Xbox-Action & Adventure Games reviews

STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT REVIEW

Star Wars  Battlefront
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Reviewed by UK Guest, 2nd Oct 2004.
Review Summary: Greatest Star Wars Experience Yet!
Overall Score: 4/5 Overall score - 4Overall score - 4
Review: I've played many Star Wars games down the years, right back to that wire frame arcade game with the raid on the Death Star right up to Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars Galaxies, the online game.

Of all of them, only Star Wars Battlefront makes you feel like you are really in the middle of a Star Wars battle. Every scenario seems chaotic with beings, droids, vehicles charging around with blaster fire all over the place.

The game has two modes, single player and multi-player.

Despite what you may have read, the single player game is fun. Yes your AI allies tend to run around like headless chickens - this is no Rainbow 6 - if you instruct them they will occasionally do something useful. Providing firing cover is not one of them though.

There's two reasonably long single player modes. One is a Conquest mode, the other is a Civil War mode, where in each scenario you are put on one side or the other. Sometimes it's Imperial, sometimes it's Rebel. Same goes for the Trade Federation period.

My only concern is that capturing command points/ nodes is not really a great single player experience. That sort of gameplay is really for multi-player games. The developers would have been better off creating a purpose designed single player adventure mode along the lines of Halo. Finally, start on normal or difficult. This isn't hardest of games and that's coming from a mediocre shooter gamer.

The game was primarily designed for multi-player and this is where the gameplay becomes more intelligent.

Unlike the single player game, you can't run through your enemies blasting them away with ease. There's always a real person close by, ready to take you down as soon as you are within firing range. The problem is spotting them amid all the bots running around. There's lots of maps and it is good fun.

The multi-player mode doesn't seem as well designed as say Unreal Tournament, where well organised clans can wipe the floor with inferior opposition, but in a way it's more fun because it's Star Wars with all the familiar trappings.

To sum up, if the single player mode had been stronger - remember most Xbox players are not online - and the multi-player perhaps more ordered then the game could have been a true classic. As it is, it is a good game and essential for Star Wars fans.

Ratings
Value For Money: 4
Review Score: 4
Recommended? Yes