Republic Commando sees the player control a squad of three Clone Commandos, each with their own specialties. Star Wars: Republic Commando's gameplay serves to cement this tone throughout the game. The game's character models also emphasize danger and tension, with even standard B1 Battle Droids looking ominous, with decaying and rusting limbs.
This more mature tone is heightened with the use of blood and oil, which sprays on the player's visor when they engage in melee combat. This darker visual style persists throughout all of Star Wars: Republic Commando, with the lighting being used to elicit fear and a sense of realism at all times. Sand and mud slowly start to spread across Delta Squad's white Clone armor, and dark caves hide terrifying, tall Geonosians. Instead, Republic Commando's Geonosis is dirty and hazardous. After a brief tutorial sequence, the player lands on Geonosis, but again, it doesn't have the same bright orange hue as its movie counterpart.
