Star Wars Battlefront II returns players to the multiplayer-centric battlefields of Star Wars while bringing a single player campaign this time. Check out Kidzworlds review of the new game!
By: Max Cannon
Star Wars isn't just one of the biggest brands in movies, but it's clearly a big deal in the world of video gaming too. Gamers have fond memories of games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Force Unleashed, or Dark Forces but when players are reminiscing about their favorite Star Wars games it's almost always Star Wars Battlefront that gets brought up. With the addition of a single-player campaign into Star Wars Battlefront II, and the controversy surrounding the game's microtransactions, gamers are more critical of this game than most other entries. While there are definitely some great changes, this isn't much of a different package than the previous Battlefront game.
Unlocking heroes isn't as terribly difficult as once expected.
A New Story
Star Wars Battlefront II adds in a short single-player campaign, which players have been clamoring for. The story follows Iden Versio, a commander for the Empire, as she fights against (and eventually alongside) the rebels. Things start out interestingly enough, the opening mission where you'll break out Iden from rebel holding is an immediate hook and an effective tutorial, but the story quickly feels rushed and it feels like they're working hard to cram a lot of content into this short campaign that took me about 5 hours to finish up. In fact, the end of the game reminds you to play the real final chapter when it's available later in December. Much of the game's story also feels like an excuse to fill the game with cameo's. You'll play as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo throughout the game but these brief snippets feel forced into the game and oddly enough some of the characters -- namely Luke -- don't look quite right despite the game's amazing visuals in almost every other department.
This is Star Wars Battlefront 2
I often had more fun when playing as Iden than any of the cameo characters, her moveset feels more diverse and you've got more options than running in and blasting when playing as her. A few levels that take place in space will put Iden into the cockpit of a tie fighter or X-wing. I often ran into graphical hiccups in these sections, with the screen constantly flashing, or an endless slew of oncoming enemies that went on for over 10 minutes of shooting down the same ships over and over. Luckily, these sections of gameplay work much better in the online world than the single-player one.
While buggy in the single-player campaign, the space battles are a welcomed addition.
An Online Experience
Despite the addition of a single-player campaign, Star Wars Battlefront II's multiplayer is the meat of the experience. If you've played the last game then you're probably familiar with the basics of how you'll be spending your time in Battlefront II's multiplayer. Most of the modes are based around capturing locations while playing as those classic Star Wars characters. The nearly picture-perfect visuals and sounds of the game make a run across a battlefield constantly thrilling, especially if you get up close and personal from the first-person perspective. The modes themselves can often be overly simple, which make them accessible to most players, but it makes it a little repetitive for repeat players.
Iden Versio is a fitting addition to the Star Wars universe.
The huge controversy around the game concerning the inclusion of microtransactions has been temporarily solved by straight up removing them. After players accused EA of encouraging gamers to pay even more than the $60 price for the game to buy in-game currency which would unlock certain characters, EA decided to take them out of the game, for the time being. They've also reduced the price of that in-game currency to buy certain characters. In fact, after only a few rounds I was able to unlock a couple of characters from the campaign. I do think it's an unfair inclusion, that'll more than likely be added to the game in the future, but at the moment it's not a problem.
The game's visuals are as stunning as expected.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars Battlefront II's single-player campaign is over too quickly to really suck players in, and the end of the game isn't even fully available yet. The online is simple but accessible enough to let any gamer get some enjoyment out of the game. If you're looking for a deep experience you'll probably want to try a different game but if you're just looking for an excuse to jump into the world of Star Wars than you couldn't do any better this year.
Pros
- Visuals
- Accessible online
Cons
- Some graphical bugs
- Microtransactions may return
Star Wars Battlefront II Game Rating:
Star Wars Battlefront II Box Art
Star Wars Battlefront II is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Have Your Say!
Are you going to try out the new Star Wars game? Have you played the earlier Battlefront games? Comment below!
