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Star Wars: Battlefront II Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Solid control; great music from the films.
Multiplayer's a bit stunted; can't kill Jar Jar.
The Force is strong with this game. Needless to say, Star Wars Battlefront II is certainly no surprise, since the original Battlefront sold like hotcakes last year for the Xbox and PS2. So, of course, LucasArts is going to revisit the franchise with more scenarios, the ability to use Jedi, and so much more. However, a real shock this time around is that the campaign has been brought to the Sony PSP, and the portover isn't halfway bad. Granted, it's got its issues that teeter on the Dark Side, but not every Jedi is perfect, you know.
This is a straight-up battle game. You basically choose a side in a number of scenarios, be it a Rebellion camp, the Imperial Senate, a droid army, or the occasional wild card, and then take off to battle until you're killed. Granted, your army can get wiped out pretty quickly if you're not careful, but the enjoyment here comes in the journey, not the destination, and you'll find yourself in some hellacious fights. A little lopsided, to be sure, as a soldier certainly can't last against Darth Vader and his saber throw unless he's REALLY talented, but they're perfect for Star Wars zealots.
The game lets you choose Instant Action if you're up for just entering some firefights, but there's also some interesting campaign modes that are worth exploring. Conquer the Galaxy lets you fight battle after battle in an attempt at total conquest, while other scenarios are present that follow more of a fixed storyline. These are interesting, especially for Star Wars fans, and, as you progress, you unlock the ability to use vehicles and even take control of the occasional Jedi, like Yoda and his incredibly flippant moves or Darth Vader, mowing down soldiers like grass. Muhaha.
The controls feel fine and, to offer something to purists, the game can either be played in a traditional first-person mode or a third-person mode. Both of these modes work fine, and offer gameplay that's suitable for a game such as this. You'll have access to weapons and special moves aplenty, and can find ammunition and medical droids scattered about just in case you're running a little lopsided. When you're running around in a vehicle, things can slow up a bit, but not too badly. Space battles need work, however...just like in the console ports.
The sound is pure Star Wars all the way, complete with sound effects like Vader's labored breathing and the fuzzy hum of the Lightsaber. Music is John Williams-quality throughout, with many pieces take from the films and implemented with the on-screen action.
As for graphics, they seem a bit unpolished at times, and sometimes the frame rate drops so much that it's like you're walking at a crawl, especially in multiplayer (more on that in a second). However, they still get the best out of the PSP at times, especially with the massive environments and the crazy animation on some of the characters.
The game would've been an ideal choice for everyone who owns a PSP if it wasn't for the multiplayer, which is stifled. I had a chance to try it out with a friend over dinner and, unfortunately, it moves along at a labored crawl, with a ton of hiccups and stunted speed that loses its appeal almost instantly. LucasArts had two options with this- try harder, or not at all. Too bad they didn't follow either path. Purists may find it tolerable, but not me.
Besides the lack of solid multiplayer, Star Wars Battlefront II is still a romp on the PSP and fun for those who want to take control of the galaxy their way. While the console ports are more recommended for their details and expansion, the PSP version is certainly no slouch. There's no real disturbance in the force here...as long as you don't get online.
posted February 27, 2006