Battlefront 2 another disappointing instalment
FROM the very beginning, it seemed that Battlefront 2 was destined to be dead-on-arrival. The incredible online backlash levelled at EA’s implementation of a very broken and insanely expensive progression system meant that an otherwise fun game would never see the sales numbers and critical reception that EA and DICE hoped to receive.
The looming spectre of the potential return of microtransactions that will give some players a very unfair advantage, coupled with a shockingly slow and tedious progression system means that Battlefront 2 is another disappointing instalment to a series that is very quickly losing its lustre and tarnishing a golden legacy.
Even if you disregard the EA’s predatory behaviours, the actual single player campaign in Battlefront 2 is nothing short of paper thing and unashamedly lazy. Clocking in at an insanely short 4 hours, the stunning set pieces and faithfully recreated and incredibly beautiful Star Wars locations are barely done any justice due to Battlefront 2’s tendency to jarringly hop from place to place with no real rhythm or reason.
Battlefront 2 describes relationships and motives with all the nuance of a battering ram and their lack of interest in the single player portion beyond the purely surface-level aesthetic fluff is very telling about the developers desire to have you part with your money in the multiplayer mode. For better or worse, the large-scale multiplayer modes still remain the most compelling reasons to pick up a copy of Battlefront 2.
Unsurprisingly, DICE have absolutely nailed the fundamentals for a fun multiplayer experience. The weapons feel weighty and satisfying to fire, the maps are beautiful and well designed, offering many opportunities for tactical gameplay and the sound design is clearly something that DICE have spent a lot of time perfecting. Each of the four basic classes has a unique weapon and set of abilities that makes them stand out from each other without any class feeling less vital than the next. Of course, the nasty progression system makes gameplay in the long run feel like a tedious chore.
Battlefront 2 is a particularly sad experience, because it adheres flawlessly to the Star Wars aesthetic but is oozing with unspent potential.
I hope that this is not the last game in the series and that some form of justice can be brought to the franchise in a sequel or potential future updates, but I am not holding out much hope.