Star Wars Battlefront 2 is a game that I really wish I enjoyed more. As a franchise, Star Wars is one of my favorites. Although I was never a huge fan of the series before The Force Awakens, Episode 7 reinvigorated my love, and appreciation, of the galaxy far, far away. However, this doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the game’s demo that I played at E3.
The expo’s demo build throws players in a droid combat scenario, where four different classes are available to play; these classes are the standard found in modern FPS games: assault, heavy, support, and sniper. Besides the Star Wars skin, there is virtually nothing original about these usable character models.
Now, onto the gameplay. Generic is the word of the day with this one. As a gamer, I’ve never been that into first person shooters; however, with that said, there are a few that have piqued my interest over the years. The first Star Wars Battlefront wasn’t one of those, and neither is Battlefront 2. The gameplay sees nothing special about it. Just think of your everyday shooter, say Call of Duty. Now, add Star Wars character designs, music, and art style. I’ve just summed up the disappointment that was my experience with the game’s demo.
Graphically, the game isn’t great either. Rather than realistic graphics, I look for originality when it comes to visuals. Battlefront 2 is a demanding game with high profile combat and cinematic scenes – the problem is, nothing about it stands out. Its character designs more closely resemble real people than say, Super Mario Odyssey, but who cares? Games are about escapism, and the market’s trend of, “let’s make our game look as realistic as possible” does not entice me in the slightest.
All this negativity comes with a caveat: if you liked the first Battlefront, you’ll like this one. In typical sequel fashion, it outdoes the first graphically, gameplay wise, and in creative selection.
With so many amazing titles out there, does Battlefront 2 really deserve the attention and hype it’s getting? From my experience, no, it doesn’t. Get your hands on something original like Ori and the Blind Forest, Splatoon , or Rocket League, rather than the EA’s upcoming shooter.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 hits Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC on November 17.
