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Star Wars Battlefront II
Star Wars Battlefront II takes console
first person shooters to the next stage and this current incarnation for
the PlayStation is a combination of Battlefield 1942 meets the Star Wars
universe for some of the most exciting multiplayer and single player
action the console has seen in months. Based on six Star Wars movies,
the game allows players to select either one of four factions such as
the Republic, Rebels or the Separatist Droid Army. As with the previous
game, players can also select one of five different character classes
that all perform a variety of different functions that are vital for
winning. Droids, stormtroopers and Jedi, this title has it all!
The game also supports a plethora of gameplay modes that includes
instant action, campaign mode which takes you through not only the Star
Wars universe but also through the Star Wars timeline to include movies
from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith to Star Wars Return of the Jedi.
Battlefront also includes 16 different maps, spread out over 10
different planets that range from the dusty landscape of Geonosis to the
forests of Endor to the rain-swept oceans of Kamino. With that said,
Battlefront 2 is basically a squad based first person shooter that
allows gamers to be thoroughly immersed into the Star Wars universe,
with not only locales, weaponry and characters but also vehicles such as
AT-AT and Tie Fighters. To make things even better, the Sony DualShock
controller is perfect and actually suits the genre perfectly and should
take average gamers a few minutes to pick up the control system.
Although the gameplay of Battlefront 2 has been improved, it still
features a flexible and playable interface that allows gamers to switch
between first-person and a third-person viewpoint. Apart from the
plethora of weaponry available, Battlefront 2 allows gamers to
commandeer a myriad of vehicles and unlike the last game, players can
now have battles in space, be it X-Wing or Tie Fighter. The beauty of
the PlayStation 2 version is that there are several multiplayer servers
run by Lucasarts that allow for up to 16 players at a time to take
part in some of the greatest Star Wars battles, only seen in the movies
themselves. The only downside to the PlayStation 2 version is you need a
whopping 1.8 megabytes free on your memory card which is basically a
patch for online play.
Originally, Star Wars Battlefront set the benchmark for graphics in
first person shooters that not only captured the true spirit of the Star
Wars universe but also thoroughly immersed the player. Once again,
Electronic Arts have upped the ante with Star Wars Battlefield 2 and is
probably one of the most graphically impressive first person shooter
games on the PlayStation 2.
All the Star Wars characters contain high
resolution textures and whether you're looking at Darth Vader, Yoda or
an Imperial Storm Trooper, it's almost as if they have walked straight
out of the movies themselves. Apart from the extremely realistic
characters, the developers have done a remarkable job at once again
recreating the Star Wars universe with as much detail as possible that
contain all the places and locales of the first three movies. Match that
with a plethora of special effects such as reflective surfaces, shadows
and particle effects and a walk in the Star Wars mythos has never been
better
What would a Star Wars game be without the majestic soundtrack of John
Williams
musical score of the franchise? Once again the Star Wars soundtrack
returns for Battlefront 2 that has been slightly modified to match the
gaming environment, so when the action heats up, so does the music
itself. All the sound effects have been directly lifted from all
the Star Wars movies and when you first fire up your lightsabre,
depending on how much of a die hard fan you are, the hairs on your neck
stand up. Whether it's the growls of the Wookies or the hiss of Darth
Vader, everything has been flawlessly implemented into this title.
In conclusion, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is a worthy successor to the
original game that contains a plethora of gameplay modes, detailed
graphics and a musical score that sooths the savage gamer, there is
little wrong with this current Star Wars game and PlayStation 2 owners
worldwide should be pleased. A must have to all Star Wars fans or for
those that love a great first person shooter.
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