Star Wars: Bounty Hunter

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
65

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 32
  3. Negative: 3 out of 32
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  1. Playboy
    72
    A painful save system demands countless restarts and all but assures general frustration. On the whole, Bounty Hunter establishes itself as a worthy, yet flawed offering.
  2. TotalGames.net
    70
    It is also, bizarrely, needlessly fiddly to walk in a straight line. Its almost as if the game is expecting you to strafe as your viewpoint veers to the left and right, causing you to correct the movement on a constant basis.
  3. PSM Magazine
    70
    Gripes aside, Bounty Hunter still brings plenty of clever puzzles and exploration elements to the table in conjunction with one of the best presentations around. [Jan 2003, p.28]
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  5. Electric Playground
    70
    It has strong characters and a story that's better plotted than the last movie, quite frankly. If only that camera was a little more tame.
  6. Armchair Empire
    70
    The game by itself, is sort of bland and unexciting because of the lack of variety.
  7. Game Over Online
    68
    Serves up some decent platforming elements, and blasting hordes of opposition is fun to a certain extent, but there are so many trifling aspects to the experience that you’ll probably want to give up before you have a chance to appreciate the game’s interesting storyline.
  8. Total Video Games
    60
    Unfortunately the execution is extremely poor and not at all what we could have hoped for, at the end of the day this is just another action title with a Star Wars license blasted across it.
  9. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    60
    A horrible camera often shakes uncontrollably like a drunken Corellian, and sloppy controls tend to make you feel just as uncoordinated. [Feb 2003, p.138]
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  10. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    60
    I didnit dig the hassle of switching from ID scope to ideal weapon when six angry Gran would suddenly start shooting my way. [Jan 2003, p.122]
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  11. GamePro
    60
    The camera is pretty awful, requiring way too much fussing by the player to maintain a clear field of view.
  12. Eurogamer
    60
    This is a very simple, very brainless third person shooter for people who want to be Jango Fett – it won’t challenge for a spot on your Christmas list, but it won’t have you crossing anybody off yours if it finds its way into your stocking.
  13. Game Informer
    58
    With an archaic graphics engine, dreadfully awful camera tracking, extensive load times, and some of the most atrocious mission challenges known to man, it becomes quite clear where this game went wrong. [Jan 2003, p.89]
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  14. GameSpy
    57
    Even if its technical issues were resolved, you'd still be left with a flawed, boring game design that fails to capitalize on the inherent coolness of its theme and character.
  15. GameSpot
    54
    Unfortunately, the game has some pretty glaring shortcomings all around, and while the design might have looked solid on paper, it just didn't make for a fun, engaging, or good-looking game.
  16. Yahoo!
    50
    Could have been great, but relies too heavily on the "Jango Fett is cool" idea, and doesn't have the depth of gameplay needed to hold most people's interest.
  17. XenGamers
    50
    It sounds great, as all Star Wars games do, but the graphics are bland at best and nauseating at worst, and the action is a redundant mess of blaster fire and jumping puzzles.
  18. Entertainment Weekly
    50
    The extra-large level maps offer vertiginous expanses to traverse, and since half the game forces you to zip from ledge to ledge, this leads to nagging depth-perception problems. [15 Nov 2002, p.143]
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Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2002
7
#7 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2002

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 56
  3. Negative: 4 out of 56
  1. Ponstory_Games
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    Lucasarts was once well-known in the gaming industry for creating some of the most compelling, innovative, and outlandishly fun experiences inLucasarts was once well-known in the gaming industry for creating some of the most compelling, innovative, and outlandishly fun experiences in history. As sad as it is to see them go, you can always do yourself a service by going back and seeing what made them so great in the first place. Bounty Hunter is one such example that shows their prowess in crafting an intricate and original story housing some of the most memorable (if not the most memorable) characters seen in any of their games. Following Jango on an adventure that includes him assassinating corrupt senators, infiltrating a crime-lord's barracks, delving into Coruscant's underworld to find where certain dangerous drugs are being smuggled, and breaking into an asteroid-based prison are only a few of the levels you'll have a blast playing through, however challenging they may be. Rest assured you won't feel disempowered or bored on your travels; Jango has access to all of the galaxy's more sophisticated weaponry and gadgets, from silent toxic darts, to a whipcord for roping up enemies, to his signature flamethrower and dual pistols. You'll even get jetpack upgrades along the way. In addition to the already-stellar narrative, you can take on side-missions in each level by scanning NPCs (who roam the map, going about their daily business), and find out whether any of them have a bounty on their head. Once they're marked, you can cash in for the reward, dead or alive, but the ensuing chase is where the real fun comes in. All in all, Bounty Hunter serves to show us just how fun a Star Wars game can be, and makes Episode 2 just a tad more bearable when you understand who Zam Wessel is, and why Jango ever decided to join Count Dooku (which the game's CG cut-scenes serve to explain in fine detail). Prepare to be dazzled. You owe it to Lucasarts to play one of their greatest games.… Full Review »
  2. Weslapootayn
    Jul 22, 2017
    8
    I LOVE this game! Seriously underrated. Sure the game could've used a little more variety in gameplay like stealth missions and sniperI LOVE this game! Seriously underrated. Sure the game could've used a little more variety in gameplay like stealth missions and sniper missions or something, but it's still great. I get a lot of enjoyment out of gunning down hundreds of dudes in a crazy battle, and it takes a while for me to get bored of it. There's enough weapon variety to keep it interesting and give you different ways to approach battles so it's not like it's that repetitive. I wish that the money you collect from bounties could be used to buy weapon upgrades or something, but whatever. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun.… Full Review »
  3. Sylictic
    Jul 8, 2023
    3
    If you like hunting bounty then look no further than bounty hunter. Unless you want a good video game.
    The idea of playing as boba fett in the    If you like hunting bounty then look no further than bounty hunter. Unless you want a good video game.
    The idea of playing as boba fett in the star wars underworld on paper sounds like one of the best ideas of all time. Unfortunately a boring story, linear progression and stifled gameplay make this a slog rather than a joy to finish.    … Full Review »
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