renegade-squadron
Latest
PSP Fanboy review: Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron
We're providing a shortened review for Renegade Squadron because ... well, you've read most of our impressions. In fact, you've read impressions from Andrew, Colin, Nick and Jem. Here's a final thought on the game with the now-requisite PSP Fanboy score.Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is an impressive technical accomplishment for the PSP. It's certainly has its flaws, but bringing massive online battles such as these exclusively to the handheld certainly deserves some applause. Without a doubt, Renegade Squadron is the Warhawk or Halo of the PSP: the definitive online game for our system.The included single player mode is brief, easy, but nonetheless well executed. When viewed as a primer for the game's primary mode, the online multiplayer, the single player campaign more than delivers. Instead of being destroyed by the competitive online field, this gives a chance for players to learn the nuances of the control, giving each player a fair chance of mastering the game before heading online. The Conquest Mode was a stand-up hit for many on the PSP Fanboy team -- and for good reason. The addition of "Instant Action" against bots is also a huge plus -- something that's missing in many modern console shooters.
Joyswag: Win a brand-new Darth Vader PSP-2000 (Day 1)
Click for high-resolution image. Don't be afraid to admit it: you want the new PSP-2000. With its slimmer figure, lighter weight, TV-Out functionality, and faster load times, it's a remarkable improvement over the PSP Phat. But, haven't been able to snatch a system for yourself? Don't worry -- we got you covered. Along with our friends at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy, we're giving away one of five brand-new limited-edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems each day this week. These Ceramic White systems feature Darth Vader's menacing profile on the back, and are a must-have for the dedicated Star Wars nerdcore. Not only that, the package includes the brand new PSP-exclusive Star Wars Battlefront game.So, how do you enter? First, find out what the PSP Fanboy team thinks about Star Wars Battlefront (Andrew, Jem, Nick, and Colin) and then write down one thing you learned from their previews and leave it in our comments section, as well as on the corresponding giveaway posts at PSP Fanboy and PS3 Fanboy. We'll select one comment from all three sites at random tomorrow morning before we giveaway another PSP-2000 Of course, there are rules. You must be a US resident, 18 years or older. Limit 1 entry per person per site ... or else (that means three entries spread out, no more)! This entry period ends at 11:59am ET tomorrow, so get your entries in before then. For complete rules you can shared with your loved ones, click here. And much thanks to the fine people at LucasArts for the great prizes.
Star Wars Battlefront week: Jem's impressions
All this week, the writers of PS Fanboy will share their impressions of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Make sure you come back every day, as we'll be giving away five limited edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems.Having not played a Star Wars game since X-Wing vs Tie Fighter and Yoda Stories way back in the day, the Battlefront franchise has, until now, completely passed me by. As a result I had no idea what to expect when I loaded up the UMD. After beginning campaign mode I was pleasantly surprised and bltized through it almost in an entire sitting. Which brings me to my first complaint: the game is hilariously easy. After I had worked out my personal favourite weapon set up (shotgun and grenade launcher) I never found myself changing it. Normal difficulty is ridiculously unbalanced in the player's favour. After completing campaign mode and, sadly, lacking any form of internet access, I set my sights to the Galactic Conquest game mode. What followed was a love affair of astronomical proportions (get it? Astronomy? Stars? Star Wars? I'll get my coat ...). Galactic Conquest is a mixture between two of my favourite games - Master of Orion and the board game Risk.
Star Wars Battlefront week: Nick's impressions
All this week, the writers of PS Fanboy will share their impressions of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Make sure you come back every day, as we'll be giving away five limited edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems.I'll be quite frank: this is the first time I've played a Star Wars game on my own time since Shadows of the Empire on the Nintendo 64. It was bitchin', sure, but I only played stuff like Knights of the Old Republic on a friend's system. Before Shadows, I think the only other Star Wars game I had was on the NES -- it was hard. Very hard. So, unlike Andrew and Colin, I have no prior experience with the Battlefront franchise, so its move on PSP is less of a surprise to me, more of ... an initiation into something fantastic.I don't know why Andrew and Colin are so dismissive of the controls -- maybe they're used to something completely different, but as a Battlefront virgin, I found my cherry popping experience delightfully intuitive. [Wow, strong imagery there! - Ed.] The basics are this: you don't move your cursor around -- you press and hold the R trigger to lock onto nearby enemies. The longer you lock, the stronger your shot. When you're locked, instead of running, you strafe. I think you can cycle through enemies with the D-pad during a lock-on, but I'd just tap the R trigger and move onto the next closest target. Actually, you know what, the controls are exactly like Mega Man Legends. Maybe that's why I love them.I wasn't fond of the vehicles. No real reason, but the larger ones got stuck a lot and controlling your aim was more cumbersome than rewarding. Leave the vehicles for your AI peons to handle as you wreck an enemy stronghold all by your lonesome. This is especially true in the Galaxy Conquest mode, which I'll be chatting about for the remainder of this impression.
Star Wars Battlefront week: Colin's impressions
All this week, the writers of PS Fanboy will share their impressions of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Make sure you come back every day, as we'll be giving away five limited edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems.Like Andrew, when I first heard that the next Star Wars Battlefront title would be an exclusive PSP title, I was pretty surprised. While the PSP is a great system, the smaller userbase and the pure scope of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron made focusing 100% on a handheld version a controversial decision. It seemed like an odd gamble for such a successful franchise, but at the time was considered a nice win for the PSP which had (and has) been lacking in solid original content -- especially from third parties. Fortunately, it looks like developers at Rebellion have come through in most regards, as our hands-on with the review code has proven (largely) positive.At first blush, Renegade Squadron can be a daunting experience to jump into. There's a variety of different game modes, the customization options are vast and not really explained, and the gameplay itself has so many facets that it was almost overwhelming at first. Luckily there are training videos, as Andrew mentioned, and I'd strongly recommend checking them out -- especially if you didn't play the first Battlefront on the PSP.When you first get into the game, the controls are a little obtuse. Eventually, I got used to them but I definitely had to run through a couple battles before I felt comfortable. It's not a horrible learning curve, but compared to Warhawk, getting used to the controls was a bit of a chore at first. Once I got a grasp of the different commands I felt a lot more comfortable and was able to run around blasting stormtroopers and flying around with a jetpack with no problems. Unfortunately, ground vehicles such as the tank suffer from pretty bad control and in cramped areas can frequently cause the death of you. As such, I tended to avoid driving the land based vehicles.
Star Wars Battlefront week: Andrew's impressions
All this week, the writers of PS Fanboy will share their impressions of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Make sure you come back every day, as we'll be giving away five limited edition Darth Vader PSP-2000 systems.When I first heard that the next Star Wars Battlefront game was coming exclusively to PSP, the first thing I asked was "why?" It's not that I don't love my PSP -- but I found it surprising that the biggest Star Wars gaming franchise of all time would make Sony's diminutive handheld its home, rather than a console powerhouse. Certainly, a game that's all about online connectivity would benefit from the additional horsepower that's demanded from a game of this kind. So, when the first footage of the game was released, I was admittedly concerned. The framerate was far from stable, and the graphics lacked the polish that I expected from a modern PSP game.Well, a good number of my worries were put to rest when I picked up Renegade Squadron. The developers finally gained access to the PSP's full clock speed, 333MHz, and the framerate has stabilized quite nicely. Granted, the level of detail isn't what I'd like it to be, and the draw distance still leaves a lot to be desired. Considering the limitations of the PSP hardware, it does seem like the team at Rebellion have still pulled off an impressive technical feat for the handheld, especially considering how large the environments tend to be.There's a lot to do in Renegade Squadron, and it can be quite daunting at first. Thankfully, there are tons of in-game tutorial videos that attempt to explain all of the features of the game. However, I discovered the best way to learn is to simply jump into the single player story mode, which offers far more useful advice. The tutorial will guide you through the basics of capturing bases, choosing weapons, conducting battle, and flying spacecraft. After a few levels, you'll have gained a basic understanding of Renegade Squadron's basic gameplay mechanics.
Celebrate the new Star Wars Battlefront trailer
Is a game too ambitious for its own good? Maybe. The new Star Wars Battlefront title brings brand-new massively multiplayer battles ... exclusively for PSP. We're not complaining, however. The new trailer from LucasArts shows there's much to celebrate in this jam-packed UMD. The game promises so much that if Rebellion is able to deliver, our console brethren will have a lot to be jealous of.
Han shoots first in Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron for PSP
At least he does according to the above screenshot, which depicts the dirty-handed scoundrel's unbearably intense encounter and point blank face-off with feared bounty hunter, Boba Fett. In the PSP's newly announced Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, Solo assembles a squadron of renegades (no, really) to strike back at the nefarious Galactic empire in locales such as Korriban, Alderaan and (surprise!) Hoth.Aside from new vehicles and improved space combat, LucasArts promises a customization system that allows for "millions of possible unique combatants," with various weapons, equipment and abilities ensuring that "no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same." Online multiplayer will cater to up to 16 players simultaneously, whereas the PSP's ad-hoc connection will support eight. Wrangle renegades and shoot first this Fall when Battlefront returns. %Gallery-3071%[Via PSP Fanboy]
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron offers 16-player Infrastructure
There's a Star Wars Battlefront game coming out, and it's exclusive for PSP. Titled Renegade Squadron, this new action game will feature an a "never before told" story that takes players through new missions and new battles that spans the classic trilogy (Episodes IV to VI). Han Solo has been recruiting "battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels" to fight the tired-and-true evil Empire. This ragtag team will travel throughout the Star Wars universe. Some of the levels include: Ord Mantell, Boz Pity, Korriban, Sullust and Saleucami. There will also be new space battles at Kessel, Hoth, Bespin, and the remnants of Alderaan. Star Wars mainstays, like Endor and Hoth, will also be returning.Renegade Squadron promises to provide a greater customizable experience than its predecessors. Players will be able to choose their own weapons, equipments and abilities. A variety of vehicles will be available, including the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader's TIE Advanced, Slave I, and the Jedi Starfighter. Capitol ships can be controlled as well.To top it all off, Renegade Squadron will also feature 16 player Infrastructure multiplayer, with leaderboards, stats tracking, and profile pages. With such robust online features, Renegade Squadron looks to easily outdo the PSP version of Battlefront II. The game is planned to release this fall. For more details and screenshots, visit the official Battlefront web site.
