This game is a must own for Star Wars fans and if you're not a fan, you'll probably enjoy it anyway.
First off, let’s compare it to the first Star Wars: Battlefront. After all, a lot of people ask, “If I have the first one, is it worth buying the second one?” For the most part, the two games are very similar. The controls are essentially the same and there are a few worlds that are right from the first one. The music and sounds are pretty similar, however, with some obvious upgrades. That’s about where the similarities between I and II end. Beyond those basics, Battlefront II takes everything else to the next level.
Let’s start with the graphics. While I played both on the Xbox, there are notable improvements in the look in Battlefront II. The lighting and details seemed cleaner, and in places like Felucia and Dagoba, there are some really impressive details in brush and plant life that make it look really nice. The character models also look a little more refined, but the first incarnations were very nice, so there wasn’t too much to improve. The space scenes also look really good. This, obviously, is the first SW Battlefront with space battles. I’ll get more into the gameplay of that later, but from a graphics standpoint, it was great. You could get a lot of ships, lasers and other things going on and not have a problem with framerate. That makes it all the better.
From a sound standpoint, it’s very similar to the first version. There are some more obvious “dialogue” type comments in the game. They make a little amusing, but don’t necessarily improve things. All the effects sound like right out of the movie, and the score makes you really feel like you’re a part of the trilogies.
Now, the big, and noticeable improvements: the gameplay. First, there are notable changes to the characters. They added a few, like the clone commanders and the magna guards. They also leveled the playing field a little on all the characters so that no one single character is invincible or, for that matter, no one is useless either. Those of you who were frustrated trying to kill droidekas in the last version will appreciate that. Part of the challenge with each battle is that not all of the characters are available at the start of the battle. Sometimes you have to accomplish certain things in order to unlock those characters during a fight.
Beyond the changes to the basic characters, they’ve added the “leader” character. Each group, whether the Rebels, CIS, Republic or Empire, have a potential leader for each battle. It may be a jedi, like Obi-Wan, a sith, like Darth Maul, or it could even be Jango Fett or Princess Leia. This also adds to the fun and makes it a lot more interesting. One noteworthy thing when you’re playing as a leader: they never die. If you get hit a certain number of times, they simply “go away”. Guess it wouldn’t be too realistic if Obi-Wan died on Mustafar and never survived to train young Luke. Anyway, the leader characters are unique and make the game a lot of fun.
The characters aren’t the only big changes, there are also more worlds and space battles as well. Some familiar locations are back. For example: Tatooine, Yavin, Hoth and Endor. Kashyyk is back, too, but the battleground is completely different. They’ve also added Jabba’s palace, Coruscant and many others. Each one is unique and quite fun. You basically get to see each of the worlds from Episode III as well as plenty of others. The space battles are a whole different experience. There, you can pilot a fighter or bomber (and there are a lot of crafts to choose from), or you can pick a landing craft and board the enemy ship to try to destroy it from the inside. You’re limited on the characters you can use in space battles. Usually only a marine and a pilot. But, that just adds to the challenge. Flying takes a little getting used to, but, it’s not tough to learn. It is tough to master, though, especially against tougher opponents.
One last area I’ll mention is the game modes. This really takes a step in the right direction, in my opinion. First of all, there is a fun single player mission that begins on Geonosis. You play as a member of Vader’s elite 501st Division. Each mission moves to a different location and there are specific objectives associated with each mission. They get tougher as you go, so you’ll have to improve your skills along the way. The stories are very nicely tied in to the films and fill in some gaps in between. The monologue in the cut scenes is very entertaining, especially when the 501st shifts from Jedi allies to Jedi killers. All in all, the single player mission is fun in itself. Beyond that, there’s the instant action like the first version and Galactic Conquest. I have to say, Galactic Conquest is a whole lot more fun this time around than in the last version. It’s almost like the game Risk. You have to build your armies and your fleets, conquer worlds and plan your battles well. It’s more involved and takes longer to accomplish than in the last version. To me, that makes the game all the more worthwhile. Whether you play with friends online or offline, or just play it alone against the computer, you’ll find Conquest to be an addictive and enjoyable playing mode.
To sum it all up, Star Wars Battlefront II is the best Star Wars game to date. If you’re a fan of the games, you simply NEED to own this one. You’ll enjoy it for a while, especially if you play online. I hope they come out with a Battlefront III for the 360!