Star Wars: Battlefront II

It is not often we get to enjoy being a mere pawn in a video game. Usually, when we think of Star Wars, we think of lightsabers and epic battles, from which we are the key turning point; but not in Battlefront. No, here we get to view the world from the grunts in the Stormtrooper army; mere cogs in the machine. It's a strange but humble approach to let us take charge of a sycophant; especially since we all know Stormtroopers never hit anything. I have a bad feeling about this…

Video Review

Star Wars: Battlefront II's main campaign takes you through the eyes of the Empire's 501st battalion. Although still dregs in the great scheme of things, this lot is the elite amongst minions; the cream of the cruddy crop. Sure, they're only a bunch of Stormtroopers, but they're the unit they send in to get things done; the main cog in the machine if you will. Glorifying this position is a nice way to take away from the fact you're basically worthless

These brave men (are there women Stormtroopers?) will be the revolving plot, as 18 missions take you through a brief synopsis of the franchise, from the Clone Wars all the way to the original trilogy. Strangely enough, you'll end your campaign midway the second saga, but if I was the Empire, I'd also would want to end things on The Empire Strikes Back, rather than have my buttocks handed to me in Return Of The Jedi. All things considered, the small narratives in between missions make you feel for the common man making the glory of the Empire, giving you their standpoint in the Star Wars galaxy. It's a feat that isn't easily done in such an abridged manner, but here it was done well and missions will feel just that bit more compelling because of it.

But what sucks you in the most is that Battlefront II is a true sight to behold. Not only do the graphics give praise to the Star Wars universe, but each level is an accurate and individual perception of what that world should be. From the swamps of Dagobah, desert of Tatooine, Jedi temple of Coruscant to the huge space battles covering the space above; each level creates a unique, but foremost, huge illusion of grandeur. If anything, the larger pieces are so grand in scale, it makes the insignificant fact even greater than before, certainly in the space battles. With blaster discharges everywhere and explosions to match, incessant chatter on the intercom and men meeting their doom all around you, each time you'll get the true scope of an Empire battlefield. It's hard to comprehend just how small your role in it all is, when everything around you is doing its part for the glory of their faction. All of this is also very low maintenance to process for your setup, which is even harder to fathom; creating such a lush world with so little.

This is accompanied by the score you'd expect in this franchise. From all the known compositions to the atmospheric music in-game, each track sets the tone for epic encounters, which will leave you with goosebumps and sweaty palms.

Unfortunately, the epic grandeur of Battlefront II is a double-edged sword, as you never feel like you're creating the big difference. In particular in the later missions, where the difficulty spikes on you, it won't matter what tactic or class you'll pick, whether it be a swift Trooper, Assault Commando, Officer or other. As a mere cog; if your party doesn't fall in line, you'll have to struggle continuously just to gain a few extra yards, certainly with the opposition's eternal respawn versus your counted numbers. It's frustrating to have to rely on an AI that is by itself just as bad or as good as it wants to be at the time. You might as well sit back and watch other people play, because that's what it feels like in a singleplayer campaign.

Choosing different classes will give you other weapons, from Blasters to bazookas and Wookie Bow Casters. Each type has its own advantages, but if your aim is less than accurate, you might as well stick to the standard, because the huge world gives a lot of room for misses. But at least that captures the fact perfectly that a Stormtrooper cannot hit anything. It helps that each checkpoint you capture for your team creates a hub where you can quickly change classes if needed be. So, if you need to set up another health station, you can quickly hop onto an Engineer Trooper or if there's a tank decimating your forces, you can grab a bazooka and save the day for the 501st.

The space battles are more governed by what ship you choose to handle, whether you enjoy bombing the enemy frigates or like dogfights more. These are all very thrilling in this humongous scope, but messing around during missions will usually end up in a loss. Most of the time, you'll have to stick to the strict mission plan to get everything wrecked in time and that's a shame, because the dogfights in these battles are awesome. Hopping into a ship and entering the vast infinity of space, just to see it destroyed in front of you is still barrels of fun though and whether or not you choose to stick to your guns, participating in the space adventures of your troopers is one of the most gratifying and immense aspects of this game.

But where are the Jedi in this ordeal you wonder? Well, as a special implementation, you can unlock a Jedi (or Sith) throughout your campaign to hop into the fray and significantly alter your odds. In some cases they'll even be fairly indispensible as opposing forces are just too massive to take on one laser emission at a time. These juggernauts slash and speed through enemies with their sabers and Forces, like hot knives through butter, but it isn't without error. Ironically enough, playing with Jedi forces is the least entertaining feature of Star Wars Battlefront II, as controls offer no satisfaction to your destruction of troops. Think of the skating feeling you get in Halo and transpose that to a man that is supposed to be the most controlled being in the galaxy; it's a losing situation. Although the controls aren't as horrible as Halo and you'll still get to destroy more than your fair share of living creatures, prancing about like a buffoon will never feel as superior as you should as a Jedi warrior. If anything, you'll feel like young Anakin when he 'accidently' saves the world in his ship in The Phantom Menace. Remember how you felt back then? It's just like that.

Just forget about the inferior Jedi forces, because this game is set to give you compassion for the common man and it does so well. Apart from the main campaign, there is still a huge world of possibilities to discover, beyond that other huge world. Taking on a galactic conquest, you can choose your faction and try to take over the world, one planet at a time. This comes with its own sets of powerups and offers a larger insight on space battles, if you so choose. But there's also a very well-rounded and accessible multiplayer feature that offers all known team matches within the diverse levels offered in Star Wars Battlefront II. This alone can keep you going for hours and hours and actually gives you a completely different experience from playing with humans, instead of a haphazard AI.

In conclusion, Star Wars Battlefront Ii is a game of immense magnitude that delivers a first person shooter unlike many others. Honoring the franchise, it digs you into a believable galaxy setting with a diverse experience, fun for any fan of blasting people. Even with its flaws, it's just amazing to hustle within the many aspects it has to offer and take on a lesser known part of the universe. Whether you enjoy huge space battles, close quarter combat or tactical gameplay, Star Wars Battlefront will have something to enjoy for everyone, as long as you don't mind a few indiscretions. For the Empire!

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed.