By Michael Gleason
“Star Wars: Battlefront” by Lucasarts is a game that attempts to capture the scope, breadth and confusion of battles in the Star Wars universe. The game does more than a serviceable job of doing so and is multiplayer gold. Its single-player campaigns, however, leave a good deal to be desired.
“Battlefront” takes one through a virtual tour through the galaxy. Players travel to such well-known nexuses as Tatooine, Yavin 4 and the ice planet Hoth to engage in planet-consuming battles. Victory is achieved either through destroying all enemies or controlling all command points. Players chose to play as the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Empire, the Separatists or the Republic’s Clone Army. Unfortunately, one cannot mix-and-match between eras: the Empire can only play against the Rebels, and the Republic can only fight the Separatists. Also, the timeline of the movies cannot be altered; the Empire cannot prevent the Death Star from exploding and the Rebels can’t hold their base at Hoth. This unacceptably limits the interactivity of the game; the players do not feel like they can change anything.
The graphics do an excellent job of conveying the scope of the battles. They are clear, smooth, and depict the confusion that often occurs on the battlefield. Fortunately, the game tells players if units are a friend or en enemy, and this drastically cuts down on friendly-fire kills.
The game is very easy to get in to. There is practically no learning curve, as everything in the battles is well laid-out and effortlessly comprehensible. Unfortunately, the game remains at this level, not increasing in difficulty as the game progresses.
The game also provides a huge array of vehicles to control. Players can control speeder bikes, X-Wings, Tie Fighters, AT-ATs, turrets and many others. Unfortunately, the control for the vehicles is too loose and taking control of certain vehicles are almost death sentences (riding a tauntaun, for example, is asking for death). Also, certain enemy vehicles are all but indestructible.
Multiplayer is the true star of the show. On the PS2, a two-player split-screen option exists as well as internet play accommodating as many as 16 players. There is a great thrill in cooperative play, as organizing offensive attacks or coordinating defensive stances is engaging.
The single-player game is the weak link, however. The playable campaigns are too brief and too easy. The inclusion of clips from the movie series feels cheap, almost as if they were tacked on as an afterthought. Action gets repetitive easily, as killing enemies is the only thing to do. Also, there is little variation in the game modes. Instant Action feels like Galactic Conquest and both feel like Historic Campaigns. Without playing with other humans, there is no thrill in victory and the sting is taken out of defeat. Unfortunately, without other players, this game has basically no replay value.
Play balance is also out-of-whack. The Empire and the Separatists have distinct advantages over their respective counterparts, and this is a severe hindrance to anyone who chooses the Rebels or the Clone Army. Playing as the Empire, especially in single-player campaigns, all but ensures victory. This also contributes to the lack of replay value.
In summary, “Star Wars: Battlefront” is engaging, good fun, if only for a short while. If you and a friend enjoy mindless destruction, then this is a highly recommended rental. Otherwise, there are more prudent ways to spend your money. On the whole, enjoyable if mediocre.
Final Grade: C+
“Star Wars (Image courtesy www.itavisen.no)