Now that the loot box controversy has settled, we take an even-handed look at whether the game is worth your time

Something about Star Wars makes me all tingly inside. The music, the sound effects, the prop design and the aesthetic of a galaxy far far away takes me back to a special time in my life. The Star Wars franchise spans a tremendous amount of media, but the best part for me was always the video games. Whether it was swinging sabers with Kyle Katarn in the Jedi Knight series or crushing the Rebellion and Consortium in Empire at War, being able to immerse myself in the Star Wars universe was always tremendously satisfying.

Among the many Star Wars games of my childhood was Star Wars Battlefront II (2005), for Playstation 2. The game thrust players into the gritty, epic battles of the Star Wars universe and spanned every era we’d seen on film.

When Electronic Arts announced its reboot of the franchise, I was ecstatic. The original games brought the big battles of the franchise to life in a way that the films never truly achieved. I skipped the first iteration of the reboot after learning EA planned to push out a sequel within two years. The sequel was better in every way the first time around, so I figured I’d bide my time and see what the second installment would entail.

By now, you probably know of the great loot box fiasco that triggered the greatest community backlash against a game in decades. Being able to play as characters like Luke Skywalker and other staples of the series was suddenly locked behind a loot-box paywall.

EA seemingly saw the light and decided to remove the loot box feature for a time, bringing it back later as a purely cosmetic function. Instead of locking away classes and abilities, Battlefront II’s loot boxes now only contain cosmetic upgrades. Want to dress Luke in his Hoth outfit or put Yoda in some scraggly swamp robes? You got it.

If EA wants to make a bit of extra money, it’s more than welcome to peddle a few dress up options to players. Thats fair. When they’re also available through gameplay, skins become a status symbol in the game’s community. It’s a nice dynamic to add to any competitive game, as Overwatch and League of Legends have taught us.

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But the removal of the original loot box system so close to release has left the game with some growing pains. While we might be free of pay-to-win nonsense, the game feels bogged down by the card-based progression system that replaced it. As you play, you level up and unlock points to spend on power-up cards. These cards can be equipped to upgrade nearly every class, hero and vehicle in the game.

There’s nothing quite as debilitating as running up to an enemy, blasting him with everything you have, only for him to stay standing, turn and lay you out with half the effort. Then you get a glimpse at his build, seeing he has a set of fully upgraded cards you won’t get for another 30 grueling levels. For fans of series like Call of Duty or Battlefield this is probably a welcome feature, but the never-ending progression treadmill can be immersion breaking at times.

And truthfully, immersion is what holds this game up. In terms of gunplay and mechanics, it’s nothing special. The maps and game modes are almost universally ripped from other games, though some are spiced up with Star Wars flavor. Its derivative, but not bad.

It’s a little jarring when you wander into an area you aren’t supposed to be yet and the game threatens to kill you, but it helps keep players focused on the objectives.

There are four base classes to play as while the rest are unlocked with points earned during a match. Want to take to the skies and rain death? Get 1,000 points and spawn as a bomber. Want to be a Jedi? Save 8,000 points to jump in as Luke. It’s basically a killstreak reward, which, while fun for some, just isn’t for everyone. Its very much a “rich get richer” system. You’ll see a lot of players earn a few kills early on, then hop in a bomber and dominate the match.

The game also has some single player content, including campaign and arcade modes. While useful for learning the basics, the difficulty is downright insulting. Enemies will struggle to orient themselves to shoot at you and then literally stand in line to get shot in the head.

The campaign is serviceable, but it is full of plot holes and relies heavily on cameos to hold your attention for more than a single moment. At the very least, it might serve as a decent starting point for anyone looking to start with the shallow end of the new canon.

While Battlefront II flounders a bit as a game, it thrives as a cinematic experience. It’s very immersive and players will likely find themselves playing for hours just to see what the next map will be and to experience the short narratives they feature.

The weapons and vehicles feel mostly authentic. Blasters need to cool down after firing, while speeders are unwieldy, but fast. You can feel the power of manning an AT-AT’s main guns and blasting anything that moves. Lightsabers still feel like swinging a wiffle bat, but what can you do? It’s not like the Jedi Knight series perfected lightsaber combat with full dismemberment in 2003.

This installment also features a dedicated space battle mode where players can duke it out in starfighters while attacking or defending objectives. Piloting a fighter is so immersive and well designed it could probably be its own game.

The sound design is perhaps the greatest in any Star Wars game to date, with music, voice acting and sounds as good as the films themselves.

Star Wars Battlefront II is a fun romp in the Star Wars universe. As a game, it has many shortcomings, but if you love Star Wars it will easily draw you in for quite a while. Better yet, its pretty staggeringly low in price these days. A recent sale along with the free trial of EA’s monthly subscription service put it down to a minuscule $17, which is well worth it.

With both free and paid DLC on the way, you’ll at least be able to get a Star Wars fix until the next big game is announced.

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Feature image courtesy of Electronic Arts
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