Star Wars: Battlefront

"Does the PC port live up to the console masterpieces?"

Star Wars: Battlefront

A short time ago, in a studio not so far away, Battlefront was born. This is one of the most popular (actually, the most popular) Star Wars games ever. You can immerse yourself in the greatest Star Wars battles, with a wide array of vehicles, soldiers, and weapons to help you achieve galactic conquest. If that isn't enough, this game has a kick-butt multi-player experience that will keep you hooked for hours on end. But why is this game as great as everyone says it is?

Gameplay could be one thing, perhaps. Control-wise, Battlefront is nothing new. WASD movement, left mouse button to fire, right for grenades (or mines, and if you are a sniper, the Recon Droid,) and pretty basic vehicle controls. But having no new controls is not bad at all. In fact, it makes it simple to jump in and play from other great PC games like Halo or Half-Life. Your HUD is not too messy, you have an easy-to-use mini-map, and online chat doesn't hog the screen. Of course, you can change any of this at any given time. Best of all, you don't really need a powerful PC to run this game on basic settings.

You play on one of four sides, the Empire, the Rebels, the Droids, or the Clones. Each group has many units that make them up. The bad thing about that is that the game uses these units with every group, with the occasional exception here and there (like Jetpack units for the Empire and clones.) Also, each unit can only get the weapons they start with, so if you want new weapons you have to spawn again and pick a new unit. It gets annoying after a while. The different sides are not all balanced, either. The Rebels and Droids have especially weak units, and no Jetpacks. Basically, the Empire and Clones are the only real way to go. However, with practice you can find good uses for every unit.

There is no story mode, but instead many different campaigns, taking place in important Star Wars time periods. You can play through the Clone Wars or the Galactic Civil war, and race across many planets in your quest for conquest. Speaking of conquest, there is also a Galactic Conquest mode. In that mode you start with a planet, and attack enemy planets to gain control. When you do so, you gain planetary bonuses that you can take advantage of in battle. Trust me, it's cool.

The Multi-player is where this game stands out the most. With the click of a button and a good internet connection you can battle with up to 32 players in an all-out fragfest. Campaign is fun, but pales in comparison to this. However, the game sometimes lags when big battles are happening, but a fast connection compensates for this. Things can get crazy if you join a good server.

Graphics-wise, this game is a bit dated. Don't get me wrong, it is still something you should see. The lighting is excellent if your hardware supports it. Vehicles are also extremely detailed and well animated. You will just love it when an AT-AT crashes into the ground head-first! Buildings are also detailed. If you want to see the game at it's best, check out Naboo. It is really something! The explosions and other particle effects are well done, and you really get a sense of scale when all of these things are combined. Just imagine standing at the leg of an AT-AT and looking up at it's towering figure.

Sound is this game is pretty basic stuff. Lasers are the classic Star Wars lasers, the troop's yelling is generic stuff, and some sounds can get annoying, like the sound of a grenade bouncing off the ground. The music is great, however. It's the classic John Williams score, and plays in the background as you battle. Nothing too great here.

Star Wars: Battlefront is truly the best of the Star Wars series. From a solid campaign to wicked multi-player, you will find something to enjoy no matter what your style. Trust me, you will be playing this for a long time!

Final Score:
9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/04/06