Star Wars: Bounty Hunter PC Review – Engaging and Exciting

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter by LucasArts was a game that I never got to play when it first released in 2002 on Gamecube and PlayStation 2. I didn’t start my console journey until 2006 with the Xbox 360, and as a PC-only gamer back then, I didn’t know the game existed. One of our writers Str8JaktJim has a YouTube series called Star Wars Play Time where he replayed some of the old Star Wars games in their original formats, and his episode on Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is worth a watch. Aspyr has recently ported the game tor Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and on PC via Steam, so I was super excited to dive into this one.

My family has been going through a rewatch of the prequel movies and The Clone Wars cartoons, so my excitement to be able to jump into the shoes of the legendary bounty hunter Jango Fett was at an all-time high. I had played some Republic Commando having also watched Bad Batch, but it wasn’t hitting the gameplay experience I was looking for. However, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter was the perfect shot of nostalgic goodness. Even better was the fact that the game provides a backstory to Jango Fett that I had not previously read about, revealing more about his Mandalorian heritage and his relationship with Zam Wesell, the shapeshifting bounty hunter at the start of Attack of the Clones.

The game is set in the prequel era, shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace and follows Jango Fett as he navigates the criminal underworld. The story begins with Jango capturing a notorious gangster, Meeko Ghintee. This successful hunt brings him to the attention of the mysterious Darth Tyranus (Count Dooku), who offers Fett a lucrative contract: to eliminate Komari Vosa, a fallen Jedi who poses a threat to the Sith’s plans. As Jango delves deeper into this mission, he uncovers a web of intrigue and deceit, encountering a variety of colourful characters and dangerous adversaries.

The core gameplay loop consists of exploring areas, interacting with characters, some platforming areas and completing bounties. Fett has a range of gadgetry that you would expect for a bounty hunter such as his iconic dual pistols, a whip to capture bounties, fists, flamethrower for when bunches of crooks get to close, and wrist rockets gives you plenty of strategies to deploy. The remastered graphics make the game look crisp compared to similar games of that era like Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast from the same year.

While the visual upgrade is a welcome improvement, it doesn’t entirely mask the game’s age. Textures and lighting have been enhanced, but certain graphical elements appear dated. It will depend on your gaming age as to whether this is a welcome form of nostalgia or if it’s a considerable downgrade compared to similar games of today’s era and technology. There were plenty of times where I got lost. There’s no in-game map and the walls look largely the same, so I would often run around aimlessly sometimes until I found an entrance or walkway that I completely missed. Traversal became faster once I unlocked Fett’s jetpack.

The game’s controls can feel stiff and clunky at times. I used a controller, but you can use keyboard/mouse on PC. You have the ability to lock onto an enemy which is great for single target or boss fights, but when you’re facing multiple enemies, it can get frustrating. Firing your weapon without aiming will auto shoot at an enemy, but it’s not guaranteed to hit. You can hold left trigger to zoom aim, but I found a lot of the times shooting a weapon would break the zoom aim, so I ended up just running and gunning most of the time. This made the game a little too easy, especially with some of the boss fights, but the overarching Star Wars story had me hooked.

For those who cherished the original game on Gamecube or PlayStation 2, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter on Steam offers a chance to relive a beloved classic with improved visuals. For gamers like me that never got to play the game at all, this is an awesome insight into Jango Fett’s character and how he came to be the template for the Clone army. I also loved the opportunity to revisit familiar planets like Coruscant, Tatooine, as well as ones not as represented in games like Ord Mantell and Felucia.

Aside from collecting bounties in Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, completing levels and finding hidden items scattered through each map will unlock some cool collectibles. Accessed from the main menu, you can unlock bonus items such as trading cards, an awesome Marvel comic and some hilarious outtakes. These give you another reason to repeat a level or to keep continuing through the engaging story.

Overall, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is an excellent Star Wars story if you can handle the dated graphics and gameplay. The game’s strengths lie in the iconic settings and getting some backstory and further insight into Jango Fett and his entanglement with the Sith. Its age is evident in its gameplay mechanics and visuals, but fans of the original will likely find the game to be a worthwhile purchase, as are those like me that weren’t able to play the original release.

This review utilised a key provided by Sandbox Strategies and Star Wars: Bounty Hunter is out now on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

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