Star Wars fans haven’t been spoiled for choice in gaming these days. Apart from the additions to Zen Pinball, no major production from the universe has appeared in the last few years.
Now, when the seventh episode of the star saga hits theaters any day, fans have the opportunity to play Star Wars Battlefront.
As a game for fans of the universe, the latest production from Dice is doing great. From the first launch of the game, the first inscription, the loading screen, we get the atmosphere of Star Wars on our faces. Same music, same sounds, characters, vehicles and weapons. This is an amazing treat for any Star Wars fan. Racing a racer on Endor, flying a Millennium Falcon or playing as a rebel defending a base against AT AT on Hoth felt like playing out favorite moments from a movie saga. Without appeals, this is one of the best games in the universe and a fan dream come true that was worth the wait.
Dice definitely has to be praised for the technical preparation of the game. Everything runs smoothly at 60 frames per second, even when playing on a split screen. Yes, the game runs at 900p, but it looks just PHENOMENAL. The Battlefront example perfectly illustrates that a smoothly running and beautiful-looking 900p is better than the 1080p frame rate. Sitting at a normal distance from the TV, you don’t see any difference at all and probably only exceptional graphic purists will notice the missing 1080p. At this point, Star Wars Battlefront is probably the nicest PS4 game.
The whole thing is complemented by great sound. I have already mentioned that both the music and all the sounds are straight out of the movie, so their fans will be delighted. In this matter, the biggest problem is that the characters are not voiced by the original actors, but by their doubles known from animated films or other media. The voices are well chosen, but a trained ear will immediately notice that it is not Mark Hamill or Harrison Ford after all.
Dice are very familiar with shooting, so this aspect is done very well. Fans of shooters may be a bit disappointed because the game is extremely friendly to freshmen. If you’ve never played this type of game before, Battlefront is a good place to start. The gameplay is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s simplistic. There are still various weapons and skills here. Of course, you can complain that all guns fire the same lasers and differ only in appearance and statistics, but that’s the universe. Weapons cannot be edited or improved in any way. I really like the ability to switch between TPP and FPP view. Both variants are equally well prepared and both play great.
As in most modern FPS, playing online we earn points, advance to higher levels and unlock new character skins or weapons. I am not a supporter of such a solution, I much prefer when all weapons are available from the beginning, and only skills count on the battlefield, not how much time was spent on the game. But well, that’s the specificity of the genre. EA also wants people to have something to strive for. It is a pity that matchmaking does not always work smoothly and you will fight against people of a much higher level than yours more than once. But this is probably the problem of all such productions.
There are 9 game modes available in the game. Interestingly, they are very diverse. Some are very intimate, for 12 players. Others are great epic fights for 40 players. The variety of modes is one of the advantages of this production. Additionally, it is worth noting that each of the modes makes sense in the context of the universe. There is no situation here that we catch our heads while playing and think that it does not fit Star Wars. There are standard modes here with a little Star Wars twist. For example, a variation in the capture the flag mode is that you have to capture droids that are constantly on the move. They move on fixed routes, but their mobility adds a certain flavor to the game.
The Squadron and AT AT Attack modes are definitely the most impressive. In the first, 20 players sit at the controls of empire and rebellion vehicles. In addition to player-driven ships, there are also AI-controlled ships. As a result, the whole thing looks very exciting, like a real fight in a movie. Flying is extremely fun and easy. If we get a special bonus, we will be able to fly the Millennium Falcon or Slave I Bobba Fett. These ships are extremely powerful,
The AT AT attack is the second epic mode where the rebels defend their bases against two great AT ATs. The fight takes place on many fronts, because apart from the ground, there are also flying vehicles. The biggest problem with this mode is that, unfortunately, players do not always follow the orders. Instead of defending the relays, they treat this mode as another Deathmatch. Nevertheless, the whole thing makes a colossal impression.
However, the best game for me was the Heroes and Villains mode, where two teams of six people fight each other on small maps. In each team, three players play randomly as one of the heroes. For the empire, it’s the Imperator, Darth Vader, and Bobba Fett, and for the Rebellion, it’s Luke, Leia, and Han Solo. The round ends when all heroes are dead. The roles of the players are changed every round, so there is a chance to play as each of the heroes. Each of them, of course, has their own abilities.
There is no campaign mode in the game. There is, however, a local multiplayer for two. We can play the horde mode together and repel the empire’s attacks. It is worth noting that despite the split screen, the game does not slow down or deteriorate the graphics. Everything still runs smoothly and looks amazing.
The biggest disadvantage of Star Wars Battlefront is that when we buy a game for PLN 230, we are attacked with a Season Pass from the very beginning. Everywhere we look in the menu, we see an advertisement for the season pass. An expensive pass, because it costs an additional PLN 200! The first expansion pack, The Battle of Jakku, will be available for free to everyone, but the next one requires a pass. Unfortunately, it stings the eyes and shows that we did not buy the finished product. Of course, someone can say that such Call of Duty or Battlefield also had an equally expensive Season Pass, but at least there, at least in addition to the multiplayer mode, is the entire single player campaign.
In my opinion, it is a pity that the game does not include content from the Star Wars prequel trilogy. But it will probably show up in one of the expansion packs. It is a pity, because I would like to see Droids and Clones on the battlefield or play the role of Count Dooku or Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Star Wars Battlefront is a really great shooter. I had a lot of fun in it because of the mechanics, but also because of the universe. Star Wars fans were hungry for any game based on Star Wars. Luckily they got a very good game and not another **** under license. The only question I leave you is whether you want to buy the game today or wait a year for the ultimate version with all DLCs.
Three cents from an FPS veteran not related to the Star Wars universe:
Battlefront is a very arcade network shooter that does not require more skills from players. Call of Duty or Battlefield veterans will quickly rebound from this title – mainly due to the lack of modifications, while players who do not find themselves or cannot cope with CoD: BO3 and BF4 can quickly find an outlet in Star Wars. Battlefront doesn’t offer us much, but for beginners, it will be the perfect tutorial on how to play FPS on consoles. The lack of weapon modifications has the advantage that everyone runs close to each other with blasters and all you need to win here is a good skill. If you want to buy your first console in the Christmas promotion, I recommend looking for sets with Battlefront. The game works great on both PS4 and Xbox One – even split-screen. Battlefront, a game that I approach stress-free, is for me a great springboard and relaxation after tough or uneven matches in more demanding games. As strange as you may find, my favorite mode is Squadron, which is airborne spacecraft combat.
Konrad Bosiacki
We thank EA Polska for submitting the game for review.
You can read more about Battlefront on the game’s official channels: Facebook, @EAStarWars and www.starwars.ea.com
