming a member of an elite Republic Special Operations unit. Mission briefings set the tone in this game as a player leads a squad on a variety of assignments, including hostage rescue, infiltration/data retrieval, assault, sabotage and reconnaissance operations.

As RC-1138, leader of Delta Squad, a player commands a group of clones created from the DNA of bounty hunter Jango Fett - the biological source of the Clone Army in Episode II. The three team members include silent sniper Sev, computer whiz Fixer and explosives expert Scorch.

This team is controlled through an intuitive and accessible 'smart squad' command system, based on squad markers and stances. Press a button and a player can order doors to be blown up, traps set, or cover fire.

There are a variety of weapons at a player's disposal, including the primary weapon of the Republic Commando, the DC-17m repeating blaster rifle with attachments, allowing for sniper rifle and anti-armour weaponry. In challenging combat situations against sinister enemies, players have the ability to pick up and use enemy weapons including the Trandoshan slaver shotgun, the Geonosian elite beam weapon and several types of thermal detonators.