Star Wars: Battlefront

"Killing Rebels has never been so much fun!"

This game has been a very enjoyable game for me. Albeit, it is a very close match to Battlefield 1942, but that doesn't detract from it's fun factor. Please follow me as I elaborate on the pros and cons of this team based, futuristic shooter.

Graphics: 8
The graphics for this game are pretty good, but you will need an above average computer to run it on max settings. There are lots of visual things in this game, from the shimmer of water splashing up against the sand beaches to the bolts of plasma flying out from Blaster Rifles. Grenades explode around you in a brilliant burst of flame, while a droidika explodes into scrap metal right in front of your face. The reason that the graphics are rated an 8 instead of a 10 is because this game is a graphics hog. It will take a high rate computer to run them at full settings though, so the average joe might not be able to run it at full settings.

Sound: 10
The sounds for this game are very awsome indeed. What would an aerial strike be without the sounds of mortars hurtling down and the whistles of laser fire whizzing by your head. The experience is increased threefold with a surround sound system. Not to mention the sounds of your troopers relaying information such as, "We have captured the cloning center!" or "The rebels have brought in extra reinforcements!"

Controls: 9
The controls are just your average mouse and keyboard setup. They are pretty much like Halo, Battlefield or any other PC shooter. So if you have been able to play any shooter game with at least moderate success in the M+K setup, you should do fine here. There are a lot of commands though, so it might be useful to have the manual propped up while you play.

Playability(SP): 8
The single player mode for SW:BF is pretty fun, but. There are four differnet modes, two of which are historical campaigns which follow the battles between episodes 1-3 and 4-6, respectively. Generally playing on a higher difficulty level will make it a restored experience, but after a few plays, you just get bored of. However, there is a Galactic Conquest mode as well, where you pick a scenario that reflects a point in the movies and you then get to pick which planet of the enemies you want to invade. Each planet you own gives you a special bonus, while each planet the enemy has gives them a bonus as well. But consider that you can only use one bonus per battle, so just because you own the majority of the planets doesn't give you the advantage. Playing this mode is much more fun, and on higher difficulties, it may take you days to finally win. The last mode is Instant Action, which is just a regular mode that lets you pick your map and your faction. Unfortunately, you are only allowed to play Droids vs Clones or Rebels vs the Empire. That means that there is no way that you can play as the Droids against the Rebels.

Playability(MP): 10
Multiplayer is supported by GameSpy, so the servers are fairly stable. Of course you have to have a broadband or DSL connection to play, but nowadays, most serious gamers do. In multiplayer, there can be up to 32 people playing, and that is not including A.I. bots. And human players provide a greater challenge than your average A.I. bot.

Redeeming Fun Stuff: 8
There are lots of vehicles in this game, from Speeder bikes to AT-ATs. Nearly every vehicle in the movies is in this game. But the vehicles are way too powerful, and it is nearly impossible to kill a tank, even if you have ten missile troopers unloading their ordanince on it full blast. Then there are the different classes. Every time you die, you respawn from a command post, which are captured on the battlefield. Say you just got mauled by a hoarde of rocket people, you can respawn on a nearby balcony near them as a sniper and kill them eaisly. This alone adds a new aspect to gameplay. Also, each team has a unique unit that can turn the tide of battle if used properly.

Conclusion: I give this game a 9. It's Battlefield-esque battlesystem is a great way for this game to work. With all of its Star Wars features, a die hard fanatic must have this game. But even a casual gamer should check this out too.

Thank you for reading this review. If you managed to read all the way through it without taking a break, I congratulate you, and you deserve a SWBF all for yourself.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/03/05