Once upon a time, Sony announced at E3 that it was releasing a new PSP Slim with a design of Darth Vader on the back of a white PSP slim. It would come packaged with the title, Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron. It had been quite some time after Star Wars Battlefront II was released on the PSP. Renegade Squadron was by no means a direct sequel to the run of the current Battlefront titles but it was too fall in there somewhere. With some new features and space flight gameplay, does Renegade Squadron hold up to the standards set by the other Battlefront titles?

A Deeper Look 

Renegade Squadron gives you a very interesting take on the Battlefront universe. In the story, old records are found making references to a Renegade Squadron in which is taking orders from Han Solo in the Rebel Alliance. They were what you would call the Special Forces of the Rebel Alliance. Tionne locates Commander Colonel Serra who recalls his days commanding the Renegade Squadron taking orders from Han Solo for various missions. With graphic novel-like cutscenes you’ll tag along in the story. The single player campaign takes great strides to bring you some exciting gameplay and it does just that on certain levels. 

If you are familiar with the Battlefront controls and tactics, then you shouldn’t have any problem getting used to the controls. If not, the basic idea behind the Battlefront series focuses on two teams fighting for the control of various command points. These points are your starting point in the battle. You respawn from here and change your characters along with weapons. 

Being a third-person shooter, the great thing about Renegade Squadron is that you have the fun of a normal Battlefront title; however, this entry is more limited in terms of its campaign missions and the scope of the battles in general. The single-player campaign feels more like a prelude to what players will experience online. The controls are pretty basic, but they do take some time to get used to. In my own experience, I found it difficult to get used to the normal controls for about 3 missions before feeling more comfortable. It’s likely to get frustrated at times, as you could die a lot. For the players that manage to stick with Renegade Squadron, however, there are more positives than negatives. 

Renegade Squadron does get extra points for its character customization and its ability to have virtually limitless combinations in these options. There are plenty of new maps to be discovered here and each gives a respectable challenge in your quest in the single and multiplayer campaigns. Multiplayer supports up to 15 players online and is quite exciting at times when there is a full match going. Aside from ground combat, players can also fly in space battles, which is also fun. Fans of the movies will enjoy flying in notable spacecraft, such as the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced, Jango and Boba Fett’s Slave 1, and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Jedi Starfighter. 

Graphics 

Renegade Squadron boasts some respectable graphics, highlighted by the opening scenes when you see the main character of the single player campaign discussing the old times with a hologram of Commander Col Serra. From that point on, the game’s cut scenes are in graphic novel-like form, as players feel like they are flipping through pages of an old fairy tale. The in-game visuals aren’t that bad either. Character models are fairly detailed and are represented well. In the battles, explosions are realistic and everything down to the laser blasts are well detailed, albeit not as sharp as its console brethren… but this is the handheld version, so the decrease in quality is expected. 

Sound 

Much of the sound and music in the Star Wars films is faithfully recreated here. Ship movements and sounds have a nice touch. Characters are voiced well and sound just as they do as if watching one of the movies. Laser blasts and other minor sound effects are faithfully represented and give you the feel of the Star Wars universe. There are no worries here. 

Plasma Factor 

Star Wars fans would surely eat this up for the chance to get a Vader themed PSP and this title as its bonus. Renegade Squadron does fine as its own Battlefront title, but it stands on only one leg, unfortunately. Personally, I may have been expecting more out of this title, and Renegade Squadron somewhat disappointed me. For casual gamers looking for something to add to the PSP collection, I wouldn’t mind recommending this if only for its multiplayer and online multiplayer. 

Conclusion
Despite its shortcomings in certain areas, such as a slow single player campaign and often confusing controls, Renegade Squadron still brings in a good time. If you’re looking to kill time, then this might just be what you’re looking for. It’s short and easy to fly through. The multiplayer will be what keeps you around for more playing time. This is a solid effort for the series, and should be interesting if a sequel is announced down the road.