Scum and villainy

Rub shoulders with the galaxies toughest rogues in LucasArts’ Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron on PSP.

Star Wars Battlefront on PSP was already a winning formula, an iconic universe brought to life with fantastic single and multiplayer gameplay. It blended mass combat with a third person perspective, incorporating well known characters such as Luke Skywalker in epic ground and space conflicts. LucasArts have changed things for Renegade Squadron, improving on the existing foundation blocks of Battlefront.

Character customisation is the first change encountered when you launch the game. A wealth of options enables you to pick your own style of combatant. In a similar fashion to those kids games in which you can mix and match the heads, torsos and legs of different people, Renegade Squadron lets you do just this with the races of Star Wars.

In addition to the racial mix, there is a range of uniform, colour and insignia options that can be applied to your hero, setting them apart from the common foot troops.

This high degree of customisation is not limited to aesthetics as you have choice over the selection of primary and secondary weapons. From traditional and clunky blasters to the deadly electricity spitting ARC Casters, they're all here.

This leads very nicely into the storyline of Renegade Squadron. Hand picked by Han Solo, they're a black ops unit comprised of veteran rogues and scoundrels who have thrown their lot in with the Rebel Alliance. They are individual, if nothing else, and the customisation options capture the spirit of this ragtag yet elite band perfectly.

The story follows events from the evacuation of Yavin 4, seen at the end of A New Hope, to the Battle of Endor, the climax of Return of the Jedi, the drama surrounding this clandestine Rebel mob being played out across 11 battles.

Online multiplayer via Infrastructure Mode is the big new addition for the series on PSP. Straightforward vs. and capture the flag matches will be playable online, letting you challenge groups of your friends and peers around the world.

Gameplay follows the same winning elements present in the previous Battlefront, and if anything the controls feel more responsive than before. Both ground based combat, including low flying craft, and ship to ship space combat return, the latter featuring expanded boarding elements enabling you to raid your opponents Capital ships.

The ability to take control of special characters on the field of battle is again present; from Han Solo to Boba Fett these characters can turn the tide of battle with their great resilience and special attacks.

LucasArts have excelled themselves with Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron scrubbing up for inspection far better than the galactic scum and villains it depicts.