Star Wars Battlefront II Review

9.0

Format PlayStation 2

Developer Lucasarts

Publisher Activision

Genre Shoot 'em Up

Time was when all you had to do was stick 'Star Wars' in the title of a video game and any self-respecting gamer would avoid it like the plague. It's sad but true - just about every movie tie-in had the pungent whiff of Bantha crap surrounding it, no matter how many cool sound effects and classic one-liners were thrown at them.

When Star Wars Battlefront arrived, all that changed as the ambition and excitement of the films was transferred directly onto PS2. The only thing was, you had to play it online with about a dozen mates for the game to really come good. The single-player campaign was a solid affair, but that wasn't really the point of the game. Battlefront II caters for the more anti-social gamer by strengthening the single-player campaign, making for a much more rounded experience second time out.

But the online multiplayer mode has been spruced up too, with the addition of clan options and player records. There's much more scope for strategic play now with skirmishes moving into outer-space for the first time. Working in conjunction with team-mates to bring down an opponent's Star Destroyer is a real thrill - one of you can pezzle its bridge from a safe distance in an X-Wing while another takes out its fuel tanks from inside. Teamwork is more rewarding: bigger targets require more elaborate tactics for success.

MAKE MINE A STELLAR
But it's the solo campaign which has seen the biggest enhancements. The new story mode follows the exploits of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion, and there's plenty of
action on offer as they battle their way from Episode I's Geonosis to The Empire Strikes Back's epic Hoth engagement. Objectives are varied and genuinely interesting - it never feels as if they're mere after-thoughts to the main event. So you'll be advancing with your troops to capture a bridge, or destroying AT-ATs to protect a stronghold, but to be honest it doesn't really matter what it is you're doing. The excitement is unrelenting whether you're taking cover behind a downed Scout Walker or hurtling straight towards the turrets of an Imperial Star Destroyer - there's just no need for delicate pacing.

Just about anything that moves is yours to commandeer, but every space craft handles exactly the same. It might seem like we're coming over all grumpy and ungrateful here, but apart from the look of a ship and the racket it makes, you'd never know what you were flying. A lumbering Y-Wing moves in exactly the same way as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it TIE Interceptor, diluting the feeling of Star Wars immersion.
It's a tiny gripe, and really isn't detrimental to the game overall, but it is noticeable.

FEEL THE FORCE
Even if the rest of the game was utter tosh (and it's not), it would be redeemed by the Trumpest of Trump cards: Jedis being included as playable characters. There are
few more intimidating sights in gaming - or anywhere for that matter - than Darth Vader himself bearing down on you, wheezing away and sending allies flying as he goes. The good news is that you can turn the tables and wield the red lightsaber yourself, or that of any other Jedi. L1 allows certain Force powers to be pulled off, like Force Push or Force Block, for as long as the character's stamina bar will allow. And, as you'd expect, they're all hard as nails.

As a game in its own right, Battlefront II is outstanding both as an excuse for obliterating complete strangers or spending an evening on your lonesome battling through the game's story mode. Enemy and ally AI is sharp enough to provide a challenge, although some comrades will run around like rabid headless chickens until a 'friendly' blaster bolt pierces their armour. With the game looking as lush as it does, there's plenty to feast your eyes on.

Unlike some of the movies, everything about Star Wars Battlefront II is an improvement over its predecessor - exactly what a sequel should be, and then some.

PSW Staff