In 2002, “Star Wars: Bounty Hunter” was released. The video game was all about the prequel to Episode II of the popular science fiction epic. The main character was Jango Fett, Mandalorian and bounty hunter. Hired by the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus, better known as Count Dooku, he is supposed to capture a dark Jedi.
Following the release of “Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster” and the “Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection” in spring, fans can now re-experience the remaster of the 22-year-old bounty hunter adventure.
By jetpack through the locations of «Star Wars»
“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. In addition, the Mandalorian with the iconic silver-blue helmet also pursues his favorite activity: bounty hunting.
Flying on the move: Jango’s jetpack is a faithful companion. – © Aspyr/dpa-tmn
A scanner is used to identify potential bounty targets. Once they have been identified, a digital wanted poster provides the most important information about them. Most targets can be caught “dead or alive”, although there is usually a higher reward for crooks caught alive.
There is no escape: In addition to the bounty hunt, an exciting story awaits. – © Aspyr/dpa-tmn
However, some wanted posters come without this option and seal the fate of the wanted person, provided you want to be paid for completing the mission. With 150 bounty targets in the game, there are quite a few villains that need to be brought to justice.
Old gameplay, new graphics
In terms of gameplay, the remaster differs only slightly from the 2002 version. Thanks to a new automatic aiming system, shooting at enemies is made easier. But when fighting multiple enemies, it quickly becomes difficult to target the intended target. Jango’s choice of weapon is extremely situation-dependent.
Accurate in combat: With his tried and tested double blasters, the bounty hunter hits every opponent. – © Aspyr/dpa-tmn
The flamethrower is good against enemies in the immediate vicinity, a precision rifle can be used to take out targets from a distance and there are also rockets. Although you should leave them in your backpack because of the expandable manual controls. Despite the many options, you usually resort to the bounty hunter’s tried and tested double blasters, which prove useful in almost every situation.
It comes to a showdown: Jango Fett hunts a dark Jedi. – © Aspyr/dpa-tmn
Graphic differences are barely noticeable in the cinematic cutscenes of the single-player adventure. Even though some textures have been worked on, you have to look closely to spot them. The game’s graphics have been tweaked. If you put the original and the remake next to each other, it looks as if you’ve finally found your glasses after a long search. In addition, the black borders on the sides of the screen are now finally history thanks to the modern resolution.
A journey into the past
The historical level design may be out of line compared to modern games, but it also gives the game a nostalgic charm. The action adventure also surprises with a cool Easter egg: once you have completed Jango Fett’s adventure, you can equip his son Boba Fett’s outfit the next time you play.
Packed with legendary characters and voices from the original cast, such as the great Sir Christopher Lee, the game invites Star Wars fans on a journey to the early 2000s. And even though time has left its mark, you can still spend a few fun hours in the galaxy as a bounty hunter.
“Star Wars: Bounty Hunter” is available for just under 20 euros on the Xbox Series, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation 5 and PC platforms. The recommended age rating is 12 years.
