Released to the incorrect sort of fanfare again in November 2017, EA DICE’s sequel to their rebooted mass-arena warfare collection set within the Disney-owned house opera universe courted controversy to near-comical diploma earlier than a blaster had even been fired. Overloaded by microtransactions and predatory loot field practices, Star Wars Battlefront II had a nasty begin. The largest offence to early gamers on EA Entry was that the franchise’s signature heroes – Luke Skywalker, Darth’s Vader and Maul, Obi Wan, Boba Fett, and so forth – have been hidden behind paywalls or, as was turning into more and more commonplace on the time, solely obtainable after unfathomably lengthy hours spent accumulating no matter ability factors or in-game foreign money was required to unlock them. Worse nonetheless was this over-abundance of loot bins wasn’t current within the open beta carried out a number of weeks earlier in October, so their emergence – as dangerous because it was – resonated a lot worse as a result of it felt deceitful.
The comedy component on this pre-release debacle emerged throughout EA’s strong defence of their selections on a Reddit publish; a publish which grew to become essentially the most downvoted the web site had ever seen and netted the not-yet-released title its first accolade: an undesirable Guinness World Document, for having – you guessed it – essentially the most downvoted publish in historical past.
The heads in EA’s boardroom didn’t take too kindly to this, however as a substitute of doubling down they opted to take heed to participant considerations and carry out a partial U-turn. First by dramatically lowering the price of the franchise’s heroes then, the day earlier than the sport’s official launch, by disabling microtransactions. We describe this as a partial U-turn as these microtransactions have been re-enabled a number of months after launch, however the one objects for buy have been cosmetics, emotes, victory poses, that type of factor. Definitely not the pay to win practices EA initially deliberate.
Arguably, these adjustments weren’t solely the results of participant discontent. The loot bins, specifically, harboured the very critical implication that they introduced a type of playing. So robust was the furore surrounding their inclusion that governments all through Europe and North America started to research; not simply their presence in Star Wars Battlefront II however in video video games as an entire. In any case, youngsters play video games and given Star Wars’ fanbase there was undoubtably a considerable participant base awaiting Battlefront II’s launch that have been beneath eighteen. The comedic component in EA’s preliminary response is an undertone if something. The loot field controversy clouding Star Wars Battlefront II grew right into a seismic occasion for the business. Paying for loot bins which can or might not comprise the objects you need was formally declared as playing, and it merely couldn’t live on.
The business isn’t cleansed of the follow altogether, after all, however the course it was heading in 2017 was definitely for the more serious. In a manner, it’s nice that this situation reared its head so prevalently when it did and, arguably, it’s as a result of this was a Star Wars sport that the uproar was so robust. In any case, this can be a beloved franchise with a then forty-year legacy. Its followers are passionate, and so they’ll voice their discontent extra rabidly than gamers of EA’s annual sports activities titles.
Regardless of EA making wholesale adjustments to Star Wars Battlefront II’s pay to win development, it’s launch was nonetheless cloaked in negativity. Nevertheless, there was a good sport beneath all of the furore, and it was solely improved upon by EA DICE within the subsequent years following post-release content material which steadily emerged till help was deserted in 2020.
Adjustments to development which got here in March 2018 remodeled the sport into the one which’s playable at present. To reply the query heading this characteristic, Star Wars Battlefront II is fastened, and it was the change to linear development which did it. Now, troopers earn in-game ability factors through taking part in not by paying. Finishing targets, blasting opponents, conventional levelling up.
Enhancing the potential of the sport’s characters are Star Playing cards, and these grew to become unlockable by means of expertise as soon as they have been faraway from loot bins. They govern development for every of the sport’s lessons, heroes, AI reinforcements, and automobiles, with ability factors being able to upgrading a Star Card to its subsequent tier or being put in the direction of crafting new ones. This mechanic returned from Battlefront II’s predecessor, after all, however they have been adjusted barely to include skills and boosts, and they’re essential to gaining an edge throughout largescale battles. Increase playing cards improve your unit’s pre-existing skills, whereas capability playing cards distinctive to every trooper class could be swapped out and in. The latter is a rewarding endeavour for anybody who needs to pursue a selected class of trooper – stealthier specialists, extra damaging heavies, harder assault troopers, et cetera.
If Star Wars Battlefront II is certainly ‘fastened’ then an additional query we land upon now’s this: is Star Wars Battlefront II nonetheless price taking part in some eight years after launch and approaching 5 years since any type of replace? Properly, should you’re taking part in on PC annoyingly the reply is likely to be no, as at the moment hackers have spoiled the expertise with game-ruining cheats and reviews of harassment in the direction of trustworthy gamers. It’s a disgrace, as on console Star Wars Battlefront II remains to be a splendidly cinematic, chaotic multiplayer expertise.
Make no mistake, concurrent gamers are nowhere close to the extent they’ve been previously however in 2025 taking part in Star Wars Battlefront II on-line is alive and nicely. Matchmaking can take a couple of minutes, extra so should you decide to pick out your chosen multiplayer mode as a substitute of selecting fast match, however efficiency – on PlayStation, a minimum of – is clean and responsive.
Graphically too, for a sport that’s eight years outdated Star Wars Battlefront II nonetheless appears to be like chic, presenting a foray of surroundings. It’d be good to see the sport remastered for current-gen {hardware} however given EA DICE’s choice to cease supporting the title and transfer onto different issues – and to sadly drop manufacturing of a 3rd Battlefront title – the past-gen model must do. Nonetheless appears to be like and performs nice, the latter of which is most necessary.
Multiplayer remains to be the best way to go although, because it at all times was. The sport’s single participant marketing campaign, following Iden Versio as she instructions the elite Imperial particular forces unit Inferno Squad, pledges an inverse perspective on the Empire however by no means really achieves it in the course of the run-of-the-mill missions. There’re hints that Versio is empathetic – a perspective we’ve by no means actually seen in any Star Wars sport – however the curiosity right here isn’t really explored. No, EA DICE clearly concentrated a lot of their effort into on-line play, it’s quite a few modes of which all have one thing good to supply, and the sport’s offline arcade modes.
Price stating too is that the sport’s solid of heroes are nonetheless overpowered. When you earn sufficient battle factors to take to the sphere as a lightsabre wielding Jedi or Sith, it’s ultra-satisfying scything by means of troopers. For anybody else caught in a lightsabre’s proximity, nonetheless, it may be devastating. Nonetheless, these panicky moments you spherical a nook and spot Darth Vader stomping in the direction of you might be fairly amusing. One of the best moments throughout Star Wars Battlefront II, too, are when heroes face off in opposition to one another. Seeing Luke and Maul going at it by means of a bathe of blaster hearth and thermal detonator explosions is final fan fiction materials – there’s maybe no different Star Wars sport that may replicate these distinctive moments.
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