There is no doubt that DICE has blown the doors off of capturing the very essence of the Star Wars universe in a single game. This makes me hopeful that Star Wars 1313 is still alive and kicking somewhere on some developer’s to-do list, as Star Wars: Battlefront proves that the graphical capabilities of the current generation console are above and beyond to make the Star Wars world feel real and add some much needed, grown-up dimension to the universe.
The presentation value of Battlefront is perfect. Everything that DICE promised on the immersion front of the title has been delivered. When you’re fighting on the snowy mountains of Hoth trying to gain control of satellite feeds to stop a Rebel bomber run on AT-ATs, you’ll understand how gorgeous this game can get. If you need proof beyond that statement, go visit the forests of Endor and enjoy the massive amount of plant life, nature and random chaos from gunfire. The amount of details and delivery of Star Wars: Battlefront is out of this world (pun intended). I’m not sure there has been a game of this scope with this much detail before on a console system (Yes, PC people, we know you’re awesome, now shut the f*** up).
The landscape of Battlefront is comparable to any landscape you can find in Battlefield 4, ever-expanding and not flat at all. In addition to the scope, you get gorgeous details with those environments and good/great frame rates. While I’m not exactly shocked that DICE pushed the current envelope for graphics on the PlayStation 4, I am surprised at the high frame rate they maintained in their graphic delivery. I’m not a huge fan of frame rate complaining, as I truly believe that most of the time it doesn’t exactly matter — unless you’re an Assassin’s Creed game — but I’m not sure this game would have visually worked as well if it topped out at 20-25 frames per second. It’s stunning to watch the large battles in motion and how many moving pieces there are, while the game still maintains the frame rate it does.
On top of the visual presentation, DICE has dug itself into Star Wars sound effects like a kid in a candy store. You are going to be engulfed with everything Star Wars. From laser blasts to AT-AT walker mechanical movements to even the (bleeping) Wilhelm scream when a storm trooper gets killed, and even the beautiful scores from John Williams’ opus — they haven’t left out anything. Additionally, you’ve got some cheesy, but intense, voice overs pushing the fighting along. From encouraging Rebel commanders reminding you what is at stake to grumpy Empire commanders reminding you how displeased Vader is going to be if goals aren’t achieved. Again, DICE has left no presentation stone unturned when it comes to selling the universe in one package.
Sounds like they nailed it all, right? Well, for the most part they have nailed the world, but sadly have forgotten some of the substance. If you haven’t already heard (and I’m sure you have), for the most part Battlefront is an online experience. You’re going to spend 97% of your time fighting others online, which isn’t a terrible thing (see Titan Fall fans for details), and the other 3% of your time playing ‘Missions’, which will make you wish you were playing the other 97% of the game.
Let’s start with Missions.
Essentially, Missions go like this, it’s an offline mode that allows for single-player or co-op experience. You’re given a set of goals to accomplish, such as in Survival mode, where you go through 15 rounds of enemy waves. You also get Hero Battles in missions, where you get to play as several different heroes from the movies. The final piece to the missions puzzle is Battle, which allows you to fight for the Rebels or Empire. All of the missions have their charm, but the longevity of the experience is generally short for each one, and at times very bland after awhile. For example, I played Survival twice and halfway through it felt a bit long in the tooth. Fifteen rounds of constant enemy waves in huge environments drags a bit. NPC artificial intelligence was par at best, which didn’t help with the battles (I expect an AT-ST to figure out how to get around a rebel hiding in a log). Unlike the survival modes in a game like Call of Duty where the space is limited, which upped the intensity, this seemed a bit too stretched out in every sense of the word. Living in large environments and waiting for waves of enemies really doesn’t do much for excitement. It’s like if you set up a World of Warcraft server for your seven friends and expect there to be fast-paced action. Anyway, Missions is charming, but not the real beef of this Thanksgiving dinner.
The multiplayer mode features a bevy of different modes to experience. Here’s what you should look forward to:
– Supremacy: A large game of 20 versus 20 to gain control of a map. Everything is thrown into the mix, so you have almost every weapon at your disposal. This is more like domination than anything else, but it works so darn well for the Star Wars theme. Lots of chaos in this one, but welcomed chaos.
– Fighter Squadron: I tried this a few times and got my ass handed to me. Love how you can fly the vehicles and go into a nicely laid out dogfight in the skies of (name a planet). The play area is deep and expansive, so you have plenty of room to maneuver through them. Gamers will love this stuff.
– Cargo: I actually enjoyed this capture the flag deal. The first team to 10 (or has the most within the time limit) wins. The game is set in a smaller environment than in a mode like Walker Assault, but for some reason the back and forth of it really does work well within that environment. I was surprised that people didn’t camp more in this mode. It really is a mode that caters to such things. You basically infiltrate the other team’s side of the base, capture the device you’re supposed to capture and try to make it back to your own base with it. There is a scoring tug-o-war factor to this mode. It works well, though.
– Droid Run: Honestly speaking, I played this the least of the bunch. Capturing/retaining droids is more strategic than I’m used to when it comes to playing an FPS online. I’m not a fan of it, as I think the gameplay is a little sluggish and a little restrictive for my small mind to enjoy. I see how people could love this mode, but I’m not in love with it at all. Not one bit. Move along, move along.
– Blast: Team against team sort of deal. It’s a small setting that works well, but the entertainment value just doesn’t last as long as some of the other MP modes. It’s certainly more of personal game, which could get nasty when you know the other team. The maps aren’t too bad, though restricted because of the restricted amount of players.
– Walker Assault: By far my favorite mode of the multiplayer bunch. You basically either assist or fight off AT-AT walkers storming a base (depending on which side you’re on). Air strikes are called in and different capture/defuse points are set up to keep the action going. The levels on this mode are HUGE. They range from Tatooine to Hoth to the forest of Endor. It’s a 20 versus 20 affair, so there is a constant amount of action always going on in this mode. There are a lot of different strategies and things to do in this mode. Adding random heroes/villains into the mix always helps (Vader, Skywalker, Leia and Han — also Boba Fett).
Outside of Multiplayer and Missions, there isn’t a lot to the game, which is what DICE and EA told everyone when this game was shown at E3 2013. I’m not going to defend EA/DICE for their lack of campaign, because I would have liked to see one, but I’m not going to crucify them for something they warned everyone about before the game hit stores. Having said that, if you’re one of the few bitching/moaning about wanting a campaign, then you’re an idiot, who hasn’t read almost everything out there (over a year ago), which stated that wouldn’t be included. More than likely, you’re the same idiot that bitches/moans about why games like Call of Duty even have campaign, when they could just have solely multiplayer each year. In short, you’re an idiot if you fit either description.
*gets down off of soapbox*
The moral of the story, folks, is that if you don’t like a lack of campaign, then you don’t have to purchase the game. Seriously, it’s just that simple.
Also, don’t be an idiot. It’s just that simple.
Okay, onto the leveling stuff.
One big knock that I have with this game is the severe lack of leveling incentive. The wall for items obtained hits way too quick. As you go through each mission/multiplayer experience, you gain a certain amount of XP that you can spend unlocking/obtaining new items. These items can range from new weapons, cool down cards, secondary card weapons (you get three cards to choose from per multiplayer mode) and even customizable options for your characters. Now, I’m unsure/can’t confirm that the lack of customization of weapons and the lack of weapons in general is because DICE was contracted to stay within certain Star Wars guidelines, but regardless it feels shortchanged in this area. I do like the amount of XP you can garnish from success (even getting points for winning a battle scenario), but the wall hits way too quick. Hopefully, in the very near future, there will be an update that adds new items and weapons to the mix. Until then, this game feels a bit shortchanged in this department. Items are motivating factors to keep the game going. You have to keep the player motivated to keep the game fresh. This is a vital element to the longevity of a game’s life.
