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Fixed that for you: The best and worst of Star Wars: Battlefront II
A prequel trilogy of Cons and an original trilogy of Pros for Star Wars Battlefront II split the game in uneven and oft broken ways, as we explore...
Star Wars Battlefront II is finally out in the wild. While it’s not without controversy in the lead-up to release, there are some key things to love about the follow-up to 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront reboot. In the same breath, there are some face-palmingly bad inclusions that hold Star Wars Battlefront II back from being The Empire Strikes Back of sequels.
Read on for a breakdown of the three best and three worst parts of Star Wars Battlefront II.
A comically cool canonised campaign
Star Wars Battlefront II has a campaign. Phew. That’s a pro in and of itself. What’s even better is that it’s an engaging experience, and even more rewarding for Star Wars nerds (like me). Better still, it’s been given the official canon blessing by Disney, which means that the events and new characters are all part of Star Wars lore now. Leading lady Iden Versio is surrounded by grounded characters who have a rightful place among the galaxy far, far away. On top of this, get past the first three missions, and some fantastic humour crops up in every subsequent mission, which is in line with the Star Wars trend of lighthearted moments amid the serious space drama. As a bonus, the campaign also sheds some light on the events between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, plus it ties nicely into the recent canonised comics and books. Thankfully, it doesn’t outstay its welcome, and while the epilogue ends with a tease, there’s the promise of more campaign content coming soon.
Is this screen a metaphor for the game's release and current state?
© Electronic Arts
Fantasy hero vs villain showdowns
The boosted Heroes vs Villains mode is one of the best, particularly if you’re more interested in smaller multiplayer modes rather than the epic chaos of the modes with larger player counts. A team of four heroes square off against four villains, and each fight is introduced by some fantastic tongue-in-cheek humour that makes it feel like a sci-fi wrestling match. For the most part, the heroes and villains are great, even if you do have to cough up some in-game credits to unlock all of the launch options. Still, taking control of who’d come out on top of a grudge match between Yoda or Boba Fett, Rey or Palpatine, or Han Solo vs Bossk is a tonne of fun. It’s even more fun when it slips into battle royale territory, with four heroes battling against four villains simultaneously to settle, once and for all, whether the Dark or Light Side is strongest. In fairness, you probably should protect the specific player targeted by the other team, but there’s plenty of fun to be had outside of playing the objective, too!
That pitch-perfect Star Wars magic
This happens quite a bit in Battlefront II, but it really starts with the look and sound. DICE’s Battlefront in 2015 looked fantastic, but Battlefront II looks incredible, especially if you have a chance to take it for a spin on PlayStation 4 Pro or, better yet, Xbox One X on a 4K TV. There are so many jaw-dropping moments, both in the campaign and in multiplayer, that you run the risk of being distracted by the fantastic attention to detail. Then there’s the soundscape. Whether it’s the brilliantly timed use of John Williams’ iconic Star Wars score, or new complementary tracks that are a perfect fit, the music enhances everything it touches. On top of this, the voice acting is fantastic, and the sounds of blasters, the scream of TIE fighter engines, and the iconic noise of an X-wing firing its cannons are all on point. When it gets things right, Star Wars Battlefront II transports you to that beloved galaxy far, far away.
Rock, paper, scissors, laser... LASER! I win!!
© Electronic Arts
It’s mainly about the multiplayer
The campaign is great, but you can knock it over in five to seven hours, and there are very few reasons to replay it...
Fans rejoiced when they EA announced it had listened to fan feedback for the last Battlefront and would include more single-player content. The campaign is great, but you can knock it over in five to seven hours, and there are very few reasons to replay it. Arcade mode is a good place to practice with heroes, villains, and troopers, but most of the missions can be beaten in just a few minutes. Also, for some reason, there’s no starfighter missions in Arcade, which means you have to replay specific campaign missions or jump into the intenseness of Starfighter Assault multiplayer if you want to practice. Even when you finish the campaign, you’ll be greeted with the text: “Iden’s journey continues in multiplayer,” which is partially true: as long as you pay the 5,000 credits to unlock her first. Speaking of credits…
Multiplayer progression tied to loot crates
The dirty words evolve over time when it comes to videogames. It used to be ‘DLC’. Then it was ‘season pass'. Not long after, it became ‘microtransactions’. Nowadays, the phrase that’s quickest to evoke anger from gamers is ‘loot crates’. Loot crates are a big part of Battlefront II. Despite EA recently disabling the option to trade real-world cash for in-game uncertainty (read: loot crates), the loot crates are still a core part of the multiplayer progression. Y’see, the time you invest into playing as a trooper class, starfighter type, special unit, hero, or villain doesn’t count towards progression. You’ll advance your overall rank, but to improve the rank of those different types of playable things, you need to unlock Star Cards specific to them. You get Star Cards from loot crates. Alternatively, you can craft Star Cards with crafting parts… but you primarily get those from loot crates, too. It’s a worrying design decision that will hopefully be tweaked, because it detracts from the fun that’s found in multiplayer.
The one thing that can't be denied is that it's damn purdy
© Electronic Arts
Teamplay isn’t as supported as it should be
You’d think that the inclusion of classes, with distinct strengths and weaknesses, and ad hoc squads (every respawn) would incentivise teamwork, but it’s not really the case in Battlefront II’s multiplayer. You will get extra Battle Points – that let you unlock vehicles, special units, and heroes/villains on relevant modes – for staying near those ad hoc squad mates, but there’s no way to communicate with them as Battlefront II has no in-game VOIP support. If you link up with friends via Battlefront II’s in-game party system, you do have voice chat, but it cuts out on the loading screens, which is really frustrating. Plus, you also aren’t guaranteed to spawn with or near those party friends when you’re in the game, either. Outside of this, the current Battle Points system favours getting frags more than playing the objective or supporting your team, so lone-wolf play at the launch of Star Wars Battlefront II is definitely encouraged.
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