All the way back before any of us had seen The Force Awakens, many of us got a mini glimpse of what was in-store thanks to the rebooted Star Wars Battlefront. That long-awaited release of the first Battlefront game in ten years offered players the chance to storm the sands of Jakku. Two years later, we are on the precipice of the massively hyped sequel that has promised to remedy the ills of the first installment while expanding on what made Battlefront (2015) so special. Where and how will Battlefront II differentiate from Battlefront (2015)? Let’s take a look.
While Star Wars Battlefront (2015) was reviewed favorably by gamers and critics alike, it was not without its own flaws and deficiencies. Arguably the largest and most glaring omission from that game was the lack of a single player campaign story mode. The entire game compromised of only online multiplayer, couch co-op (two players playing in the same room with the same console), and a single player arcade mode with or without missions. It even made a critic out of The Force Awakens star and massive Star Wars fan John Boyega, who shared his disappointment on Twitter. Back in 2016 it was announced that a sequel was currently in development to be coming out in 2017 and it would indeed feature a single player campaign mode. Information regarding the story mode had been kept under wraps until Star Wars Celebration Orlando this past April, when it was revealed that the campaign would follow the story of Inferno Squad and would span the 30 year gap following Return of the Jedi into The Force Awakens.
The campaign in Battlefront II is a fully canon-compliant story that will draw upon numerous story pieces across the full display of Star Wars media. It was also announced during the Battlefront panel at Celebration that the previously announced Inferno Squad novel would be a prequel tie-in to the game’s story mode. The game will feature full voice and motion-capture acting from Janina Gavankar as the main protagonist Iden Versio, among other cast members. I am absolutely looking forward to the single player campaign and undertaking an authentic Star Wars journey.
The rebooted Battlefront contained a rather robust online multiplayer that featured numerous game modes and levels. Ground combat, ground-based vehicles, and star-fighters were all supported in specific game modes that ranged from 16 players per match all the way up to 40. As you progressed in your career and leveled up you were able to earn credits to purchase weapons and Star Cards and then upgrade them. The multiplayer system for Battlefront II has been completely overhauled and now returns to the former Star Wars Battlefront class-based infantry. With four classes consisting of: Officer, Heavy, Specialist, and Assault, players will be able to gain a wide variety of skill sets when mastering each class. The classes themselves differentiate from each other by containing specific weapons, upgrades, and abilities that are exclusive to their own class. Officers play the support role, Assault is well-rounded for most combat types, the Specialists are your snipers and long-ranged attackers, and the Heavy offers the most firepower.
One of the biggest complaints from Battlefront (2015) was that it was limited to only the Original Trilogy era (and shortly after with the Battle of Jakku) and didn’t offer other locations and eras to take from. The developers listened and with Battlefront II, players will be able to enjoy content from all three Star Wars eras. This is absolutely huge considering that at the launch of the game in November, it will be over three times as large content-wise than the game from two years ago. Iconic locations and heroes spanning the entire saga will be included for fans of all stripes. All of the multiplayer game modes will be supported on maps from all three eras. You’ll be able to fight as a Clone and defend Kamino from Separatist Battle-droids, skirmish in the streets of Mos Eisley with Rebels and Stormtroopers, and go back to Jakku among 30-year old Imperial wreckage.
Star Wars Battlefront II is being developed by three studios (EA Dice, Motive, and Criterion) with additional support from Lucasfilm and the official Lucasfilm Story Group for the single player campaign. The game will release worldwide on November 17th and is available for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and on PC. Full information on the game can be found on the official website.
I’ve already taken the release day off from work so I know what I’ll be doing. Will you be picking up the game when it comes out, waiting to hear feedback first, or skipping all together? Feel free to email in your thoughts or leave a comment below!
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