InsideTheBox is back with reviews and today it is time to talk about Star Wars Battlefront; the latest, long-awaited entry in the Star Wars Battlefront series. The last game in the main Battlefront series was released in 2005 as Star Wars Battlefront 3 was cancelled after development issues. However, EA and DICE have finally delivered a truly modern Star Wars shooter and we believe fans will not be disappointed!
Before we go any further, I think it would be best to discuss the campaign, or rather, the lack thereof. Yes, Star Wars Battlefront is a game which is intended to be played online and thus does not offer an offline campaign. There are a few offline missions and survival modes which can be played in single player or local splitscreen. These provide a few hours of content and some additional objectives/targets for completionists to shoot for, however, they are a small part of the overall game. If you are looking for an offline Star Wars experience and would not plan on playing much of the online modes, Battlefront is certainly not the Star Wars game for you.
However, for those who are interested in playing an online-focused Star Wars game, Battlefront’s multiplayer will not disappoint. The game features a variety of game modes played across a number of maps located on four planets: Hoth, Endor, Tatooine and Sullust. Additionally, if you download the free Battle of Jakku expansion pack, you get an extra planet, Jakku, with two maps from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The game modes vary in terms of the number of players matched to a single game, however, they go as high as 40 players per match. Walker Assault is one of these 40 player game modes and is a core, marquee mode in Battlefront. In Walker Assult, the Rebel Alliance is tasked with destroying incoming AT-ATs and the Imperials are tasked with protecting them. This is an incredibly fun mode to play and is one of the modes which is unique to the Star Wars universe. Supremacy is another 40 player game mode in Battlefront and tasks both groups of fighters with trying to control five areas on the map to accumulate points. It features ground and aerial vehicles and all of the maps in rotation with this mode are HUGE. This game mode is somewhat similar to Domination, however, the added Star Wars theming makes it better, because, you know… Star Wars.
In addition to these modes, we have equivalents of the usual expected game modes in first and third person shooters: Blast (Team Deathmatch), Drop Zone (capture control points), Cargo (capture the flag), Droid Run (capturing droids) and Fighter Squadron (aerial battle). Also, the game mode Turning Point is included with the free Battle of Jakku DLC and is similar to Drop Zone, however, after the Rebels capture one control point, they gain control of that area and move forward to the next control point, with the number of control points decreasing as you move further forward. This game mode is available only on a beautiful, large map on Jakku. Hero Hunt also features and is a “Juggernaut” style eight-player mode which pits a single Hero character player against seven other players. The Hero must attempt to stay alive as long as possible. When the Hero is killed, the player who killed the Hero then takes the role of the Hero. The final mode I will mention is Heroes vs Villains, a game mode in which a number of players on both the Rebels and Imperials will assume Hero characters and the rest of the team are challenged to protect their heroes while destroying the heroes of the enemy team.
Overall, I feel that Star Wars: Battlefront offers a good variety of classic, known online game modes that shooter fans are accustomed to playing and will enjoy and new, unique online modes crafted and themed specifically for the Star Wars universe which both shooter fans and Star Wars fans will enjoy experimenting with. Personally, I had a fantastic time playing all the modes across all the different maps featured in the game and I really think that DICE have made something worthy of the Star Wars name.
Another aspect of the game which I was impressed by is the efficiency and simplicity of the online matchmaking system. The matchmaking system usually finds a game very quickly and begins looking for “almost full” games, followed by 90% full games, followed by 80% full games and so on, until it finds a game. Rarely, you will be put into an almost empty lobby if it cannot find any good matches and in this case, you will be able to spawn while waiting for the game to fill up (which doesn’t take long!). Additionally, you are able to search not only by game mode, but even by map. You can choose to be put into a specific game mode on a specific map with ease. Also, with a tap of a button, you can disable and enable specific DLC packs from rotation. These features overall make online matchmaking a smooth, simple and tailored experience.
Weapons in Star Wars Battlefront range from pistols to rifles to shotguns and none of them take ammunition, they simply overheat after repeated firing. After a number of patches to the game, the weapons have been pretty well balanced and all perform to a similar enough standard with all things considered. Battlefront’s levelling system allows you to unlock new weapons, star cards and character items. As you rank up, new weapons and items will become available for purchase using the in-game currency.
However, probably the first thing which will truly impress you when you first jump into a game or mission in Battlefront are its graphics. Star Wars Battlefront looks absolutely stunning, both on PC and on consoles. Many of the iconic Star Wars locations you know and love have been expertly recreated in Star Wars Battlefront. DICE have ensured that the maps have been crafted as closely as possible to the original design while still managing to open the maps up to suit an online shooter game. The maps are vivid, the textures are great and the lighting is superb. The game truly cannot be faulted on its graphics and the team have done a great job at optimising the game for consoles. While the PS4 version of the game obviously cannot quite match the PC version of the game on maxed settings, it got pretty close in my comparison of the game running on both.
Sound effects and music is another aspect of the game which the team have perfected. From the moment you enter the main menu to the time you quit the game, your ears will constantly be permeated with familiar sounds and music from the Star Wars universe. If you pay attention, you will hear, in the background, the noises made by various creatures which are known from the films to inhabit the planet which you are playing on. The sound effects made by weapons are, of course, replicated perfectly in Battlefront. Overall the combination of stunning graphics and incredible sound offers deep immersion and allows you to feel like you really are playing in the Star Wars universe.
One thing is for sure: DICE have done a stellar job at accurately recreating the environments, sounds, locations and weapons from the Star Wars universe. In my opinion, DICE has given us the most realistic online Star Wars gaming experience to date and Battlefront is worthy of being called the definitive online Star Wars shooter title. However, is it worth the asking price? Well, if you are a fan of online multiplayer shooter titles (and you like Star Wars, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) then Star Wars Battlefront is certainly the game for you! If you enjoy the maps, game modes and authentic Star Wars experience, you could potentially get a huge amount of value from this meticulously crafted game.