They say you’re only as good as your last game, the idea being you can make classic after classic, but if just one launch goes awry, all the goodwill you’ve built will quickly disappear. I’d like to think that’s not true – the reception to Star Wars Bounty Hunter, which has just been re-released on Steam, gives me hope. Aspyr had a very bad time with the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection earlier this year, but its new legacy game from a galaxy far, far away seems to be going way better. If you counted the studio out after Battlefront, Bounty Hunter, from what I’ve seen so far, might win you back.
As of this writing, Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection has a ‘mostly negative’ rating on Steam – of the almost 7,000 user reviews, only 20% are positive. When it launched back in March, it hit a high of 9,232 concurrent players on Valve’s platform. Right now, only 15 people are playing Battlefront Classic Collection, which was roundly criticized owing to connection and technical issues. But Aspyr, which also shipped the well-loved Tomb Raider Remastered back in February, seems to have found its feet with Star Wars Bounty Hunter. Right now, the new Star Wars game is doing great on Steam.
It’s early days – Star Wars Bounty Hunter was only re-released today, Thursday August 1 – but of the small number of user reviews posted so far, a big 94% are positive. “Gotta give credit where credit is due,” one player writes. “Aspyr managed to take a beloved childhood game of mine and successfully bring it into the modern era, complete with all the fancy-schmancy bells and whistles.” “Having watched how the Battlefront Classic Collection was handled, I was skeptical,” another says. “Very, very skeptical. Thankfully, the controls have been nicely modernized. The cutscenes look better, there is a good bit of QoL.”
Originally released back in 2002, Bounty Hunter casts you as the mercenary Jango Fett and takes place between Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. Personally, I think it’s the perfect kind of game to get a remaster. It was a bit rough and ready back in the day, with some fussy controls and technical peculiarities, but nevertheless a seriously solid shooter with some smart gimmicks. A little extra love and some modern touches is all Bounty Hunter needs – if you want to try it for yourself, it’s $19.99 / £16.75, and available here.
Otherwise, get a load of our Star Wars Outlaws preview – Ubisoft’s open-world effort might be better than it originally seemed. You can also try some of the best old games, if you want some nostalgia.
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