Could a Republic Commando sequel be coming?

LucasArts has lured former Republic Commando director Tim Longo away from Tomb Raider and handed him Unreal Engine 3 to play around with.

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Tomb Raider franchise director Tim Longo has left Crystal Dynamics to accept the mantle of creative director at LucasArts on an unannounced project. Longo revealed the move in a twitter post earlier this month. Longo leaves the Tomb Raider project with the design likely set for the most part as the game enters what should be the production push toward an anticipated release later this year.

As Longo noted, this is a return engagement with LucasArts. During his previous stint with the company he served as first lead designer and then director on Star Wars: Republic Commando. The game earned many fans with its campaign that let players become part of an elite squad of clone soldiers who took on special missions set at the same time as the events in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Since then, rumors of a sequel have come and gone. Could Longo's hiring indicate a Republic Commando 2 is indeed in the works again?

His arrival potentially coincides with another interesting development today. LucasArts announced it has licensed Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games for multiple upcoming projects according to a news release. Zak Phelps, director of technology at LucasArts, said of the move, "Unreal Engine 3 is a forward-looking solution that shortens the path between inspiration and execution on a wide variety of gaming platforms."

So, the former Republic Commando director has returned to LucasArts and the company has handed him one of the preeminent modern shooter engines to play with. It's all circumstantial evidence, to be sure, but with plenty of reason to be hopeful.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 27, 2011 11:40 AM

    Garnett Lee posted a new article, Could a Republic Commando sequel be coming?.

    LucasArts has lured former Republic Commando director Tim Longo away from Tomb Raider and handed him Unreal Engine 3 to play around with.

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      April 27, 2011 11:43 AM

      I hope this is true... Republic commando was a masterpiece.

      Reinstalling now

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        April 27, 2011 12:46 PM

        Masterpiece is a bit much. It's a great game for sure and had lots of potential. Really hope it happens.

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      April 27, 2011 11:44 AM

      That would be acceptable. It is also rumored that someone else is working on RC 2 and Tim Longo is heading a new Indiana Jones game.

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      April 27, 2011 11:45 AM

      I really enjoyed the first Republic Commando. Best door breach animation!

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      April 27, 2011 11:48 AM

      Yes please!!1! The last good starwars game before LucasArts became shite. Also had the best banter in a video game.

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      April 27, 2011 11:52 AM

      T'was a fantastic game. I think my only quibbles are that wish the character's specialties actually had an effect so that character might have been faster at their subject, and I think bosses either had way too much health, or you didn't get enough ammo.

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      April 27, 2011 11:53 AM

      Gotta save your brother Commando!

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      April 27, 2011 12:00 PM

      Really hope it is true. Unreal was also used for the first one. The Rebel FM Republic Commando club is worth a listen as Tim was on it and did say he would go back for a new Republic Commando.

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      April 27, 2011 12:50 PM

      Could also possibly be Battlefront 3! I know he was the director on RC but frankly LucasArts would be foolish not to capitalize on a great franchise, Battlefront 2 was a great game and really dominated XBL (or seemed like it) til Halo 2 came about.

      Of course another RC would be great, it just didn't seem to be as big as Battlefront. I can't remember how it fared critically but I don't think it was a huge sales hit. But yea, I'm happy either way!

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      April 27, 2011 1:03 PM

      If it is true, that would be most than awesome. They just need to add in Omega squad and the Nulls and THEN it would be something more than amazing.

      Vode an ner vod.

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        April 27, 2011 1:06 PM

        [deleted]

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        April 27, 2011 1:06 PM

        And forgot to mention Karen Traviss needs to write the story for this and stick to the books and/or make a side story after.

        If you liked the game, read the books and you will see why I'm super stoked for this

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      April 27, 2011 1:10 PM

      Oh this is welcome news if it does actually happen.

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      April 27, 2011 2:04 PM

      YES PLEASE. I loved the first one :)

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      April 27, 2011 2:08 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 27, 2011 2:20 PM

      I played so many hours of RC in single and multiplayer. Personally I'm not even sure how I would react at this point in time to a sequel. I have a feeling it would be beyond what I can now muster for games like GoW3 and Brink. I really really really enjoyed RC2 and was very disappointed no other games tried to copy their formula.

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      April 27, 2011 2:31 PM

      This is not true, but it is the words we need: LucasArts announces Tie Fighter Sequel.

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      April 27, 2011 2:35 PM

      god yes. id love another one, the first was fantastic

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      April 27, 2011 2:36 PM

      I'd rather have another Jedi Knight.

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        April 27, 2011 2:48 PM

        I'd rather have both!

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        April 27, 2011 3:09 PM

        Activision has ground Raven into the ground, I wouldn't expect to see another quality Jedi Knight ever again.

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          April 27, 2011 3:14 PM

          The first three games weren't by Raven - I don't see any reason another dev team couldn't step up to take the reins as Raven did for games #4 and 5.

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          April 27, 2011 3:18 PM

          Such a waste.
          I'd even take up arms as that punk Jaden Korr just to get some more fluid saber action like that again.

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          April 27, 2011 3:18 PM

          To be fair, Raven has never really been a AAA developer. Their stuff is always so cookie-cutter generic (save for Soldier of Fortune). The best Jedi Knight game was the first, which was developed in-house by LucasArts.

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            April 27, 2011 3:22 PM

            Sure, it was neat that you could die from jumping into the ceiling and running too quickly into the walls, but the saber combat was nothing in comparison to what Raven used in Jedi Outcast and Academy.

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            April 27, 2011 5:39 PM

            Really? It's not Hexen and Heretic which were interesting atypical Doom based games but rather SoF that stood out? No sir, not at all.

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              April 27, 2011 5:45 PM

              Also Heretic II developed the complex yet semi-fluid staff combat that would then evolve into Jedi Outcast's saber combat.

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          April 27, 2011 3:24 PM

          Raven's busy on a James Bond game and helping Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer with Modern Warfare 3. How the mighty have fallen.

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          April 27, 2011 9:19 PM

          The people who made the good jk games are probably not at raven anymore...just like the people that made Homeworld are not at Relic anymore.

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      April 27, 2011 3:34 PM

      *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP* *FAP*

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      April 27, 2011 3:46 PM

      LE BONAIRE

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      April 27, 2011 3:46 PM

      The best Star Wars game next to Force Unleashed. Can't wait, if true!

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        April 27, 2011 3:48 PM

        Wolfanoz, no. FU is not the best Star Wars game.

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          April 27, 2011 4:59 PM

          It's one of the best. It's not perfect but its a shitton of fun.

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        April 27, 2011 4:58 PM

        It's like you're from a different universe where tie fighter and x-wing never existed...

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        April 27, 2011 5:37 PM

        FU is one of the worst Star Wars games in the considerable catalogue of bad Star Wars games.

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          April 27, 2011 5:43 PM

          That's a bit harsh. It was a good game I believe.

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          April 27, 2011 9:22 PM

          FU was great. F the haters

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        April 27, 2011 5:42 PM

        A bad game not because it's bad as such but because it showed so much promise and turned out to be such a disappointment.

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        April 27, 2011 6:02 PM

        you misspelled Jedi Knight

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        April 27, 2011 9:35 PM

        jedi knight, tie fighter, dark forces, kotor, uhhh xwing

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        April 27, 2011 9:39 PM

        Your like, 10, aren't you? Just, there's no other way.

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      April 27, 2011 5:31 PM

      The original was decent, if a bit linear. I'd much rather see Raven do it this time out since they made two of the best SW games in the franchise.

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      April 27, 2011 5:43 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 27, 2011 5:47 PM

      Hmm. I can't help but wonder if, with the success of the Clone Wars animated series, they may not be thinking of a Republic Commando sequel per se, but a Republic-commando style game using the recurring clone troopers characters from the TV show.

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      April 27, 2011 6:26 PM

      Are they going to finish the plot line or leave us all hanging again? Spoiling just in case...

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      April 27, 2011 6:31 PM

      While we're asking. Battlefront 3 using BF3 engine please!

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      April 27, 2011 7:38 PM

      Cover systems and lightsabers on the guns!

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        April 27, 2011 7:45 PM

        Waist high droids as far as the eye can see!

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