Star Wars: Battlefront

Star Wars: Battlefront - (PC, PS2, Xbox)
Developer: LucasArts
Format: PC, PS2, Xbox
Genre: Battle


Get stuck into massive ground based battles from all your favourite Star Wars rucks. Sheer joy!



When we were kids - rather than being the big kids we are now - we wanted to be in Star Wars. So for the last 15 years or so, LucasArts denying us the chance to really get stuck into the fight has been hard to take. But George has atoned for all those crappy Star Wars games we've brought full of (a new) hope.

Star Wars: Battlefront rocks. In fact Star Wars: Battlefront rocks so hard that The Darkness would split their lycra jumpsuits in excitement. Basically it's a Battlefield 1942-style team-based shooter based in all the best battles of the films. But 'basically' doesn't really cover it. If you're not into Star Wars but get stuck into Battlefield-style games every night you're not going to get too excited, but for the rest of us normal people, it's a dream come true.

Each soldier (select one of over 20 different soldier types from four factions) has specialised abilities and the freedom to use ground-based turrets found on the battlefront as well as over 15 diverse ground and air vehicles including the AT-ST, X-wing and speeder bike. To say the vehicles are fun is the understatement of the year, but they can affect the balance of power too much in the battles.

So with all of these people running about, how many are human? That depends on which version you're playing. PC gamers rack up 32 players per battle (with additional bots), Xbox Live has 16 players (plus bots) and the PS2 lets four players get involved. Yes, four. When it's also graphically the weakest (blurry, no shadows) it's not too inviting - but that total can be upped to 16 players by running some PC software. In addition there's a single player component and some split screen action, if all that's not missing the point.

Battlefront would be a decent Battlefield type game without the setting, but the Star Wars fights we all know so well make it a really experience. Thanks George.