Star Wars: Republic Commando



"Scorch: "Would you like a large or a small crater, Boss?" Boss: "Just get us inside without killing the squad, okay, Scorch?""

- Republic Commando

One of the most well-received games to come out of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Republic Commando puts you in the shoes of RC-1138 "Boss", leader of Delta Squad (No, not that one), one of the most Badass units in the Clone Army ever created.

You are assisted by three other commandos:
 * Scorch, a Deadpan Snarker, who is the heart and soul of your team, as well as your demolitions expert.
 * Sev, a Cold Sniper and another Deadpan Snarker, obviously specializing in marksmanship.
 * Fixer, a by-the-book no-nonsense soldier who specializes in slicing (that is, hacking) computer networks.

Republic Commando is surprising to some in that the creators went a long way to give the four clones depth with their voice interactions. Also, despite containing only three missions, each is worthy of being called as long as any one of Deus Ex's "missions". It's over quickly and leaves you wishing for more, especially with the Cliff Hanger ending.

Karen Traviss wrote a book series by the same name, in which Delta Squad played a supporting role, save for the first one, in which they just had a one-scene cameo. The books are Hard Contact, Triple Zero, True Colors and Order Sixty-Six, as well as 501st, the first (and possibly only because Traviss has ceased to write Star Wars books) of the "Imperial Commando" series. This series is dealt with in a separate article.

"Boss: I found the hatch! Scorch: Heh. If that isn't a red carpet... Sev: Where's it lead? Scorch: Well, who cares? As long as it's not here!"
 * Abnormal Ammo: According to the Strategy Guide, the beam weapon used by Geonosian Elites is powered by the internal fluids of its Geonosian user. This means that you can't simply reload an old beam weapon with the ammo of the new one and have to discard the old one once it's spent.
 * Adaptation Distillation: Parts of the game's Kashyyyk segments were adapted in Order 66, but details varied, to put things mildly. To a lesser extent, the prologue of Hard Contact may fall within this category too, as it's unclear just how and when the events detailed there fit in with the game, given that the first few Geonosis levels segue into each other.
 * Air Vent Passageway:
 * Used by Boss at least once aboard the Prosecutor to evade overweight Trandoshans, though the safety is short-lived, as the tunnels he escapes into contain scav droids and flammable tanks attached to the walls.
 * Later in the game, Delta Squad escapes a hairy situation in the first level of Kashyyyk via one of these, though they have to use explosive charges to open it.

"Scorch: That was for Delta twenty-three! Or was that thirty-two?"
 * Alien Blood:
 * And This Is For: A post-mortem version.

"Boss: Did you get the data? Scorch: Yeah, yeah. They searched me, but I, I hid the data pretty well. Boss: Where exactly? Scorch: Uh, you don't want to know. Boss: Roger that."
 * Artificial Brilliance: Your team is quite efficient in their own right. If you tell them to take up a defensive position, not only will they get there without fail except in very exceptional circumstances, but will hold it properly for quite a long time. If you go down, they will either rush to your aid or lock down the situation to the best of their ability depending on your orders.
 * Artificial Stupidity: Despite the above, however, it is usually best for you to stay out of the line of fire between your squad mates and the enemy, especially when one is stationed at a sniper position since no member of your squad is Friendly Fireproof. If you do not take this precaution, you can expect to see a blue energy trail passing through your torso on its way to intersect with the enemy and a commensurate drain on your shields and/or health bar.
 * And things don't always end well when they start throwing grenades. Bouncing off the door back toward the squad during a door breech, or using them on enemies that have charged into melee with you.
 * Ass Shove: Implied when Scorch is freed from his cell and revived.

"Boss: Alone against all these droids... heh, they don't stand a chance."
 * Authority Equals Asskicking:
 * Tarfful the Wookiee chief, naturally.
 * Boss is also a prime example. At one point, he will single-handedly take down a Dwarf Spider Droid. Without a scripted win scenario. You don't conveniently get to drop anything on it, or slip in behind and damage key components. You do get a Wookiee Rocket Launcher though, to even the odds.
 * Badass Boast: Boss, again.

"Boss: You lizards need to learn that I'm a lot scarier than you are!"

"Boss: This thing is twice my size! Best be careful where I point it."
 * Badass Crew: Delta Squad. Boss stands out in particular. In a quote from their training sergeant, Walon Vau, who has a reputation as a sadistic, brutal trainer, reveals that Boss broke his arm in hand-to-hand combat exercises.
 * BFG: The bizarre Wookiee Missile Launcher definitely qualifies.

"Scorch: Rule #1: Kill 'em before they kill you."
 * Big Book of War: Often quoted by the Deltas.

"Scorch: Sev, did that corpse give you a nasty look? Sev: Rule 17... Scorch: We know, always make sure they're dead."

"Scorch: Rule 23: Never pull sentry duty on an empty stomach."

"Scorch: Sev, hey, I thought you were invincible. Sev: Rule 39: Never say no to bacta."

"Scorch: One's an anomaly, two's a trend. Rule 89, Boss."

"Scorch: Whoever put these bacta tanks here deserves a medal."
 * Big No: Said by a clone trooper who falls through the ceiling and subsequently dies aboard the Prosecutor.
 * Black Mesa Commute: Your arrival on Geonosis, as well as Kashyyyk.
 * Blade Below the Shoulder: The commandos have a retractable punching dagger in their gloves, which serves as your basic Melee attack. Expect to see plenty of Alien Blood.
 * Blatant Item Placement:
 * Item placement is sometimes justified, such as being in friendly or once-friendly territory. In fact, in one case, during the Geonosis campaign, a Republic gunship drops some ammo and an important component for your Swiss Army Gun.
 * Other times, enemy installations are inexplicably stocked with decent supplies of ammo for Republic-issue weapons. The bacta tanks are justified when storming Geonisian and Trandoshan emplacements, but they're also strewn throughout a ship crewed entirely by droids. It's even Lampshaded by Scorch:

"Boss: This is the door to the bridge. Expect a large welcoming party. Sev: Now I'm really going to rack up the kills. Scorch: Not if I get 'em first. Fixer: Just don't get so caught up in counting that you forget to cover me!"
 * Bloodier and Gorier: Republic Commando largely avoids the Bloodless Carnage that permeated prior Star Wars games.
 * Body Count Competition: Scorch and Sev indicate that they are competing to see who can get the most enemy kills. Towards the end, Sev loses track of his count. It's revealed in the books that Sev is actively trying to reach a personal kill count for Geonosians equal to the total amount of clone commandos killed on Geonosis.

"Scorch: Maybe 38's a copy of a copy of a copy."
 * Boss in Mook Clothing:
 * The Advanced Dwarf Spider Droid, an absolutely deadly four-legged thingie that usually takes the entire squad to kill properly, or some very big guns. You run into all of half a dozen mind you.
 * The heavily-armored Trandoshan heavy assault mercenaries, who are equipped with a minigun that is capable of ripping your squad to shreds in short order.
 * General Grievous's bodyguards. They're crazy fast and have an insane amount of health, being able to withstand multiple anti-armor grenades (a single anti-armor grenade will destroy a Super Battle Droid, which itself is capable of withstanding about 150 blaster bolts).
 * Bottomless Magazines: Although most enemies and every member of Delta Squad has to reload at some point, Boss seems to be the only character who is capable of running out of ammo. Your sidearm is self recharging though.
 * Bottomless Pits: These exist as a hazard, but it often seems like you have to actually try to fall into one of them.
 * Bridge Logic: The commandos have to use an explosive charge to knock down a conveniently placed spire in order to traverse a subterranean chasm on Geonosis.
 * Broken Faceplate: Used in first person. The leader of Delta Squad will get cracks and chips on his visor when taking damage, which will be quickly repaired as the helmet's systems re-surface the visor.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Delta Squad, particularly Scorch and Sev. The former being about, oh, seven, mentally who loves nothing more than seeing Stuff Blowing Up, and the latter being a Heroic Sociopath Cold Sniper.
 * Call Forward:
 * During the mission aboard the Prosecutor, you can find a lightsaber hidden in an access vent. Boss says "An elegant weapon for more civilized times, eh? Well guess what... times have changed!"
 * When fighting hordes of battle droids Scorch will sometimes say, "These must be the droids we're looking for."
 * He also will sometimes call out, "Look sir, droids!"
 * Upon seeing the droid control ship on Geonosis, Sev exclaims "Look at the size of that thing," echoing Wedge in A New Hope.
 * At one point Fixer will tell Scorch to "Cut the chatter," echoing Red Leader in A New Hope.
 * The cell in which Scorch is held aboard the Prosecutor is 2187 - a reference to the cell in which Princess Leia was imprisoned aboard the Death Star in A New Hope.
 * A few sections later you're ambushed in the detention level. The first set piece is forcing your way out the elevator while the enemies take cover behind familiar-looking consoles and in the corridor alcoves, and you exit the level by blowing a grate and descending into what looks like a garbage pit.
 * Boss's registration number - 1138. It's a recurring number in most of George Lucas' works, including Star Wars.
 * Delta 40's nickname, "Fixer" is a reference to a character who appeared in a deleted scene from A New Hope.
 * When confronted with Super Battle Droids, Wookiees have a propensity for ripping their arms out of their sockets.
 * And a retroactive one. After Delta Squad kills Sun Fac, your adviser informs you that your next objective will be to destroy a droid factory that "36's squad" failed to take out before. The squad being referred to there is Theta Squad, the fate of which was shown in more detail in Republic Commando: Hard Contact.
 * Cliff Hanger: The end of the last mission, in which.
 * Camera Abuse: Most commonly, your helmet will jitter as you move or look around. Blood, droid fluid and water will splatter against your helmet's faceplate if you opt to get up close and personal with your enemies or stand out in the rain, but a convenient wiper system eliminates it to give you an unobstructed view after a while. Laser blasts and tiny objects traveling at high speed will warp or cause holes in your face plate, which the wiper also conveniently and inexplicably repairs. Finally, the scav droids make a habit of trying to drill through your faceplate.
 * The Cavalry Arrives Late: Numerous times in Kachirho on Kashyyyk. Normally by the time Delta Squad gets to anywhere in the city there's Wookie bodies everywhere. Justified in that by the time they get there the battle is already well underway.
 * Ceiling Cling: When Delta Squad first links up with Sev on Geonosis, he is seen clinging to the underside of that the rest of the squad is rappelling down from in order to evade detection by two Geonosian warriors who are lying in wait for Boss, Fixer and Scorch. Before the squad lands, Sev falls from his position and subsequently lays the smack down on the warriors.
 * Clone Degeneration: Although there are no actual examples, Scorch occasionally alludes to this sort of thing if the player does something stupid to get his hit points knocked down to zero.

"Scorch: I guess we know how long Trandoshans can hold their breath."
 * Coconut Effect: Invoked in-universe by the Trandoshans, who use energy weapons designed to look, feel, and operate just like classic shotguns.
 * Cold Sniper: Sev. By the Force, Sev.
 * Color Coded for Your Convenience: The commandos have painted armor so you can tell them apart: red for Sev, yellow for Scorch, green for Fixer. Orange is for Boss himself, though it's only seen in various artworks and promotional material.
 * Controllable Helplessness: The player begins the game as a baby inside a People Jars, where he can only look around and move his hands. Additionally, during the main part of the game, a Non-Lethal KO results in the player being presented with the option to look around and watch the action with blurry vision as his squad mates do their thing, or to order one of them to revive him or to reload his last save game.
 * Critical Existence Failure: You're good and ready for a fight up until that last health bar depletes, although you do tend to move a bit slower, and your co-commandos visibly limp.
 * Darker and Edgier: Republic Commando is basically a grunt's view of Star Wars, where the Force is nowhere to be seen or felt and spurts of blood and droid oil from your enemies have to be cleaned off of your visor when fighting up-close.
 * Deadly Gas: After being forced to return to the detention level and surviving a Trandoshan ambush, Delta Squad activates the detention block's security systems, resulting in it being pumped full of Deadly Gas that comes in a rather interesting shade of mauve. Delta Squad remains unaffected, as their helmets protect them from that sort of stuff. Their enemies, however...

"Fixer: Accessing Anti-Air controls. Ooh, this is nice. I can do much better than just "offline". Separatist turrets now targeting... Separatist craft. Scorch: Fixer, you're sick. I respect that."
 * Deadpan Snarker: Both Scorch and Sev, but in entirely different ways. Boss occasionally adds some snark when giving orders.
 * Deflector Shields: The members of Delta Squad are equipped with personal shields (which, curiously, never seem to be employed in the novels). Destroyer Droids/Droidekas have their signature bubble shields. Super battle droids can also occasionally be seen employing what appears to be a personal shield from their arm, usually when faced with grenades.
 * Diabolus Ex Machina: At the end of the game, your squad has taken out a massive separatist gunship and are ready for evac. It's not a Heroic Sacrifice or any other meaningful death, just a sour note to make your victory bittersweet.
 * Diegetic Interface: Justifies the HUD as the interior of your character's helmet, resulting in fun or annoying Interface Screws. The option of a more traditional and less obstructive FPS HUD is included.
 * Dirty Coward: Boss all but accuses a clone trooper of being one of these during his initial foray aboard the "Prosecutor".
 * Drop Ship:
 * The Clone LAAT/i Gunship fills this role. It is also a rich source of Death From Above, giving the team a good rappel point, and is your Gunship Rescue of choice, an essential part of any healthy, balanced Delta Squad mission.
 * Trandoshan drop ships also appear in a couple of levels, where they serve as Mook Makers.
 * Dummied Out: Subtitle files indicate that the developers originally intended for Delta Squad to encounter a Clone Medic and a commando called Delta 36 whose designation (01/136) makes it apparent that Darman from the Republic Commando novels was based upon him (he does get mentioned in the game proper, but was merely another commando squad leader who was killed in action).
 * Even better was the part on the Prosecutor where Boss was to observe a meeting between the Trandoshans and General Grievous (then unknown to the Clones), which would culminate in the General's revelation on Kashyyyk.
 * Additionally on Geonosis, Fixer was to have a scene involving an anti-air turret:

"Clone trooper: Ah, one of the deluxe models. Come to save us with your "superior training"? Boss: This "deluxe model" is the only thing standing between you and a bloody death, so you'd best be showing some respect, trooper."
 * Elite Mooks: Super Battle Droids, amongst others. They start out sporadic and vaguely challenging but once you get the anti-armor attachment for you DC-17, they're a cakewalk. That is, until you run out of its very limited supply of ammo, then...
 * Embarrassing Rescue: This appears to be how one of the standard clone troopers stationed aboard the "Prosecutor" felt about being rescued by the player.

"01/425: He must survive. Highest priority. Scorch: That would be easier if he'd back down a little."
 * Escort Mission: You end up escorting a fellow named Tarfful a few times. He isn't invincible, but since he is a Wookiee chieftain, he has a considerable amount of hitpoints and can deal quite a bit of punishment, including one hit killing super battle droids by slamming them in the ground and ripping their arm off. The only problem may be that he only engages in melee combat, leading to him being killed by friendly fire from your squad mates, especially if you've assigned one of them to an anti-armor position. Thankfully, during big battles with Droid Dispensers he hides from enemies until it's time to advance.

"Fixer: Automated gunnery against a battlecruiser? Boss: We can give them a black eye, at least. Scorch: We'll make them regret the day they blew up Delta Squad!"
 * Ethereal Choir:
 * Utilized to a somewhat unsettling effect during a couple of indoor and underground segments during the Geonosis campaign.
 * A rendition of the "Emperor's Theme" is also sung by an Ethereal Choir during title card sequences prior to each campaign.
 * Everybody's Dead, Dave:
 * Save for a few clone troopers, it appears that all Republic personnel aboard the "Prosecutor" was killed.
 * Even worse by the end of the mission its pretty clear even the clones you encounter alive are dead before you beat back the droids.
 * Before Tarfful and Delta Squad can reach them, this fate also befalls Tarfful's soldiers during your final Escort Mission with him.
 * Everything Fades
 * Evil Elevator: Aboard the "Prosecutor", the squad survives an encounter with one of these relatively unscathed.
 * Eye Scream: Scav droids will latch onto your helmet and attempt to drill your eye out.
 * Facing the Bullets One-Liner: Provided by Scorch near the end of the Prosecutor missions:

"01/425: Its durasteel plating is rated for starship hulls, and is nearly invulnerable to small arms fire. Only its optical cluster, the red orb on its abdomen, is unshielded and vulnerable. Scorch: In other words -- shoot the big red spot!"
 * Falling Chandelier of Doom: After Boss uploads an "anti-protocol worm" into the systems of a droid control ship on Geonosis, certain droid dispensers that are precariously hanging from the ceiling can be shot down, bringing them crashing down onto anyone unlucky enough to be beneath them.
 * Fantastic Slurs: Delta Squad uses the terms "clankers" and "mechanicals" to refer to droids, while Trandoshans are "scalies" or "Trandos". For their part, droids will call Delta Squad "meatbags."
 * Fast Roping: Done by your squad, as well as Trandoshan mercenaries.
 * Fictionary: The ominous singing heard in the menu and at various points of the game is sung in the fictional Mandalorian language, created by the game's composer Jesse Harlin and further developed by Karen Traviss in her Republic Commando novels.
 * First Person Ghost: Like many other games, you are unable to see your torso or legs using the standard first-person view. The player is capable of seeing Boss in third-person by using the "behindview" command, but the armor on this representation of Boss lacks the orange paint job, instead settling on plain commando armor.
 * Foe-Tossing Charge: The enemy-to-enemy version occurs when Super battle droids sometimes take a whack at lesser battle droids in an apparent Shout-Out to a shot in Attack of the Clones where an SBD was seen smacking some battle droids out of the way in order to get them out of its field of fire.
 * Force Field Door: These are present primarily during the factory levels on Geonosis.
 * Four-Temperament Ensemble: The four Clone Commandos of Delta Squad are this. Delta-38, "Boss", is choleric, showing good leadership instincts. Delta-40, "Fixer", is phlegmatic, being, as Taun We put it, "A pure and uncomplicated soldier." Delta-62, "Scorch", is blood, showing much enjoyment in blowing the CIS forces apart. Delta-07, "Sev", is melancholic, being the Cold Sniper of the group and showing great care to place each round for maximum efficiency.
 * Gameplay-Guided Amnesia: All things considered, during the first few levels, Boss probably should be familiar enough with the hardware and software at his disposal as well as the roles of his squadmates were trained for so that he doesn't require the clone adviser to tell him these things.
 * Ghost Ship: The "Prosecutor".
 * Giant Mook: Super Battle Droids and Trandoshan Heavy Assault Mercenaries. Super Battle Droids are 8 feet tall, can withstand about 150 blaster bolts or 4 thermal detonators before falling, and are equipped with a combination blaster/ rocket launcher arm cannon. Heavy Trandos are even tougher than Super Battle Droids, and carry a very powerful minigun that can cut you down in less than a second. The anti-armor rifle mod kills them both very quickly, though.
 * Go for the Eye: The suggested strategy in dealing with Advanced Dwarf Spider Droids, as it's the droid's only known weak point.

"Sev: Come out, come out... so I can kill you all."
 * The Goomba: Battle droids, of course. They die after only a few shots, have below average aim and a slow rate of fire, and while reasonably maneuverable they lack the ability to do things like sprint or dive away from grenades, as well as being unable to use grenades themselves. Trandoshan mercs prove to be much better fighters compared to battle droids when they show up later in the game.
 * Grenade Hot Potato: Certain enemies and the player's squadmates will throw grenades back at their source if given the opportunity.
 * Guns Are Useless: The basic assault rifle feels like this, what with its horrid accuracy, pathetic damage, and, given the previous, small ammo capacity. The sniper rifle and grenade launcher attachments rectify the damage and accuracy issues at the expense of barely having any ammo at all. Further following the trope, the melee attack - usually a gauntlet-mounted vibroblade - one- or two-hit kills most mooks. You can also attack with it in rapid succession, to the point where stabbing a super battle droid until his face plate falls off actually becomes a valid tactic.
 * Gunship Rescue:
 * Twice during the Geonosis missions - once during the Factory escape, and again during the Core Ship escape.
 * And again in the Trandoshan/Separatist supply base on Kashyyyk.
 * Harsher in Hindsight: In-universe example. In a tense moment aboard the Prosecutor, the squad loses contact with Scorch and Boss orders Fixer to, "Keep searching for 62. I don't want to become a three man squad.".
 * Heroic Sociopath: Sev, oh yes Sev.

"Scorch: Uh, Boss, are you sure you want Mr. Deathwish setting explosives? Sev: Boss, you sure you don't want someone who can shoot straight?"
 * I Can't Use These Things Together: Usually happens when the plot separates Boss from the rest of the squad.
 * Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy:
 * Quite literally, and possibly lampshaded during the opening sequences with practicing clone-troopers that shoot terribly, and your allies are not spectacular either.
 * Averted with your squad, who seem most efficient when placed in sniper positions.
 * Informed Ability: Scorch is the explosives and demolitions expert, Fixer is the computer and hacking specialist, and Sev is the team sniper. However, all four squad members, even Boss, are equally proficient at all of these "specialized" tasks, most likely for balance. Despite this, Sev and Scorch will occasionally protest in an amusing fashion if you tell Sev to plant a charge or Scorch to snipe.

"Sev: Now it's extra dead."
 * Instant Win Condition: If you make it to the level exit while the rest of your squad is incapacitated and surrounded by enemies, the entire squad starts the next area on their feet, albeit with half of their total health left.
 * There are rare exceptions, usually involving elevators, which won't leave without all of your squad.
 * Insurmountable Waist High Fence: The player can jump, but only barely. Still, many barriers are still low enough to climb over. Insurmountable Shoulder High Barricades appear a lot, but your team can typically blast through them.
 * Interface Screw: Jamming devices and scav droids will cause static to appear on your screen. The latter will also cause a brief Snowy Screen of Death if you kill a scav droid after it attaches itself to your helmet and starts drilling through your faceplate. Additionally, if you look at a particularly intense explosion or a flashbang grenade as it goes off, you will be temporarily blinded.
 * Invisible Wall: One of these can be found at the beginning of the "Prosecutor" campaign and is presumably there to prevent you from exploring the darkness of space. A group of mynocks seems to have no problem passing through it, however. Perhaps the most blatant of these in this game was placed behind the start point of the level containing the wroshyr tree nursery.
 * I Want My Mommy: Of all things, battle droids will occasionally exclaim "Mommy!" if a grenade is tossed into their midst.
 * It's Quiet... Too Quiet: Played straight at one point during the Kashyyyk levels. Fixer says the first half, Boss says the second and upon passing the threshold into the next room the squad is subject to multiple ambushes by scav droids and Trandoshan mercenaries. Fixer also tends to say the first half of the line throughout the game if he and the rest of the squad haven't been given anything to kill for awhile.
 * Kick the Dog: Just prior to rescuing Sev aboard the "Prosecutor", when the player witnesses the Trandoshan slavers beating him in order to get him to divulge information, a pair of Trandoshans can be seen taking turns scaring the living bejeesus out of an R2 unit. After awhile, one of the pair decides to kill the droid for no discernible reason.
 * Kick Them While They Are Down: Sev, Scorch and Fixer will oftentimes verify that enemies are not Playing Possum by shooting them at point blank range.

"Boss: Blast! Fixer: What was that, sir? Boss: Eh... Just some interference on the comlink."
 * Ladder Physics: Handily averted in that the player is not able to use any of the ladders present in the game.
 * Land Mine Goes Click: In addition to emitting an audible beeping noise before exploding, a land mine is equipped with bright LEDs. If it's touched by the player's crosshairs, a red dome showing its radius appears, joined with a verbal warning by Boss or one of the other commandos concerning its presence. Furthermore, a mine only explodes if the player or his teammates are standing within its radius, allowing them to crouch-walk up to it in order to disarm it.
 * Large Ham: The Trandoshan Heavy Assault Mercenaries. Oddly enough, this is telegraphed by the subtitles designating them as "Trando HAMs."
 * Leet Lingo: Scorch will occasionally say "No one can match my l33t hax0r skillz!" when ordered to slice a computer terminal. Yes. He really does.
 * Let's Split Up, Gang!:
 * This is done once at the beginning and then about two-thirds of the way through the Geonosis campaign.
 * Then once again when Delta Squad boards the "Prosecutor" separately, with rather adverse results, but they once again team up and complete their mission.
 * On Kashyyyk, at the very end of the game, the squad gradually splits up to man individual gun turrets, in order to destroy a Separatist vessel.
 * Life Meter: Your Life Meter is shown to be part of your helmet's HUD. Once your shields are beaten down, it goes from green to yellow to orange (during which the interior of your helmet takes on a pulsing orange hue and a flashing text message helpfully informs you "HEALTH CRITICAL").
 * Logo Joke: The Lucasarts logo is rendered in monochrome and distorted with static, as radio transmissions can be heard in the background.
 * Man On Fire: Tends to happen to anyone unfortunate enough to be near an Exploding Barrel or thermal detonator when it explodes.
 * Mission Control: The clone adviser, 01/425 serves this role. He provides handy tidbits of information. He also loses and regains contact with the player at dramatically appropriate moments.
 * Mood Motif: The unnamed musical theme that first appears during the section of the Training Montage where a very young Boss is being shown how to assemble a DC-17 frequently comes back during poignant moments, such as when silence is the only response to Boss's attempts to contact the rest of the squad towards the end of one level aboard the Prosecutor, when Boss and Fixer find an incapacitated Sev being beaten by Trandoshans, or when.
 * Mook Maker: Present in the form of droid dispensers - machines that are capable of deploying a seemingly infinite number of battle droids until they are destroyed with a detonation charge. Trandoshan dropships serve this purpose in a couple of levels.
 * Mooks:
 * Hundreds upon thousands of them, namely the fodder Trade Federation battle droids.
 * You don't see very many of them in later levels, where they are replaced with hordes of Trandoshans instead. They're a whole lot tougher.
 * More Dakka: The LS-150 carried by Trandoshan heavy assault mercenaries.
 * Non-Lethal KO: This is usually what happens to a member of the squad once his Life Meter reaches zero and at least one other member of the squad is still active, resulting in a state of Controllable Helplessness. Handwaved by mentioning that the commandos have bacta processing implants, which for some reason require external assistance to kick start. The game ends if the squad fails an objective, all of the other squad members are incapacitated when the player's Life Meter reaches zero, he falls into a Bottomless Pit, or has been killed by his squadmates for opening fire on them.
 * No One Gets Left Behind:
 * Played straight when Boss reassures Fixer that he won't leave him behind and as the two go on to rescue Sev and Scorch from the Trandoshan slavers.
 * Subverted when Delta Squad.
 * Nonuniform Uniform: Each member of Delta Squad essentially wears the same type of armor but with differing accessories and paint jobs. This stemmed from a suggestion by George Lucas that the designers have some means of visually differentiating one member of Delta Squad from the other.
 * No Sidepaths, No Exploration, No Freedom: Save for two minor instances, the player will find his or herself following a tightly plotted course most of the time.
 * Ominous Latin Chanting: Most songs, especially the title track "Vode An", contain Ominous Mandalorian Chanting.
 * Opening Scroll: A notable aversion for a Star Wars game. This is jettisoned in favor of an Opening Monologue by a Kaminoan scientist, underlying a Training Montage from your character's perspective, followed by your squad's deployment from Kamino. After this, a series of expository title cards are displayed while a variation of the "Emperor's Theme" is played just before you make the drop to Geonosis.
 * Operation Blank: The Strategy Guide. A few examples: "Operation Bug Hunt," "Operation Hammer Fist," "Operation Ghost Ship," and "Operation Fur Ball."
 * Pardon My Klingon: The Deltas use all manner of previously-established in-universe curse words.

"Scorch: Boss, Keep an eye on Sev. He's been talking in his sleep lately, and I gotta tell you... it's scary stuff. Very scary stuff."
 * Phlebotinum Breakdown: Your communications with 01/425 are subject to interference by jamming devices on two separate occasions, followed by your squad finding it and taking it out of commission to restore communications.
 * Pillar of Light: Each time one of General Grievous's bodyguards is dispatched, the player is rewarded with seeing one of these as they explode.
 * Psycho Party Member: Scorch worries that Sev may be one of these in one of the loading screens:

"Scorch: Man, this place gives me the creeps. Sev: Ah, Scorch, nothing better than a jungle hunt. Hiding in the bush, putting a plasma bolt through a hostile's cranium... makes me feel alive. Scorch: Okay, now 07's giving me the creeps."
 * Also, on Kashyyyk:

"Scorch: Six-Two Here. I think I've reached the coolant intake valve. Uh, no, wait, it's an exhaust port. Fixer: Six-Two, could you can the chatter until you've got something useful to say?"
 * Put the Laughter In Slaughter: Both Scorch and Sev.
 * Radio Silence: If there is one thing in life that Fixer desires aside from gutting enemies with his vibroblade, it might be a Delta Squad that does not clutter up comms with unnecessary chatter. Scorch and Sev, however, seem to have made it their goal in life to deny him this small comfort.

"Scorch: Lizards give me the creeps! Sev: Everything gives you the creeps."
 * Radio Voice: Used whenever Republic personnel communicate with one another. Overly prevalent during the first Geonosis level.
 * Ragdoll Physics: If a enemy is still intact after being killed, it can be tossed around by weapon hits and explosions, as well as Delta Squad and living enemies coming into contact with it. This can result in the rather dissonant spectacle of a seemingly heavy and solid object like the remains of a Super Battle Droid appearing to have all the mass of a paperweight.
 * Read the Freaking Manual: In an in-universe example, upon Delta Squad's first encounter with a droid dispenser, Sev asks what it is. Fixer subsequently criticizes him for not reading the mission briefing.
 * Recurring Riff: The melody from the chorus of "Vode An" reappears in a number of the game's other songs.
 * Redshirt Army: Just about everyone besides you and your teammates is cannon-fodder, though admittedly you don't run into any other Republic Commandos, let alone ARC troopers or Jedi. On Geonosis, there are two squads of troopers that you can rescue, and on the Prosecuter, there's one squad, plus a lone soldier in close vicinity to the squad, and you can only save them if you're either very good at the game or you blow up all of the defense turrets before they're hacked.
 * Or alternatively not let the turrets get hacked in the first place.
 * Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The Trandoshan slavers.
 * Running Gag: Scorch's penchant for being creeped out by various things.

"Sev: Flying is easy, landing is hard."
 * Scare Chord: This is used a couple of times when Boss is solo aboard the "Prosecutor".
 * Send in the Search Team: The second campaign begins with Delta Squad boarding a seemingly abandoned derelict assault ship in order to discover what happened to it and salvage data from its computers. Initially they lose contact with their adviser and then from one another.
 * Shoot the Fuel Tank: For reasons that are left unexplained, Trandoshan mercenaries have fuel canisters strapped to their back. Hitting these canisters with any of your weapons will cause them to explode, killing the mercenary and propelling him upwards.

"Sev: We ain't got time to bleed, sir."
 * Short-Range Shotgun
 * Shout-Out: Scorch does this a lot. While they're mostly Star Wars related, there are a couple for things ranging from Monty Python to X-Men.
 * The title of the level, "Waking the Giant" refers to a famous (but apocryphal) line of dialogue from the film, Tora Tora Tora.

"Scorch: Watch out for the frikkin' laser beams!"

"Scorch: Get off of me, you frelling bag of bolts!"

"Scorch: We'll make 'em regret the day they blew up Delta Squad!"
 * Sibling Team: Delta Squad, other Commando squads, and the Clone Army in general. Scorch even calls Sev his pod brother.
 * The Siege: The roaring final battle aboard the Prosecutor against the Separatist forces about to steal it qualifies.

"Scorch: Almost, keep your space pants on..."
 * Smash to Black: Used in conjunction with the gunship door slamming shut at the end.
 * Sorry I'm Late: This is the manner in which Fixer finds Boss aboard the Prosecutor.
 * A Space Marine Is You
 * Space X: Said by Scorch while slicing a terminal.

"Scorch: Debris blocking our path here, Boss. We need to detonate the rocks to get through. And I'm not just saying that because I love to blow stuff up. Sev: Yes you are."
 * Stanley Steamer Spaceship: The "Prosecutor".
 * Stealth Based Mission: One short segment aboard the droid control ship on Geonosis just barely qualifies as one of these. Being detected (which inevitably happens) doesn't end the game, but accidentally activating and becoming the target of too many Super Battle Droids at one time is certainly one way to turn Boss's day upside down.
 * Stuff Blowing Up: Lots and lots.

"Fixer: Hold up, squad... I'm getting a read on something big headed this way. Scorch: Hope it's not a spider droid. Sev: Guess what? It's a spider droid."
 * Swiss Army Gun: Your DC-17m is designed to function as a "normal" blaster rifle, a Sniper Rifle and a grenade launcher -- provided that you've collected the proper attachments for the latter pair of functions.
 * Taking You with Me: Scav droids at low health will attempt to kill you with a spinning kamikaze attack.
 * Tempting Fate:

"01/425: Payload includes a special anti-armor attachment for your DC-17. You're going to need it. Scorch: Yes! More explosives! You just made my day, Advisor."
 * There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Scorch seems to live by this trope, often wondering if he used enough explosives right after flattening something with a demolitions charge or quipping "Ahh, so that's how it opens" after blowing a door open and deeming the DC-17's anti-armor attachment "a real weapon".

"Scorch: Remind me to leave the ship before we destroy it, next time."
 * This Is Gonna Suck: When encountering a hallway full of hostile gun turrets aboard the "Prosecutor", Boss's reaction is "Oh, hell" (curiously, the subtitle for this expression is "Not good".
 * Timed Mission: The final Geonosis segment sees Delta Squad running and gunning through the corridors of a Trade Federation core ship with 5 minutes to make it to its bridge in order to access a computer and get out alive before it explodes.

"You know, I gotta thank whoever designed this Katarn-class armor for us. It's great stuff. But obviously, they never thought we'd need to sit down. Ouch."
 * In addition, the ending of the second section of the game requires your team to slice automated defenses in order to hold off a Separatist frigate. Constant attacks from battle droids make this difficult, and if you don't slice all four consoles in time the ship is destroyed--a fact that the ship's computer reminds you of by constantly chiming in with how much shield and hull strength remains (although the last 25% of the countdown takes much longer than the rest).
 * 24-Hour Armor: Played straight, though justified since Delta Squad is only seen while they are en route to, or executing their mission. Also poked fun of by Scorch in one of the level loading screens:

"01/425: Locate turret controls and commence disabling maneuvers. Sev: "Disabling maneuvers?" Scorch: Uh, blowing things up. Sev: Oh, I knew that."
 * The Unintelligible: Any Wookiee. Fortunately, however, 01/425 is around to make sure that the player does not miss any essential information they may be giving him.
 * Unusable Enemy Equipment: As well as unusable friendly equipment. For the former, there's the sidearms used by battle droids and the staves used by Geonosians and Magna-guards. For the latter, there's the blasters carried by the regular clones and (to the aggravation of many) an abandoned lightsaber found on the Prosecutor.
 * Unusual Euphemism: When Boss tells his squad to blow stuff up, he says things like "Let's re-arrange some architecture, Deltas!" and "Initiate radical restructuring, commando."

"Misfire? MISFIRE! WHO PACKED THAT CHARGE?!"
 * Van Helsing Hate Crime: Members of Delta Squad really have it in for Trandoshans. Most notably, Sev and Scorch make declarations that "the only good lizard is a dead lizard" and threaten to make boots out of them.
 * Video Game Cruelty Punishment: If the player attacks and incapacitates one of his squadmates, this will usually earn him a harsh rebuke from the others and if the player continues with this behavior, they will attack him, eventually resulting in Final Death, not the usual Non-Lethal KO.
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: Sev and Scorch are Type 2 (if the whole squad didn't already count).
 * What the Hell, Player?: A player ordering a squadmate to do something and then ordering them to do something else or rescinding the order shortly thereafter, blocking a commando's line of fire, getting in his way or simply managing to blow himself up will typically earn him mildly disparaging comments from his squadmates. Canceling an order to have Scorch heal at a bacta tank can cause him to call Boss a sadist.
 * Where's the Kaboom?: Happens during a mission to destroy a bridge on Kashyyyk. Bad enough to get Boss riled up. Apparently he forgot they have a limitless supply of explosives.

"Scorch: Was it "Red, Red, Green" or "Red, Green, Red?" Sev: And he's supposed to be the demolitions expert?"
 * Wire Dilemma: Played for laughs occasionally when Scorch is arming a charge.


 * You Are Number Six: As with all clones in the Grand Army of the Republic, the actual name of each commando in Delta Squad is a number. Though they have nicknames for one another, they still exhibit a tendency to use numbers when addressing one another.