Star Wars games have always failed to make a significant impact in my gaming schedule. Aside from Lego Star Wars I’ve never managed to find a game that captures my attention, and despite the hype surrounding Battlefront I didn’t buy it straight away. I was put off by the distinct lack of a full campaign mission having discovered a majority of the content is online. I wasn’t a big online gamer, nothing makes me angrier than being constantly killed by spotty teenagers the world over and then having them gloat about it by sending me abusive messages. It’s why I gave up on one of the COD games, there’s no fun in sitting in your own living room being made to look like an idiot by a kid who still has to go to bed when his mother tells him.
However the release of the film The Force Awakens and an enforced spell at home made me swap over thirty beer tokens for the game. As per the norm these days I banged the disc in and waited 14 hours for my 1.2gb update to download. There are downsides to living in the Lincolnshire Wolds and god awful internet is the main one (the other for those that are interested is bloody massive spiders).
The basic premise of the game is very simple. You either play as Imperials looking to wipe out all the Rebels, or vica versa. The games modes vary but all fall in similar categories to your favourite FPS games of old. There’s posts to capture, things to escort safely and just out and out battles to the death. Let’s face it to reinvent the FPS genre now would be incredibly difficult, with some saying that attempts to innovate have led to the current crop of games falling short. It’s probably why Battlefield 4 servers are still rammed full.
The first thing you’ll notice about the game is the authenticity of everything. It looks and feels beautiful, just like a Star Wars game should. Blaster fire ricochets all around you and in some game modes X Wings swoop in from above. Stand around too long and you’re guaranteed to get picked off by an eager Storm Trooper or desperate Rebel. The sheer scale of some of the game modes is tough to comprehend. There’s immense battles on Hoth or Endor to drop in and out of, and when you do you’ll feel like you’re dropping into the films themselves. The soundtrack is entirely authentic as well, so this really feels like the homage to the original films that a game should be. It’s beautiful, genuinely a sight to behold.
What this game can do that many FPS cannot is give you the opportunity to play as a hero. They’re not available in all games modes, and in some you have to pick up a power up to become one but they’re there and they are ready for you to play as. Luke, Han, Leia, Darth, Boba Fett and the Emperor all make an appearance in the basic game and they all have their special skills and traits. If you’re in one of the massive 40 player battles on Jakku it really does help if you suddenly get to slash your way through hoards of white helmeted enemies as the mighty Skywalker.
There’s something very satisfying about playing as these characters and for me it makes the Heroes v Villains mode the first port of call. In this mode all three heroes take on all three villains with teams made up of eight players each. The premise is to kill all of the opposing heroes before the other team does. It’s compelling and before long you find yourself playing to certain heroes strengths. Leia for instance can regenerate health and produce a squad shield making her great for survival, whereas Luke has far more offensive moves such as force push but cannot heal himself. I have often been cornered as Luke by a couple of villains at once and the blind panic of trying to fight back can be terrifying. It does however make for a great spectacle, especially when Darth and Luke enter into a light sabre battle. Believe me you’re there and nothing up to this point has felt as authentic or as in tune with the films. The sabres clash and swoop through the air just like Obi Wan and Darth did in 1977 and it still retains that charm today. You can even hear Darths distinctive breathing as he bears down on your position, which isn’t encouraging if you’re a lonely foot soldier likely to perish at one slash of that red light sabre.
If you’re not a hero there is still plenty to get your teeth into. As well as a basic blaster you have three cards that offer abilities and weapons for you to take into battle. Again they seem fairly generic and have been seen in other shooters, but they do add an element of planning to your battles. There’s a jump pack which really isn’t much use in the Hoth base, but comes into it’s own on the dusty open expanse of Tattoine. There’s cards to make you bullets explosive, scanners and proectiles too. All cards regenerate slowly over the course of a battle as well so you can use them multiple times. There’s a lot of fun to be had in finding the right balance for your gaming style. Whilst playing as heros there’s also a chance to respawn as a Shock Trooper or Honor Guard, both of which are slightly tougher and come with their own weapon sets. Be careful though as they spawn next to either Leia or Palpatine and often you’re straight into combat whether you like it or not.
View some gameplay here that shows me hunting down Boba Fett and then re-spawning as an honour guard.
I’ve owned the game for three months now and I noted with interest that one of the original reviews on a proper review site complained that the game was repetitive after a while. That’s why I didn’t want to write a review straight away, as a thirty something gamer I thought it was my duty to see if this really was the case.
It is to a degree. The lack of a substantial campaign mode does detract from the overall appeal and I can’t help but think it is an opportunity missed. With this license and the ultra realistic environment a decent campaign could have fired this game to legendary Jedi status, instead I have been caught wondering what might have been. There are a few bits you can do offline, hero challenges mainly but they don’t feel like they have any substance at all. I tried them for a short while but it lacked the frenzy of the multiplayer and I soon drifted back.
Therein though lies the true power of the force. Before this game slipped into my PS4 I avoided online play for fear of being made to look like a mug, and yet now I embrace looking like a mug. I’m not an online gamer of any repute, I won’t claim to top any charts or lead any squads or anything like that. I play fairly recklessly and have a kill ratio of about 0.77 which is average but not great. However this game keeps on giving in terms of gameplay and is forgiving to the average gamer. The world is so absorbing that I persevered just so I could continue to experience the wonderful rendering of the Rebel Base on Hoth, or the Ewok Village. I will happily be blown up with a thermal detonator time and time again in my mission to grab a vehicle token and take to the skies in a X Wing or blast Rebel positions in my AT-ST. I found myself enjoying my online experience despite not being in the top 50% of players and that really takes some effort.
I’m a fan of Star Wars which means I love Battlefront despite the missed opportunity on the single player. The multiplayer versions are varied and come with a good collection of maps which is expanding with 4 planned DLC’s, one of which was released this weekend and introduces the new maps, game modes, characters, weapons and challenges. I’m not usually one to subscribe to the whole ‘DLC’ thing unless it’s missions and stories, but I waited my 38 hours for 8.2gb to download simply to play as Greedo running around Jabba’s palace. In the coming months they’re introducing the Death Star, Bespin the cloud city and doubtless Chewbacca and Lando. I can hardly wait. Recreating the light sabre battles between Luke and Darth on the Death Star is what eighth generation gaming should be all about, as long as Boba Fett and Greedo don’t turn up and turn it into a one sided massacre.
So to conclude I have to firmly recommend this game, although at early levels you may find the battles unforgiving. I spent a few hours levelling up and improving gear before I felt anywhere near competitive, but I never felt like I wanted to put the game down. If you’re a fan of the franchise then buying this is a complete no brainer. If you’re not you’ll still be rewarded with a solid and competent shooter that offers something a little different from other games in the genre. Either way just go out and buy it, I saw it in Louth Electronics yesterday for under twenty quid, which is tantamount to theft.
Star Wars Battlefront Rating: 92%
