Star Wars: Battlefront (BETA)

Following the disappointing Rainbow Six: Siege beta, I jumped straight into the Star Wars: Battlefront beta which I’m pleased to say, was actually rather fun. It’s not without its problems, however, and it’s not a game I’ll be picking up on release for reasons I’ll explain later. But let’s start with the good stuff, shall we?

Unlike the Siege beta, the matchmaking actually worked and I didn’t have any trouble getting into games. The menu system was also refreshingly neat and simple to use with regards to class customisation, and the in-game UI was tidy and unobtrusive. Starting up the game and jumping into a match barely took a couple of minutes. Technical performance was really good with a solid 60FPS at all times, even when running everything on High.

Battlefront is one of the best looking games I’ve played this year. The landscapes of the maps in particular are fantastic. Character and vehicle models look great, as do all the effects such as explosions and laser blasts. Battlefront also has excellent audio with effects and music ripped straight out of the films. The visual and sound design combines to create an authentic and atmospheric recreation of the Star Wars universe.

If you’re expecting Battlefront to play more like a Battlefield title, you might be disappointed. It’s actually far more fast paced and doesn’t so much have a skill/learning curve as it does a straight line. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a bad thing though. It’s undeniably simple and shallow, but also very easy to pick up and play, and most importantly – fun. Which is fine, but it does raise questions about long term appeal.

 

There were three modes and maps available in the beta. One was a solo or co-op horde mode which was instantly forgettable. Another was a 8v8 ‘capture the pod’ mode. Fun, but limited. The only mode really worth talking about in depth was ‘Walker Assault’ a 20v20 objective based recreation of the Battle of Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back.

Now, it should be said that this beta wasn’t only limited in terms of maps and modes but also weapons, abilities and unlocks. It only allowed you to level up to rank 5, and only provided a very small selection of abilities. It may be that in the full release, there’s a lot more to these aspects that really change the game and add more depth, so keep that in mind.

But based on what I’ve played and what was available in the beta, Battlefront is a fun but shallow experience. I liked how the weapons handled, especially the overheat and ‘quick reload’ mechanic, but ultimately, there was very little to differentiate the different blasters. There’s no classes as such, and customisation is handled by picking three ability cards – a sniper rifle, a grenade type, a jet pack etc. I thought that was neat, but with such a limited selection, everyone pretty much rolled with the same gear.

The spectacle of ground combat is where Battlefront really shines. The graphics, the effects, the sound all combine to create a fantastic and immersive Star Wars experience. It genuinely feels like you’re in The Empire Strikes Back. I couldn’t praise it enough for capturing that feeling. Of course, the question is, if this wasn’t a Star Wars game, would I enjoy it half as much? Probably not. But that’s the power of the licence, and it proves just how strong it remains all these years later.

I think the best way to describe the gameplay is that it’s very ‘arcade’. It’s very easy to pick up and play. There really is no learning curve involved, even with vehicles. Everything controls much the same, with 3 special abilities to activate in addition to a primary attack. The ships, which I was expecting to be hard to master, are actually surprisingly easy. I wouldn’t say their handling is all that great, but they are refreshingly simple to fly.

 

A big problem with the aerial combat, however, is the size of the map. On the ground, it seems large enough, and you’re never too far from the action, but in the air, you suddenly realise how small it really is and you feel like you’re simply flying in a constant circle. The game also has ‘hero’ pick ups that let you play temporarily as Luke or Vader, but the heroes are actually pretty underwhelming to play and very easy to kill.

I liked the way the game handled various pick-ups, including the heroes and vehicles. You’ll find them as random token spawns across the map so it gives everyone a chance to find one and have a go, rather than just one asshole camping their spawn points. The only downside to this, is that the Hoth map can be won or lost quite easily in the air, especially for the Rebels, so if you keep getting idiots on your team picking up the tokens and crashing your air support into the ground, you’re kind of f**ked.

But overall, I liked the the token spawn idea (although placement needs some work as the Rebel side tokens are way too exposed). It’s just a shame the player spawns are so badly handled. The Rebel spawns on Hoth in particular are awful – during the last stage, the Rebels spawn on an open hill in full view of the AT-ATs guns. And then we have the ‘partner’ spawn mechanic which means enemies can just pop up right next to the guy you’re shooting.

In terms of balance, the Hoth map is heavily weighted in favour of the Imperials. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to win as the Rebels, because I have, but only in say, 2 in every 10 games. The difference is this – the Imperials can play like shit and still have a good chance of winning. The Rebels on the other hand have to work together, play as a team and focus on the objectives if they want to stand any chance.

For some reason the game spawns the Rebels pretty far from their first line of defence and puts their pick up tokens right out in the open. The Imperials can not only reach the first objective points more easily with significant cover, but also have an advantage in terms of height and vehicles. The second stage is even worse, as it allows an AT-AT to fire unopposed straight into the heart of the Rebel base with a clear line of fire at the objective point.

 

That said, if your team pulls together as the Rebels you can actually win quite easily. But in a public game, it’s a bit shitty when one side requires teamwork and coordination to win and the other doesn’t, because it’s rare you’ll find so many players working together, rather than just running about, ignoring objectives and fretting about their kill count. Oh, and people hacking. Maybe it’s a beta issue with false readings, but every match I saw at least 10 people being kicked by the anti-cheat. In a f**king beta. Why people bother, I really can’t say.

As you can probably tell, I’m now sliding into the negative aspects of Battlefront. It was a lot of fun, but where’s the long term appeal? Without any skill curve, or a variety of mechanics to master, where’s the depth? What’s going to keep me playing? I mean, let’s compare this to Titanfall. That was a game with greater weapon and ability variety, which also had the free running and titan combat, both of which took time to learn and perfect. There’s nothing like that in Battlefront. Not in infantry or vehicle combat.

And I really wouldn’t mind that so much. There’s nothing wrong with a basic, arcade style shooter that focuses on quick, easy fun. But for 50 quid? And that’s just the ‘standard’ edition. 50 quid for a online only shooter with no single player campaign, only 12 release maps and a handful of game modes? As much as I enjoyed the beta and had fun with it, I don’t see myself getting more than 20-30 hours out of it before it gets repetitive, especially with such limited content. With shallow and simplistic gameplay, Battlefront really needed to hit the mark with content, offering a wealth and variety to keep the player engaged.

But it doesn’t. And I’ll be f**ked if I’m going to pay 50 quid for 12 maps before they start pumping out DLC. Especially considering Fallout 4 releases 9 days earlier and is 10 quid cheaper. I have my reservations about that title, but getting good value for money out of it isn’t one of them.

All that said, I have to reiterate how much fun I had with Battlefront. Yes it’s a very shallow and simple shooter, at least based on what I’ve seen in the beta, but it’s f**king STAR WARS and it captures the license perfectly. If I see it on sale for 15 or 20 quid in the future, and the game isn’t totally dead, I might just pick it up. Hell, I’d probably get it on release if it was half the price or had double the amount of content.