In late 2017, Battlefront II released and proceeded to generate controversy at an alarming rate almost immediately. Apart from odd choices for gameplay mechanics (Yoda couldn’t block with his lightsaber among other things), the largest controversy this game had was the infamous loot box situation. Something that had already begun to become a rather pervasive issue within the industry today, this game seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Without getting into too much specifics, the controversy led to quite a bit of legislation being pushed forward in many countries around the world (Belgium at the forefront arguing whether this should be considered gambling). This crippling system and backlash essentially choked the life out of the game’s player base, people boycotting it en masse much to the chagrin of EA and DICE.
So, like many people before me and after me at the time, I tried to play the game. Once. I went over to a friend’s place and he’d seemed excited about it enough, and I was absolutely curious about the game. I can’t say for certain what in particular did it for me, however I remember distinctly abhorring the experience after about thirty minutes. The gameplay was dull, controls were a bit wonky for my taste, and there didn’t seem to be a legitimate way to get to a competitive level without debasing myself and spending money. After that experience, I didn’t touch the game again.
Until three weeks ago.
During a flash sale on PS4, Battlefront II sold for the paltry sum of $6.47, also at the time the highest price I was willing to pay to play the game again. I’d heard of a decent amount of updates in recent months but hadn’t bothered with it because of my initial lackluster experience. This time, I figured what was the harm in checking it out for basically seven bucks? So, myself and my core group of weeknight gaming buddies all bought the game to try out.
The first thing we did was check out the Galactic Assault mode, a team-based round with different objectives for each opposing side. The first thing we noticed when being dropped onto Kashyyyk was the sheer scale of the warfare. It really did a good job of making you feel like boots on the ground in the chaos of an enormous battle. There was nothing more organically cinematic than rushing through a hallway with a bunch of other troopers, getting to a door, and running through only to encounter Darth Maul waiting menacingly up the staircase with two droidekas on either side and a score by John Williams letting you know your time had come.
Satisfied with a couple rounds of this and some of the other modes as well (one mode is essentially a capture the flag), after dipping our toes into getting to play as some heroes in those battles, we decided to try the Heroes vs Villains. Originally, there was no reason to play this mode at all unless you bought your way to higher tier Star Cards or were incredibly lucky. Now however, by being able to access more and more star cards as you level up each hero or villain, and just as well doing the same to allow you to upgrade them, everyone seems to be on *mostly* even footing.
I’d touch on a few other things about the game, but even as soon as last night, we have been rather entranced with Heroes vs. Villains. It took a lot of learning, the heroes themselves aren’t exactly simple to just pick up and use. Each one has their own intricacies and uses in battle, and we’ve all had a great time picking our primary characters and putting ourselves up against other teams of four in what has now become a thoroughly enjoyable experience. You create amazing moments that feel stripped from your innermost nerdom, a fantasy brought to you personally from a galaxy far far away. Nothing to date in this game has felt cooler than being one of three Jedi at the bottom of the rancor pit standing in triangular formation, sabers up, casting a glow on the rock and sand around them as they waited for their Sith opponents to arrive.
Now of course we lost that game by one, but still. It was just so damn cool.
This mode, along with any of the others in the game are not without their faults. Server issues can cause damage to be unaccounted for at times or in fact accounted for inaccurately, timing for maneuvers like dodging or using a character ability doesn’t seem to always be consistent, and there are frequent physics shenanigans if you are ever force pushed or pulled in any mode you play. I implore you to google it. Even still, with all these faults I find myself genuinely enjoying myself when playing this game now. With updates to come, I’m sure these issues will become a thing of the past.
So give this game a second chance, you might find yourself enjoying it as much as me.
