Star Wars
Battlefront
Publisher: Lucasarts
Entertainment
Developer: Pandemic
Studios
Genre: Shooting/Action/War
ESRB Rating:
Teen (Violence)
Multiplayer:
Yes (Online enabled)
Reviewed On:
Microsoft Xbox
Additional Platforms:
Sony Playstation 2 and PC
Game Life: 5
to 10 hours
-----------------------------
Scores:
Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 5/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Intro:
First off, this
is a pretty bias review. I apologize but I am one of the biggest Star Wars fans
in the galaxy. I’ve read all of the books (the main novels and many of the sub-plot novels), own all of the movies,
own all of the games, and own tons of toys and other SWAG, so this game will obviously get a high score. But even those that
aren’t a fan of the movies will find much fun to be had in this great game. This game uses the Battlefield 1942 engine and mixes it with the Star Wars movie franchise.
This game is basically just good, old-fashioned fun. There aren’t any real bells or whistles in this game, but it’s
a great game none-the-less.
Graphics:
The graphics,
though not the best seen in games today, are very impressive. The environments look amazingly well done and the particle effects
and explosions are full of life. The water is also dreamingly well rendered.
The models all
hold-true to the Star Wars universe. Every Storm Trooper to Tusken Raider looks just like they did in the movies. The levels
also look like they did in the movies. You go from the bustling city of Mos Espa all the way to the rainy labs on Kamino. Overall, the graphics are nothing to brag about, but
they are still very good.
Sound:
It’s only
natural that a Star Wars game would have the best audio in gaming. And Battlefront holds true to this law. All of the songs
are the masterfully composed scores from the movies. John Williams should be proud of what he’s made.
The voice overs
are also good, but not the best to be seen in acting such as Half-Life 2. They
have specific voice-commands that your player or team mates will make for things like “move-out,” “regroup,”
and “hold this position.”
Gameplay:
The gameplay
is very addictive, and is probably the best I’ve seen in a simple shooter in some time. You can either play in a 3rd-person
perspective or a 1st-person perspective. You basically spawn at one of your controlled points on the map. Then
you have to go and capture other points on the map that are strategically set up (I recommend capturing all of the outer defenses
as to box the enemy in the middle.). When you capture a point you cut off the enemy reinforcements from that point and you
and your team mates can spawn there. There are two ways to go about winning a match: the first is to capture all of the points
and hold them all for a period of time. The second is to ultimately deplete your enemy’s army of men by killing them
all (basically your team has to kill 200 people to do this).
You can fight
on foot or in vehicles, as well. You can drive such things as speeder bikes, STAPs, TAUN TAUNS (!!), and even the all-mighty
AT-AT. As well as operating turrets around the levels. Also, sometimes the natural inhabitants of the worlds such as Gungans
or Snad People will join in on the fight.
There are several
single-player modes. The first is campaign; in this mode you fight match after match, switching sides as the game goes on
and you basically play through the story of the Galactic Civil War or the Clone Wars. The second is Galactic Conquest, in
which you fight for supremacy over many planets, earning points as you go along. The second, and my personal favorite, is
Instant Action: in this mode you just choose the maps and time periods (Civil or Clone Wars) and jump right into the game
playing as you wish. This is just fun as you can play it over and over and just experience the game for what it is. There
is one multiplayer mode which is basically Instant Action, replacing the A.I. controlled units with people.
There are two
time periods and two “teams” for each period. In the Clone Wars there is the Republic, made up of the Clone Troopers
and such, and the Separatists (Confederacy), made up of the droids. The Galactic Civil War era uses the Empire, consisting
of Storm Troopers, and the Rebel Alliance, consisting of…well…Rebels. There are five classes for each team, each
with there own special qualities.
Story:
The story isn’t
the best to be seen in games. I mean, the game isn’t really a story-driven game at its core and is really just meant
for playing. The campaign mode features the big battles of the movies, but that’s about it.
Fun
Factor & Closing Thoughts:
This game is
undeniably fun. It's extremely addictive. Again, it's not the greatest or most complex game to hit the shelves,
but it's definitely one to remember.
Regrets:
I wish there
were more maps, and also I wish that the campaign would have been richer
and with a better story (perhaps one all its own).
Final
Score:
9/10
Best
Star Wars game since KotOR.
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