Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005 video game)
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Star Wars: Battlefront II is a first-person shooter/third-person shooter video game developed by Pandemic Studios, and published by LucasArts. The game is the sequel to the successful Star Wars: Battlefront and features new vehicles, characters, game mechanics, maps, and missions. The game was released in PAL regions on October 31, 2005 on the PC, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2 platforms, and in North America on November 1 of the same year. It was later updated to be backwards-compatible for the Xbox 360.
Unlike its predecessor, Battlefront II features a more narrative-based campaign, retelling portions of the Star Wars storyline from the point of view of a veteran Imperial Stormtrooper, reminiscing about his tour of duty in service of both the Old Republic and as part of the Galactic Empire. Upon release the game was generally well-received as an improvement over the original. One of the new additions is the use of Jedi and Force powers.
Gameplay
Battlefront II's gameplay is fundamentally similar to its predecessor's, albeit with the addition of new game mechanics, units, and vehicles. The general objective in most missions is to deplete the number of enemies to zero. Killing an enemy unit subtracts from that faction's reinforcements, and likewise the death of the players or allies results in a similar decrease. Besides simply killing enemies, players fight for control of 'Command posts', where units respawn after death, which allows players to change character classes.[1] Most command posts can be 'captured', by killing all enemies nearby and standing by the command post for a set amount of time. Controlling a majority of the command posts scattered on a map results in the faster depletion of the enemy's forces, and allows the player to respawn in more locations.[1] If all command posts are captured, the losing team has only twenty seconds to recapture one before the game ends in their defeat, regardless of the amount of reinforcements they have. There are two eras from which to choose; Galactic Civil War, or Clone Wars. Each era features two opposing factions; in the Galactic Civil War the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire vie for control, while the Clone Wars features the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) and the Galactic Republic. While most character classes are similar to classes of the other factions, each faction has two unique classes, which are unlocked gradually.[2]
Classes
Players have the ability to choose between exactly six classes throughout the game. These classes are: "Soldier", "Vanguard", "Sniper"/"Sharpshooter", and "Engineer". They all have different specialties as well as certain weaknesses. In addition to the four standard classes, the game also has two special classes for each separate faction. For example, the Confederacy of Independent Systems has the IG 100 Magnaguard and the Droideka for their special classes:
| Classes | Rebellion | Empire | Republic | CIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier | Rebel Soldier | Stormtrooper/Snowtrooper | Clone Trooper | Super Battle Droid |
| Vanguard | Rebel Vanguard | Shock Trooper | Heavy Trooper | Assault Droid |
| Sniper/Sharpshooter | Rebel Sniper | Scout Trooper | Clone Sharpshooter | Assasain Droid |
| Engineer | Rebel Smuggler | Imperial Engineer | Clone Engineer | Engineer Droid |
| Special Class 1 | Bothan Spy | Imperial Officer | Clone Commander | Magnaguard |
| Special Class 2 | Wookie Warrior | Dark Trooper | Jet Trooper | Droideka |
Heroes
Battlefront II also features a special class referred to as "heroes", which are found sporadically throughout the game. The hero each faction receives is entirely dependent on the map. Some examples include Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.[3]
Battle Types
Upon selecting "Single player" or "Splitscreen" on the game's main menu, the player must select an option from a list of battle types.
Training
Upon selecting "Training", the player is thrust into a carefully laid out practice battle on Geonosis. The player plays as a Republic Clone trooper and must complete a list of tasks throughout the battlefield, which are given one at a time on the screen. Each time a task is completed, the game pauses to show a short description of the next task, as the commanding officer explains it orally in a slightly altered terms. When certain tasks are completed, the player is allowed to play as different class, each specific to the new task that is given. Near the end of the mission, the player is given the option to play as Mace Windu. For most Battlefront players, this was the first time they received the option to play as a hero. After the mission is complete, the player stats are shown, and then the player is taken back to the battle type menu.
Rise of the Empire (Campaign)
Whereas Star Wars: Battlefront's campaign featured missions spanning both the prequel and original trilogy, with the player assuming control of all four factions, Battlefront II contains only one campaign, called "Rise of the Empire", which is found in every version of the game except the PSP version.[4] This set of missions is presented as the narration of a veteran Imperial stormtrooper of the 501st Legion, known as "Vader's Fist", beginning with an attack on the planet Mygeeto during the Clone Wars and ending with the assault on Hoth as depicted in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.[5] This Campaign includes battles on the surface of Geonosis (as a tutorial) , surface of Mygeeto, space of Coruscant, surface of Felucia, space and surface of Kashyyyk, surface of Utapau, surface of Coruscant, surface of Naboo, space and surface of Mustafar, surface of Kamino, the interior of the Tantive IV, the interior of the Death Star, surface of Polis Massa, space and surface of Yavin 4, and surface of Hoth.
Upon selecting "Rise of the Empire", the player is asked is he/she wants to try the Training battle first, if they have not done so yet. If the player selects "No", or has already completed it, they are shown a short loading screen, followed by an image of the planet Mygeeto with the only option to begin the battle. They then must complete the battle by completing tasks in a similar way to the Training mission, but more difficult. More battles follow afterwards. They all require the completion of tasks, but the tasks become increasingly difficult and require more creative thinking on the player's part. As the player progresses, he/she will find that there are space battles as well as land battles. Because there were no space battles in Star Wars: Battlefront, the player is allowed to skip any space battle they want and advance to the land battle after it.
During the campaign, all classes are available at all times, except special classes. This is unlike the training mission. Also, heroes become available after completing a certain task in each land battle. Before each battle starts, and after its completion, cutscenes from the Star Wars movies and from the game itself are shown, which further describe the storyline. In the storyline, the player plays as a Clone trooper that becomes a Stormtrooper in the 501st Legion of the Galactic Empire. The player's objective is to finally rid the galaxy of the Jedi and all opposition to the Republic/Empire (the CIS, followed by the Rebellion). When the campaign's final battle on Hoth is completed, a cutscene announcing the Empire's victory is shown, which states that "the Rebellion is done". This seems to leave a sour taste in some players' mouths, because the Rebels ultimately defeat the Empire shortly afterwards, according to the Star Wars movies.
Intro to Space Battles
If the players selects this option, they are shown a short video that introduces them to Battlefront II space battles. It seems to put the player in the position of a rebel pilot-in-training. This contradicts the campaign, which places the player in the position of an Imperial Stormtrooper.
Galactic Conquest
Like it's predecessor, "Battlefront II" includes Galactic Conquest. In this mode, you have the ability to play as the Empire, Republic, CIS, and the Rebellion. You command a fleet and go throughout the galaxy conquering and protecting planets. To help you in this you can get upgrades. Upgrades include having a Jedi leader, combat shielding, energy boost, etc. As you go through Galactic Conquest, you will fight in space and on land until you conquer all planets.
Instant Action
Instant Action contains all levels and characters, and any level can be played instantly. You can play any level, but they exclude secondary objectives. Instant Action also includes the only ground Assault, Mos Eisley Assault, which is also one of the most popular levels in the multiplayer. It includes Hunt mode, and CTF mode. In Hunt mode you play as a species of the appropriate map and you start attacking enemy units for 5 minutes(default). CTF refers to Capture The Flag. You can have 1 or 2 flags. In 1 flag mode both teams run to the middle of the map and try to return the map to the appropriate location. In 2 flag mode you try to enter the opposing factions base and grab their flag when it spawns and return it to your flags respawn point. First to capture the specified flags is the winner. Naturally there is also Conquest mode, whoever can capture all the Command Posts, or wipe out all the enemy reinforcements wins.
Plot
The 501st Legion is debuted during the Battle of Geonosis. Following the battle, the legion is deployed to obtain a crystal for the Death Star superlaser on Mygeeto while preventing their Jedi general from knowing what they are doing. They then assist in the Battle of Coruscant, Felucia, Kashyyyk, and Utapau. Following those battles, Order 66 is activated and the unit swarms the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and wipes out the Jedi there. The team, now under direct control of Darth Vader, is known as "Vader's Fist." After this the 501st is deployed to Naboo to take out freedom fighters, their leader (the new queen of Naboo), and a few Jedi. They are also stationed on the Death Star, however rebels escape. Although they kill most of the escapees, they are removed of their duty aboard the battle station. They also assist in bringing down rebellions on Mustafar and Kamino that attempt to recreate the Clone Wars. After the formation of the Rebel Alliance, the team tracks down a piece of the Death Star plans taken from a prisoner escape, which actually saves them from being stationed on the Death Star during its destruction during the Battle of Yavin. The 501st takes it revenge by swarming a battlestation on Yavin IV and killing some Alliance leaders.
The team comes to its greatest hour during the Battle of Hoth, which broke the back of the Rebel Alliance by killing many rebel soldiers and destroying their last base, forcing the survivors to scatter across the galaxy.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer in Battlefront II offers significantly more game modes and improvements over the original game. The 'Conquest' game type returns, and there are several other modes, not all of which can be played on every map. Battlefront II also offers game types such as Capture the Flag and Galactic Conquest. In this game, players move their fleets across the entire Star Wars galaxy, defeating their foes on land or in space battles. Winning a battle gains the victor credits, which can be used to buy bonuses or construct new fleets. Also there is another mode called hero assault. Heroes and Villains fight it out trying to earn a set amount of points. This mode features all of the heroes in the game in one place, allowing a new level of gameplay. The game supports 24, 32, or 64 players on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC platforms, respectively.[6]
Synopsis
Setting
Like most other Star Wars games, Battlefront II takes place on many of the worlds featured in the films. In addition to visiting locations such as Endor, Naboo, Hoth, and Kashyyyk, which were seen in Star Wars: Battlefront, the second installment features new locales such as the Death Star, and Tantive IV. The game also travels to locations seen in the last film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, such as Mustafar and Utapau.
Plot
The game is told as a frame story, with an Imperial stormtrooper recounting the adventures of the 501st Legion. Originally, the Legion was part of the Old Republic, and fights against the Separatists from Geonosis to Utapau. After Emperor Palpatine commands that Order 66 be carried out, the 501st leads a massacre of the Jedi at their temple on Coruscant, coming under the direct supervision of Darth Vader. Feared throughout the galaxy, the 501st becomes known as "Vader's Fist". Under their new leader the 501st executes missions such as a forced regime change on Naboo, the destruction of a new droid army on Mustafar and an attempted clone rebellion on Kamino.
With the Galactic Empire firmly established in the ashes of the Old Republic, the 501st soon grows bored of the endless tedium, drills and inspection associated with maintaining the empire. When the Death Star's schematics are stolen, Vader leads the Legion across the galaxy in search of the plans, eventually leading to the boarding of the Tantive IV. Despite capturing the Rebel sympathizer Princess Leia, the plans are still transmitted, and the Death Star is destroyed. The 501st is then pressed into crushing the fledgling Rebel Alliance, leading to the victory at Hoth, where the narrator proudly proclaims the Rebellion finished.
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 84.7[7] (PS2) |
| Metacritic | 84 (PS2) |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 81.7/100 |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10 |
| GameSpot | 8.1/10 (Playstation 2) |
| GameSpy | 90/100 |
| IGN | 70 (Playstation 2) |
Battlefront II was praised not only for having a much more engaging single-player storyline,[8] but also for fixing many of the issues that plagued the original. For example improving the intelligence of AI units, or adding more varied objectives for victory.[8] Computer and Video Games argued that the strengthened single-player aspect was "unrelenting" and always a good challenge.[9] Publications found the inclusion of space battles a welcome addition, however Gamespot argued that the addition of Jedi, though looking "good on paper", didn't end up "feeling as epic" as expected.[6] Game Revolution argued that if the multiplayer was taken away, even the new campaign was not enough to make Battlefront II worth the buy.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b Pandemic (2005). Star Wars Battlefront II Instruction Manual: Command Posts. LucasArts. p. 13.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Pandemic (2005). Star Wars Battlefront II Instruction Manual: Units. LucasArts. p. 15.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b Dodson, Joe (2005-11-05). "Star Wars Battlefront II: I did it all for the wookie". Game Revolution. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ McGarvey, Streling (2005-11-01). "Star Wars Battlefront II (PSP) - Page 2". Gamespy. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Pandemic (2005). Star Wars Battlefront II Instruction Manual: Game Modes. LucasArts. p. 21.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b Colayco, Bob (2005-11-04). "Star Wars Battlefront II for Xbox/PS2 review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Star Wars: Battlefront II reviews". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ a b Sulic, Ivan (2005-11-02). "IGN: Star Wars Battlefront II". IGN. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Staff (2005-11-15). "Star Wars Battlefront II: PSW". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2007-11-21.
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