Star Wars: Battlefront
Battlefield 1942 meets the Star Wars universe.
Tags: Star Wars: Battlefront Categories: PC Previews, PS2 Previews, Previews, Xbox Previews
Posted by Mark "MadMup" Zwolanek on Apr 5th, 2004
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Say the words “Star Wars game” to five different gamers and you’re likely to get five different reactions. Most would agree that George Lucas’ Star Wars universe is rife with possibilities for great games, and most would also agree that the games based on that universe haven’t always been that great. The library of Star Wars games range from the incredible (Knights of the Old Republic, the Jedi Knight series) to the mediocre (Clone Wars, Episode One Racer) to the flat-out awful (Force Commander). The best ones have made the gamer feel like a part of the Star Wars universe and the worst ones have been hobbled-together pieces from several different genres.
With this history, it becomes standard practice to approach any new Star Wars game with a certain amount of trepidation. Star Wars Battlefront is no different.
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On first glance, it seems like genius. With the current popularity of Battlefield 1942, a similar shooter with teamplay and vehicle elements set in the Star Wars universe feels like a no-brainer. Rather than storming Normandy or re-enacting D-Day, gamers will have the chance to re-enact the Hoth battle from The Empire Strikes Back or try to take back the streets of Theed on Naboo.
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For the first time, a Star Wars game will take place in settings from both the original trilogy and the latest installments, including some scenes from the as-yet-unreleased Episode III. Planets will include Hoth, Geonosis, Yavin, Tatooine, Endor, Kamino and Naboo, with environments true to each planet and gameplay that reflects the differences. While wide-open spaces on Hoth may call for more vehicle-based combat, the forests of Endor will allow for a mix of smaller vehicles and infantry, and the city-based Theed levels will lend themselves more to just infantry.
There will be four main factions in the game, and each faction will have several different classes. The four factions are the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Empire, the Republic Clone Army, and the Separatist Battle Droids. The subclasses in each faction will have different abilities that will make teambuilding strategy an important part of the game.
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For instance, in the Rebel Alliance faction, classes will include the basic Soldier, the vehicle-destroying Vanguards, the Pilots (for driving vehicles, of course), Marksmen (snipers), Smugglers to bring supplies, and Spies for infiltrating enemy bases. Each class will have its own set of weapons that will be familiar to any Star Wars fans. The Soldiers will carry blaster rifles and thermal detonators while the Wookie Smugglers carry bowcasters.
Sadly, there will be no playable Jedi class characters, though there will be several non-playable Jedi characters throughout the game.
Vehicles in the game will range from X-Wings and TIE Fighters to AT-AT’s and the Republic Gunship. Vehicles will have logical limitations based on their type – a hovercraft vehicle will be able to cross a body of water, but an AT-ST will have to find a bridge before it can cross.
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The game will be able to be played in either first- or third-person perspective, though some tasks will be better-suited to one or the other.
The focus is on online play for all three systems, but there will also be a single player game with “Instant Action” and “Galactic Conquest” modes. Gamers will be able to assemble and command teams of computer AI-controlled characters as they try to gain control over planet after planet.
It’s very easy for the Star Wars fan in me to start salivating at the prospect of this game – it sounds great in concept and on paper. There is still some fear, of course, that this game could succumb to the “Star Wars Game Curse.” But even if the game ends up not being very good, there is one thing that will drive people to play it at least a few times. Greg Borrud, Executive Producer, stated that while they were coming up with the design concepts of this game, they all knew there was one thing they needed to include. In his words: “In this game you must be able to kill Ewoks and Gungans. Enough said!”
Enough said, indeed.
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Tags: Star Wars: Battlefront
Posted by Mark "MadMup" Zwolanek on Apr 5th, 2004 and is filed under PC Previews, PS2 Previews, Previews, Xbox Previews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
