Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Review (Xbox Series X|S)

Jango Fett isn’t quite as famous as his son (or even Dinn Djarin from The Mandalorian) but during the height of the movie prequel trilogy, he was lucky enough to get his very own game - known as Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. This title never actually got released on the original Xbox, but now, after more than 20 years, Force-sensitive users on Team Green can finally experience this slice of Star Wars video game history.

Following on from the rocky release of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection, port specialist Aspyr is now back with this action-adventure title that was originally released by LucasArts in 2002. If you have played Aspyr’s previous Star Wars releases, you should know by now it generally aims to keep everything as faithful to the source material as possible, while adding some subtle changes here and there in an attempt to enhance the overall experience for modern platforms and audiences.

This same process applies to Star Wars: Bounty Hunter – with the delivery of the original game and some added extras in this completely native port. For starters, perhaps the standout update here is the implementation of modern controls and a modern camera, which make the game easier to play in this day and age. These options fall in line with what players have become accustomed to nowadays – with your standard sort of third-person shooter controls, and a camera that makes both the action and certain platforming segments less of a hassle (well, kind of).

Unfortunately, there are not many quality-of-life improvements beyond this, and these updates are not enough to save the rest of the package. If you did play the original Bounty Hunter game in the early 2000s, nostalgia might be enough to spur you on, but newer generations of Star Wars fans will likely struggle to see this one out.

Even if you’re dying to role-play as a Mandalorian or Bounty Hunter from the Star Wars galaxy, you’re probably better off getting your fix elsewhere. This game was arguably average in 2002 and by modern standards, its design has not exactly aged gracefully. Some levels overstay their welcome, navigation can be quite confusing at times, certain platforming aspects spike in difficulty, and in between all of this, you’re often mobbed by seemingly never-ending waves of enemies.

Aspyr hasn’t done much to make the situation any easier in terms of progression (outside of cheats, which we’ll add are still available to use), so you’ll be forced to replay entire levels if you run out of continues. Some sort of save state wouldn’t have hurt here – especially after the team went to the extent of upgrading the controls and camera. There’s also no handholding or easy navigation prompts, and while some might argue these assists are often overused in modern games, Bounty Hunter is a reminder of how painful certain gameplay experiences can be without these kind of design cues.

While a lack of certain modern touches admittedly makes the experience quite a slog at times, there are some redeeming traits. The story of Jango (and his arsenal of weapons and gadgets) along with the cinematics, cutscenes and lore throughout each chapter are perhaps the standout reason to play this game. You've also got the trademark Star Wars music to go with it, and, there's bonus content to explore in the game’s menus - from comics to trading cards and even an unlockable Boba Fett skin.

In terms sound and visuals, Bounty Hunter has received a similar facelift to previous Aspyr projects, with the developer also preserving significant visual flourishes. As for the performance, we had no notable problems on Xbox, although there were some glitches, with Jango occasionally getting clipped on the environment.