Let me take you on a stroll through the history of the Star Wars Battlefront games over the years and show you how much they changed and evolved in nearly 20 years since the first one has been released!
The Battlefront video games got a brief mention in the second installment of the Best Star Wars games when I talked about the Best Star Wars First-Person Shooters, but these games are so special and have such a long history that they deserve to be discussed separately on their own.
Star Wars Battlefront games are some of the most beloved and iconic of the franchise. They introduced so many things never before seen in a Star Wars videogame.
Massive maps with dozens of soldiers clashing against each other that weren’t NPCs, heroes vs villains mode, spaceship battles, different classes of soldiers and vehicles with reasonable strengths and weaknesses.
The franchise has some very high points and also some of the lowest points a videogame could see. Let’s dive into the history of these games to learn why they are so important for everyone that played them.
A New era begins! Star Wars Battlefront (2004)
It all started in 2004 with the release of Star Wars: Battlefront, a game developed by Pandemic Studios and LucasArts. It was available for PC, Xbox and PlayStation For the first time, we could play across both Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War eras in a single FPS game. The best part was that you could play with different units and vehicles, sniping down your enemies from a distance or rushing into the heat of the battle with a special unit.
The number of maps available is something pretty decent (17), these included different scenarios in Kashyyyk, Naboo, Rhen Var, Bespin, Endor, Hoth, Yavin IV, Kamino and Geonosis. Most of them felt unique from each other and that is something that even modern games struggle to achieve.
Multiplayer was amazing, 16 online players on Xbox and up to 40 on PC. Truly an immersive Star Wars battle, where the best-coordinated team would crush its opponent. At that time, team coordination was very difficult to achieve and most times it ended up being close battles which at least I enjoyed better.
Depending on your approach, there are 5 types of units you can select; Infantryman, heavy, sniper, pilot and special unit. The first 4 are pretty much the same on all 4 factions. Droideka, Wookie smuggler, Dark Trooper (phase zero) and Jet Trooper are the special units available and if used properly they could change the tide of the battle.
All big maps included vehicles that provided an extra layer of fun and immersion. Ground vehicles like AT-STs, Snowspeeders, AATs, provided utility and firepower while Speeders, Staps, Tauntauns and even Kaadus let you move through the map efficiently.
Playable heroes are available but very limited. Only one per faction, these included Mace Windu, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Count Dooku. I guess it’s better than nothing but we all wanted more characters.
Galactic Conquest mode lets you choose a faction and conquer each planet, one battle at a time. This was a good option if you couldn’t play online or with a friend. Its difficulty wasn’t high but it was fun and a good way to spend the evening on your own.
The campaign was fun but nothing special (at least not for me), basically you played each planet/battle in chronological order. It’s divided into two parts, the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War.
The first Battlefront was something every fan wanted, it was fun, fresh and most importantly, it felt like Star Wars. But it was far from perfect, a couple of units felt too strong, some maps were repetitive, there wasn’t enough distance in a map for a proper spaceship dogfight and one hero per faction was underwhelming, but everything was about to change with the release of Battlefront II.
Trip to perfection: Star Wars Battlefront II (2005)
November 1st of 2005, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released and alongside it, Battlefront II (both, the same day). I remember going to the movies and minutes before entering I checked my local games store and saw it, a Clone with blue marks on his armor, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader on the cover. I had no idea how different it was from the first game but my expectations were considerable, especially after watching the 501st for the first time.
I had to wait until Christmas to play the game, when I finally had the chance to play it I couldn’t believe how amazing it was. It was like the first Battlefront game, but a lot better in every single aspect.
The campaign titled “Rise of the Empire” felt different right from the start, this time we were given the perspective of a clone trooper (voiced by Temuera Morrison himself) member of the 501st, the legion that helped Darth Vader raid the Jedi Temple and that would eventually be known as “Vader’s Fist”. His perspective, from the very first day of the war that started on Geonosis, to the execution of Order 66 and finally the transition to the Galactic Empire.
It was emotional, deep, you could empathize with the clones and I got to appreciate them a lot more. Playing the levels with the context and speech given before and after each battle made it feel like it was something more than just another shooter game.
Almost every feature was improved, the AI for enemies and allies was better, Galactic Conquest mode was more pleasing, you could change your character at every friendly Command Post, new GUI, sprint was introduced, new Instant Action modes, earnable awards with units depending on your performance.
More than 12 new maps were introduced, many from Revenge of the Sith, such as Mustafar or Utapau. Classic trilogy locations such as Tantive IV and Deathstar were also included. Sadly, maps like Rhen Var or the Naboo plains were removed for this game. I didn’t mind this as we also got space battles.
Space battles were something new for Battlefront, and they were incredible. The objective was relatively simple, take down the enemy cruiser. To do this, you have to destroy 5 key points in the ship. There are 2 ways to do this, you can use a spaceship and shoot at the enemy cruiser or board and destroy it internally.
Each faction featured 4 different classes of ships; bomber, transport, fighters and interceptors. All of them are good or bad choices depending on the situation. If you want to win there is a strategy to follow, but if you just want to have fun in space every ship is viable.
Three new classes of soldiers were created for Battlefront II, Special Class 1, Engineer Class and Pilot Class. Special Class 1 units were powerful and required a certain amount of points before being able to play them. MagnaGuards (CIS), Imperial Officer (Galactic Empire), Clone Commander (Galactic Republic) and Bothan Spy (Rebel Alliance) joined the already stacked roster.
Engineer Class are soldiers that provide med packs and ammo for allies, can repair vehicles and carry explosives that can be detonated remotely. Pilot Class can repair ships while piloting them, this allows your ship to endure prolonged fights. None of them are ideal for straight gunfights, their strength relies on the utility they provide.
After being limited to one hero per faction, we finally got a full roster of heroes & villains. The list includes Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Aayla Secura, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Jango Fett, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, Darth Sidious & Boba Fett. Months later, Asajj Ventress and Kit Fisto were released in a DLC for Xbox. This DLC also included maps like Bespin: Cloud City, Yavin IV: Arena and the old Rhen Var maps.
A substantial number of characters compared to the first game, all of them with different abilities and playstyles. Playing as the leader of your army was cool, but going into Hero Assault Mode gave me the most joy. Heroes and villains from different eras clash against each other until one team wins, it doesn’t get better than that. I still remember how overpowered Kit Fisto’s water orb was.
Hunt was also added to the game modes. In this mode, indigenous species were available depending on which planet you were playing. Ewoks, Geonosians, Wampas, Wookies, Gungans, Tusken Raiders and Jawas are the species available. I’m not sure this was a popular mode, but I used to have a ton of fun playing it. Different variations of Capture the Flag and a massive battle mode named XL (PC) were some of the other additions to this game.
In February of 2006, modding tools were released by LucasArts and Pandemic Studios. Modding communities are some of the most dedicated fans I’ve seen, dozens if not hundreds of awesome mods were developed by fans to create new scenarios and relive iconic moments from Star Wars that the game didn’t include.
This game had it all, good storytelling, iconic locations from the movies, tons of playable units/heroes, space battles, different game modes, good voice acting, subtle and fun interactions between characters, modding tools, epic music, a good multiplayer experience.
Battlefront II raised the bar and set a new standard for Star Wars games. I spent hundreds of hours playing it by myself or with friends. And as most fans, I couldn’t wait for a Battlefront III. Sadly, that never happened, and the next time we would play a Battlefront game the experience wouldn’t be as iconic and memorable as this one.
A New Beginning: Star Wars Battlefront (EA, 2015)
Some years have passed and I find myself watching the E3 2013 edition stream, so far nothing that grabbed my attention. And then it happened; someone walking in a snowstorm with nearby unidentifiable wreckage, three seconds later we see a Snowspeeder crashing and right after that an AT-AT’s leg stomping the ground. Star Wars Battlefront was officially announced by EA and DICE. I still remember how excited I got about it, one of my favorite games was back and better than ever (or so I thought).
Two years later we finally got the new Star Wars Battlefront game, I felt excited but at the same time, my expectations decreased because of what I saw in the trailers.
There’s no story in this game, just a replay of some battles based on the original trilogy and the novel Battlefront: The Twilight Company. There was no story or campaign but at least there were a good number of heroes to choose, right? Well, no.
The available heroes were Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Jyn Erso, Nien Nunb, Lando Calrissian, Darth Vader, Dengar, Greedo, Boba Fett, Bossk, Emperor Palpatine and Director Krennic. Some of them would have been a fine addition as DLC but I was very disappointed when I knew we weren’t getting more.
The modes were pretty fun, survival was my favorite and it was a good way to spent time if you were bored of the other ones. There was a total of 20 available modes to choose from, a significant improvement over the older games. Though, I’m not sure this outweighs all the flaws of the game.
As with every live-service game, DLC packs were announced and eventually released. Battle of Jakku, Outer Rim, Bespin, Death Star, Scarif
Not all was negative, everything looked incredible. There was so much attention to detail, the textures and sounds were awesome. It was so unbelievable to see a Star Wars that beautiful.
EA hit the nail on a few aspects of the game but missed the most important ones, at least that’s how I feel about it. So much potential and yet it felt underwhelming. I know the developers weren’t the same but the bases and foundations of what Battlefront is all about were already established. It’s almost like EA chose to dismiss everything about the old games and came up with a lackluster version of their own. In my opinion, the most forgettable game of the Battlefront series, but the last Battlefront game would improve most elements and finally hit the mark.
Greed over quality: Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)
The gameplay trailer was outstanding, everybody was in awe by what we saw. Different modes, units, heroes from all 3 movie eras, space battles, incredible graphics and big scale fights. Everyone was cautiously optimistic, but then EA did EA things.
This game became controversial as soon as it was released. According to EA themselves they “listened to the constructive feedback and addressed it all”. The funny thing is that they did, while also finding new ways to screw the players.
After you paid for the whole game (60-80 USD depending on which version you purchased) you still had to grind 40 hours to unlock a single character, or you could just pay for it. Microtransactions were the new business model that every major company was implementing and EA wanted a big slice of that cake.
If you wanted to play without any disadvantage you had to pay. The amount of backlash was something never seen before. What did they do? Well, it’s obvious…they find a way to anger the fans even more. A statement where they claimed that grinding 40 hours for one character “would bring people a sense of pride and accomplishment” became the most downvoted comment on Reddit history at the time with -676,000 points.
Things escalated so badly that governments started to turn their heads to microtransactions and how that kind of culture in the gaming industry could impact kids. Microtransactions had to be removed completely from the game, lots of media reported that Disney was behind that decision and I wouldn’t doubt it. After all, Star Wars is one of Disney’s prodigal sons and no one would harm the franchise without facing consequences. This was probably one of the main reasons why EA lost the exclusivity for Star Wars games.
After all this mess, changes were promised and delivered. But not after a big number of players quit the game and lost their faith in it. And I can’t blame them for it. But I decided to give Battlefront II a second chance and I’m very happy I did.
It looked even better than the previous one. Every building, tree, ship and unit felt in place and with a specific purpose for each map. Eighteen maps are divided into sections depending on which mode you play, six space locations to engage in dogfights and fourteen levels for the campaign. That’s a decent number of maps and they all looked so good and were so detailed. These are truly big-scale battles. My favorite ones are Kashyyyk, Naboo and Geonosis.
The progression system feels awkward, you need points to upgrade your abilities and it feels out of place for a Star Wars game, but I don’t hate it. I guess it’s better than having to pay for it. You can earn characters by playing for some hours (not 40) and also acquire in-game credits to purchase cosmetic content.
The campaign’s gameplay is surprisingly fun, you play as Iden Versio, commander of Inferno Squad, your duty takes you to different planets and situations often require aggressive negotiations. For once I thought we were going to play as imperials but after the 3rd mission, Iden defects to join the Rebels Alliance. Disappointing but not surprising.
Space battles didn’t change that much but now you can use hero ships. Slave 1, Millenium Falcon, Poe Dameron’s X-Wing, Vader’s TIE Advanced are some of the available ships. I gotta say that they all felt very powerful and sometimes too hard to destroy but that’s the point of having hero ships.
Heroes and villains have more defined move sets and strengths/weaknesses. For this game, the lineup consists of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, Rey, Finn, BB-8, Kylo Ren, Captain Phasma, BB-9E, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Iden Versio, Bossk, Boba Fett, Count Dooku, Darth Maul and General Grievous.
Classic units were kept the same but they added 3 new types of reinforcements (as they call them).
- Aerials: capable of moving fast across the map and deal significant damage to vehicles with their rocket launchers. (Jet Trooper, Rebel Rocket-Jumper, Resistance Rocket-Jumper, Imperial Jump Trooper, First Order Jet Trooper & B2-RP Rocket Droid)
- Enforcers: huge damage dealers and hard to take down while also providing utility for other units. (Clone Commando, Wookie Warrior, Ovissian Gunner, B2 Super Battle Droid, Droideka, Death Trooper & First Order Flametrooper)
- Infiltrators: Sneaky and equipped with tools that allow them to set up ambushes for their enemies. (ARC Trooper, Ewok Hunter, Caphex Spy, Commando Droid, ISB Agent & Sith Trooper)
Not all of the content mentioned was available since day one. From 2017 to 2020 several major and minor updates were released. New heroes, skins, maps, game modes, balancing patches, vehicles and quality of life changes were some of the things included in these updates.
For a brief moment, it felt like EA finally hit the sweet spot, the number of players was decent enough to find a match without having to wait minutes, a whole lot of content, even PvE in case your internet connection wasn’t stable enough to jump into a PVP mode. After a stumbling launch, a PR disaster and an exodus of players things appeared to be stable for the first time in years. But sadly, they announced that no more content was going to be released after the Battle of Scarif update.
This game brought me lots of fun moments but others didn’t have the same experience, especially players that logged in since day 1 (I didn’t). I would describe this game as a bittersweet experience for everyone involved; players, developers and publishers. I don’t know if this is the last Battlefront game, we’ll ever see but it is a series that many of us love and hold dear to our hearts.
What would you like to see in a new Battlefront game? What are some of your favorite memories of playing Battlefront?
