Star Wars Battlefront II Review

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In 2013 we all found out that DICE was preparing a new installment of Star Wars Battlefront that would serve as a reboot of the saga, we began to emit joyful beeps in the R2-D2 style. However, when the game arrived and despite having a more than acceptable graphic and playable finish, its lack of content left us screaming with rage. This second installment, however, comes with the promise of remedying a good part of the defects of the original.

Star Wars Battlefront II has been developed by a truly imposing trident. SAY , that they have already demonstrated their good work with the shots in the Battlefield saga they have been in charge of the gameplay of shooter on foot and of the technical section in general. Criterion , creators of the Burnout , have contributed their wisdom in the game modes with ships. For its part Motive, the studio founded by Jade Raymond (producer of the first Assassin's Creed) and headed by Kim Swift in the design (the creator of Portal) have been charged with the responsibility of the campaign mode.

Going Deep

The campaign is not the main element of a game that is, once again, quite oriented to multiplayer. However, it is one of the most anticipated modes and, therefore, let us start here. As you know, it is starring Iden Version , the commander of the Infernal Squadron of the Galactic Empire. Our heroine is witness to the destruction of the second Death Star , which is a heavy blow to the Empire, however, he ordered a series of missions to try to rebuild their dominion over the Galaxy.

The game mechanics during the 13 available missions (including the prologue) are very similar to what we can enjoy in the different multiplayer modes. Basically, we are dedicated to shooting everything that moves. It is true that Motive has tried to offer us something else. Something that we can not enjoy in the other game modes and, therefore, have introduced two exclusive mechanics of the story mode: stealth and the use of a robot to hack all kinds of devices or electrocute our enemies. However, the reality is that both the design of levels as the placement of enemies makes it just impossible to go unnoticed and the issue always ends up shooting. It's not a bad thing in itself, we love the shots, but you have to warn.

We can also enjoy a minimal exploration thanks to some collectibles that are scattered around the scenes.
It is true that the campaign does not contribute much in the playable and is based on the same shootings and spatial battles of the multiplayer, but that is not exactly little. In addition, what has truly captivated me has been the plot and the rhythm. Thus, during the approximately 5 hours that it lasts, we have not been able to release the command at any time. As you know, it narrates the events between the fall of the Empire in Episode VI and the beginning of the VII, and besides being a canonical plot, we will find it as interesting or more than what we have seen in the last films of the saga. All the characters.

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It is, in short, a most interesting addition and that will delight fans of Star Wars . In addition, players who feel repelled by online modes have another way to enjoy the campaign in Star Wars Battlefront II . Speaking of the Arcade mode , which allows us to enjoy games alone or with a friend in a split screen in which we face enemies controlled by the AI. They are still pretty simple missions, but they serve as a luxury to familiarize us with the multiplayer maps and they manage to bite us with their system of three levels of difficulty, especially if we play accompanied. We can even customize the number of enemies and other variants to extend the duration of this mode.

The Multiplayer

The multiplayer battles are, however, the real protagonists of the game experience. During our visit to the DICE studios in Stockholm we were able to capture all the multiplayer game modes and the Arcade mode.

But let's get back to the mess. In multiplayer games we have five game modes. In Pop we faced each other in teams of 10vs10 in fights to the death. This classic Team Deathmatch is a simple way and without more pretensions, but that can not be missing. In Heroes and Villains mode, we put ourselves in the shoes of the best known faces of both sides of the force in battles of 4vs4. Thus, we can incarnate Yoda , Luke , Leia , Han Solo , King , Chewbacca , Lando Calrissian , Boba Fett , Bossk , Darth Vader , Emperor Palpatine ,Kylo Ren , Darth Maul and Iden Versio . Each team has a VIP that we must kill while the rest of eliminations we do not count, so we must defend our VIP while we try to finish the opponent. The fact that there are eight players controlling these characters, with their special abilities, makes the battles a real chaos and that sometimes does not make much sense, but they do not stop being fun and they are the perfect degreasing if we carry a while competing in other more "serious" modes.

In Attack mode we fight in teams of 8 players with the obligation to meet different objectives, which always consist of capturing a couple of areas of the map. It is, logically, a more strategic and paused proposal. It uses smaller versions of the maps that we can enjoy in the most multitudinous modes and it is entertaining, although it has left us with the sensation of offering very little variety in terms of objectives. We hope that with the passage of the updates and the arrival of new maps, other objectives will be added that will not be limited to conquering territories.

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The Modes

Special mention deserves goes to Starfighters Assault mode , in which the hand of Criterion has been a real facelift that has greatly improved the control of the different ships. The show, in addition, with 24 players shooting more a huge amount of ships controlled by the AI, imperial destroyers swarming and a long etcetera, is more than assured. It is, without doubt, one of the most addictive game modes of the entire cast. The control of the ships is exquisite at the same time that simple and the different types of ship offer us lots of strategic options during the battles. In addition to normal fighters, interceptors and bombers, we can also pilot epic ships such as the Millennium Falcon(You can see how I give a good account of him in the gameplay), the Slave I Bobba Fett or the advanced TIE Darth Vader , among many others.

Of course, this has happened with the Galactic Assault mode, it has left us with the feeling that when we are in the attackers' team the victory is more affordable. It is not that the games are unbalanced or poorly adjusted, but that the defending players must coordinate much more than the attackers and, of course, by joining teams of 12 people in the case of the ships and 20 in the Galactic Assault it is very complicated .

The star mode, of death, is Galactic Assault, in which 40 players and all the elements of the other modes meet. Thus, we visit gigantic scenarios such as Hoth, Naboo, Takodana, Kamino, Endor, Tattoine, ... and do everything from eliminate our rivals or complete different objectives to pilot ships, embody heroes or handle all types of vehicles. Luckily, we can eliminate the power-up that we could pick up randomly on the stage to become a hero, pilot ships, ... in the last delivery. It was a ridiculous system, which did not reward our good play but the luck of finding the happy power-up on our way. Now, we would be receiving points for doing any action (even death), which we can then spend to put ourselves in the shoes of special soldiers, ships, vehicles or heroes.

The class system, which divides the soldiers into assault, officer, heavy and specialist is also a tremendous success, since it allows us to personalize our gaming experience much more and multiply the tactical possibilities of all the confrontations. It is one of the great multiplayer changes of this game and it is a change for the better. Each, of course, has its advantages and disadvantages and are more useful in certain moments of the battle, especially in the changing battles of this last game mode, in which the same thing we are defending a territory that eliminating our rivals or destroying a gigantic AT-AT. Honestly, this mode gives a lot and we have not yet been able to release the command since we started our adventure in Star Wars Battlefront II.

The progression system, linked to the cards and loot boxes, has also improved considerably compared to what was seen in the beta . Each class, hero and ship can be equipped with three cards, which give us different skills and improvements. Yes, we still depend in a certain way on chance, but the epic cards of the loot boxes have been eliminated and now we can only obtain them by constructing them with pieces. The improvements in the cards, in addition, force us to have reached a certain range playing, so it is not worth just spending money without more.

Most new weapons and equipment are achieved by completing challenges, so the system is, in general, much more fair with those who do not want to go through the box. However, in the last hours the controversy has jumped and it does not surprise us. According to some users of Reddit , the time needed to get 60,000 credits and thus unlock the most expensive heroes of the currently available catalog would be about 40 hours of play. It is, without a doubt, a somewhat crazy time investment, although it is not far from what we need to invest in other similar games, such as Destiny 2 or dozens of role-playing games to obtain the best items. However, here it rains on wet and EA's response has been absurd and very undiplomatic. You will see new heroes like Finn and Phasma , ships, vehicles, weapons, equipment, maps and even new chapters of the campaign completely free of charge.

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Conclusion

You would love for everything to come, in addition, without micro-payments, but there are very few video game companies currently doing something similar. Destiny 2 only has micropayments for aesthetic issues, but it charges you for DLC's, for example. In fact, I can only think of one case of this kind. Many wonder how it is possible that it is such a bestial phenomenon, how it makes so much money, how there is no other hero shooter that can make it rival, etc ... A possible answer to all these questions, or at least in part, is that Overwatch offers all new content for free and, in addition, only includes micropayments for aesthetic issues. Wouldn't it have been a great idea for EA to create loot boxes to buy aesthetic elements in Star Wars Battlefront II?instead of for playable and content issues? Yes, it is true that everything can be achieved by playing, but the patience it requires may be too much. On the other hand, if the micropayments only served to play with a blue Yoda (to say something very crazy that Disney would not allow) or to change the color of our lightsaber (there is nothing erotic in this phrase) our perception would be very different . I, of course, have taken into account this policy of loot boxes, which has subtracted a few points from the final note of this analysis and, of course, you are in your right to lower it further and defenestrate it or think that either It is for so much.

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Of course, in the playable, which is what I have to analyze, the game is outstanding. From the graphic section, we can say little, except that the show is huge and constant. The content offered, beyond having two characters (Luke and Darth Vader that require too many credits) is bestial. It has lots of game modes: campaign, arcade, multiplayer, has a very decent figure of maps and heroes and the promise that this is just the beginning of our galactic adventures in the coming months. If, in addition, EAdecided to backtrack a little and offer more credits per game or lower the price of some characters (as he did after the beta), everything would be much more attractive to the user. They have time not to correct it and not fall into a different error, but with very similar consequences, to the one committed with the first delivery.

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EA, DICE and company have learned the lesson of the first delivery and, this time, not only offer us a colorful game, also a varied and, above all, full of content for all tastes.

Happy Gaming!!!