Warning: Spoilers ahead.
The lives of non-Force users have always seemed far more interesting to me. Not only are they going up against the standard arsenal of weaponry, they’re often pitted against Force users, who have the innate advantage of control and manipulation of the thoughts and actions of others. It’s hardly equal playing ground and many Star Wars characters, both in the movies and in the expanded universe, seem to either avoid contact with Jedi and Sith or find ways to compensate through technology.
The trooper’s story feels like one of the more action-driven stories in the game. There are plenty of moral choices to consider, some of which paint the Republic in a very poor light and make the Empire somewhat sympathetic. I’ve found it easier to lean lightside or darkside with some of the other classes, such as the Jedi Knight or the Sith Inquisitor, but it’s difficult to do so with the trooper. From the start, you’re dealing with the old Havoc Squad who, after years of service, have started questioning their loyalties. You’re constantly bombarded between deciding whether to pick the Republic, your squad, civilians, and people who have been coerced or otherwise find themselves in bad situations. There’s a lot to consider and the Republic and its allies are never happy unless you’re operating like a mindless puppet.
Chapters 1’s whole premise revolves around the trooper trying to find and save the original Havoc Squad. As far as I can tell, this is impossible and I was fairly disappointed that I wasn’t able to save them in the second playthrough. However, the new squad you assemble is pretty much a mirror of the old unit, at least in terms of personalities, so the concept of Havoc Squad remains largely intact:
- Aric Jorgan is the new Gearbox, a battle-worn soldier who can be compassionate or downright bloodthirsty, depending on his experience and feelings.
- Both Elara and Wraith are pretty cold and rigid about their work but in different ways. Elara hides behind rules and regulations to excuse some actions, Wraith hides behind professionalism to justify her killing.
- Needles is downright psychotic and Tanno Vik does a pretty good job of picking up where he left off. Both are selfish, manipulative, and generally disagreeable with everyone.
- Yuun is the new Fuse – friendly, mellow, and comparatively an odd choice for the unit.
The only companion who isn’t a direct replacement is M1-4X, a large battle droid that the trooper recovers on Nar Shaddaa. He’s sort of an amalgamation of the squad – deeply devoted to the Republic, enthusiastic about war, friendly and cheerful, knows the rules and regulations inside and out, and at times, just a tad psychotic (but in a hilariously cheerful optimistic way!). It’s sort of fitting that the perfect soldier is a war droid – it would’ve been so much easier to wade through all the lightside/darkside decisions in the quest line without having to stop and think. To borrow from Star Trek, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” is a really hard rule to follow!
The hardest choice in the story was whether to save or sacrifice Sergeant Jaxo. My first trooper opted to save her (squad loyalty and all that), my second trooper opted to sacrifice her (greater good). Neither decision felt right but it was a great point to look at my troopers and split their lines; my first trooper was grey from the start but my second tried to be loyal until the end. However, between Jaxo’s death and the previous mission where Dagger Wing was thrown away by the Republic, then forced to return, it became incredibly difficult to remain loyal to a government that simply didn’t care if you were alive or dead. It just didn’t make sense.
Afterwards, my trooper became disillusioned and detached. I often skipped some of the dialogue by jumping straight to the “Attack” option and executing the defeated Imperials or Sith, rather than trying to see their perspective or bringing them in alive. On Voss, he refused to be a diplomatic showpiece and at the subsequent Senate hearing on Coruscant, he refused to stay quiet, despite the fact that General Garza had asked him to. On Corellia, he often picked strategies that dealt with the Imperials first and took the feelings and concerns of civilians second – such as destroying the defunct “Lucky Lancer” so that Republic ships could use the landing pad. Ironically, it seems like in the end, he was on his way to becoming a “perfect” soldier.
The ending wasn’t bad but it wasn’t fantastic either. I ended up killing General Rakton but even with the cinematics and music, never felt like a hero. The praise from the Republic rang hollow and I actually felt bad for my trooper. At the end of the day, what was left? Neither serving the Republic or the Empire seemed appealing; to paraphrase the Sith Warrior, “Same chain, different masters.” I haven’t taken my new trooper through Rishi yet, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up making the same choice (perhaps with a little more vengeance).
Despite all of this, the trooper’s story remains one of my favorites. Part of this is due to the obvious similarities between it and Mass Effect 2 (not to mention Jennifer Hale voicing the female trooper), but more because of its darker portrayal of the Republic – even though you’re playing the hero, there are very few chances to actually feel like a hero. It takes a little shine off the way the Republic is portrayed in the Star Wars movies and that makes it more interesting.