Star Wars: Battlefront II

blazingwookie's Star Wars: Battlefront II (PlayStation 2) review

Great gaming in a Galaxy far, far across the Internet

Overview
Star Wars Front II is the second entry into the 3 person shooter franchise. It features many improvements over the original, but there are some problems that arise inevitably during gameplay. SWBFII advertised the following changes in their marketing.-Addition of Space Battles-Addition of Hero/Villain characters (Jedi, Sith, other)-New unlockable classes (Droideka, Dark Trooper, etc.) 

PROS
There are plenty of new features that enhance gameplay in SWBFII.

• The New Classes are arguably the best addition in SWBFII. Now when a player earns a pre-designated amount of points, they are rewarded with the ability to choose higher powered characters with which to use in battle. These vary from time period and faction, but they include Jet Pack troopers, high powered droids, wookiees and warriors sporting invisibility.

The ability to now plan as familiar Jedi and Sith, as well as heroes and Bounty Hunters, is a fantastic ability. Also the option to assign that choice during multiplayer as the ultimate reward, OR to go to the poorest performing character, was a great way to even the game up during hectic battles. Plenty of times the Hero/Villain changes the tide in a battle and acts as the catalyst in a remarkable come back victory.

• The graphics are improved over the original. It looks almost as though the developers got a little more out of the engine this time around. Water looks great and the character models look good for this generation’s platforms. The overall look is darker that the first game, which leads to more pressing of the target button to keep from losing enemies in the scenery, but this adjustment doesn’t take long and ends up adding to the pressure of battle.

One item this reviewer was very happy to see was the omission of flying vehicles in the non-Space stages (except of course Hoth). In the first Battlefront, some great stages were hindered by the inclusion of X-Wings, Tie Fighters and other space vehicles. Those battles (Naboo comes to mind) were ruled and won by the side of those with the vehicles. Most cases would play out as a slaughter, which may be fun for the winning team, but really does harm the morale of the other team. In other words, when I was on that side, I turned off the console soon after, sulking in front of the TV and leaving my comrades worse off in the end. This new redistribution of vehicles in SWBFII keeps nearly all of the stages great arenas to wage battle. 
CONS
Some items have been around since the first Battlefront, some are new thanks to the gameplay additions.

• Online connections were always tricky with Battlefront and the new installment suffers from familiar connection issues on the PS2 front.

Glitches tend to be even worse in this installment. Plenty more maps can be infiltrated, especially near Check Points. This results in games that can last far beyond typical battles, with the Glitcher hiding beyond gunshot and causing many reset consoles.

The Jedi and Sith are great additions to the game, but the Force powers are in poor shape. The Force push ability causes all characters to fall down, and getting up seems to be longest animation in the game. Jedi versus Sith during battle usually come down to who can push the other one first. Once that’s out of the way the Pusher can wale on the Pushee until their health is dispatched. This essential knockout punch scenario wastes opportunity to make epic mini-battles within larger battles. The heroes and villains are fit for taking out soldiers. Up against a Force-wielding adversary, your best shot at taking them out is with a mine or sniper rifle headshot, and you’re best to be prepared for martyrdom.

• The addition of Space Combat was an exciting new feature at release, but it was quickly revealed to be a less-than-amazing experience. The idea is a great one, and the option to infiltrate the opposing team’s starship to deal damage from the inside out is innovative, but the execution falls short of the dream. The targeting system in-ship is lacking, and actually hitting your opponent is easier said than done, although the AI enemies have no issues taking you out in moments. The feel is wrong, and the sense of true combat is lost somehow.

Next Iteration
Battlefront III? Yes please, and here are some ideas to make it a more enjoyable experience.

We’re next-gen now right? Let’s get some better physics, whatever middleware is needed, get it in there. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to use the learnings from The Force Unleashed team at LucasArts and have a really exciting movement and interaction. This could be applied to backgrounds as well - interactive floors, screens, airlocks, cables… interactive everything in short.

Glitches were a big problem in both Battlefront games, why not spend extra time in all levels and during multiplayer matches to round up and fix those pesky “holes.” Of course, with TFU middleware involved that will most likely increase the number of glitch possibilities, so perhaps we can’t have both.

• It’s been done but player character damage would be great to see. Your player isn’t meant to be a one man army, but perhaps each time you respawn your player pallet swaps slightly to show your battle hardened-ness… Coming back with General insignia, or battered armor the more enemies you dispatch or locations you acquire would be a nice touch, and allow teammates (and the opposition) to see the most dangerous warriors at a glance.
• Spawn camping will always be a problem in these types of games. But perhaps instead of just appearing, players could be treated to quick drop ins from Clone Army ships, or Tideriums could lower Dark Troopers into the Jungle of Dagobah at varying locations around the check point. Allowing players a more realistic way to see reinforcements introduced, and giving the player a momentary view of the surroundings would be an advantage, especially if an enemy lies in wait.
• Characters have special weapons already, but what if they had always active special abilities? Take a wookiee for instance, tall and powerful, a wookiee should be able to manhandle its enemies. Now that would be too strange in a Battlefront sense, but perhaps the wookiee class could have a charging ability. Running into an enemy may knock that character to the floor and buy the wookiee some time to regroup or move in to finish the job. And the sniper class, perhaps they could have the ability to climb small distances, a way to allow them to get into strategic areas that others could reach with weapons but not on foot. 
  
  All in all, Star Wars Battlefront II is fun game to play, it’s not perfect but it can be enjoyed for hours in Multiplayer mode, and single player mode does not disappoint.
  

Other reviews for Star Wars: Battlefront II (PlayStation 2)

Battlefront 2- One Step Forward, Two Steps Back 0
Star Wars: Battlefront II(PlayStation 2) by gigaman on May 16, 2009
When I first heard that Battlefront II was going to be released. When I heard it had freakin' SPACE BATTLES I went INSANE. Now that I've played it long enough... it's not that great. Sure, the stamina is a great addition, and that player profile career status is also very helpful, and the graphics are more or less the same. Battlefront II isn't really what one would expect it to be. Let me tell you about the original battlefront: It's better in terms of playing one battle. I'm not sure if I'm...
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Battlefront II review 0
Star Wars: Battlefront II(PlayStation 2) by grady on July 27, 2008
This game is insane. It is very addicting and fun on multilayer. Here are my thoughts on Battlefront 2: Game play: The game play was excellent. It was a thrill to play and a fun experience. It mostly follows the same schedule, spawning with a specific class (sharpshooter, heavy, regular, etc.) and taking command posts while fighting back your enemies. It seems like it would be redundant but it is incredibly fun. With multiple maps and some different modes, it hardly ever gets boring. The sin...
0 out of 0 found this review helpful.