PSP World

Star Wars Battlefront 2

The first Star Wars movie was released long ago now when any thought of getting behind the controls one of the many space ships or battling it out with the Storm Troopers of the Empire was purely the stuff of dreams. The same could be said of the various sequels, then with the availability of 16 bit computers (Amiga and Atari ST) games could at least sample some of the action but for most it just wasn't enough. In fact for the majority of gamers, the first truly satisfying take on this most precious of franchises was the 'Super' trilogy, which was released on the Super Famicom (SNES) during the 90s. We've come a long way since then of course, with the average PC now home to some of the best Star Wars games available while on the console it was the original Battle Front which got fans of the George Lucas space opera excited, not to mention making it the best selling Star Wars game ever. Now with a new sequel, and a new hardware format does Battlefront II have the Force?

Visually Battlefront II is well up to scratch and initially there feels like there's been little compromise from the console versions. This is most evident in character models that are well detailed considering the hardware’s constraints, although there's been little attention paid to the actual animation, which occasionally looks comical at best. More impressive is the size of the maps, which are absolutely huge and have a reasonable draw distance before the whole thing becomes fogged. There is a downside to this as much of the terrain feels flat and unfinished and if this were a stealth-based game you'd probably have enough time to look around to criticize the quality of construction. Fortunately things move a lot quicker in Battlefront II and you are only likely to notice anything around you as you fall to the ground having been shot for the umpteenth time.

As there's little in the way of a FMV intro, or even cut screens for that matter, it's straight into the game via the options menu. As a single player you can select from on of three 'on-foot' challenges: Rebel Raider, Rogue Assassin or Imperial Enforcer. Rebel Raider is a simply case of collecting all the marked contraband as quickly as possible and returning to base. Rogue Assassin places you in the position of a hired gun with challenged to eliminate all targets as quickly as possible. Finally, Imperial Enforcer is similar to the last mode only here you are collecting alien species for the Empire. In all of these you have a variety of Star Wars vehicles such as AT-ATs, Speeder Bikes and Hover Tanks to aid you in your quest and you probably already know that less time taken means more points awarded.

The control is a little problematic and even though there are a number of tutorials at the front end you are still likely to face a steep learning curve before you manage anything like victory in a battle. Obviously there are two main types here: on foot and in a vehicle /spaceship. Unfortunately both have their fair share of problems. To be fair there have been few console based FPS’ that have given gamers the same degree of control as a PC equipped with a mouse. The PSP's biggest drawback is that you only have a single analogue controller, used for movement in the default position. The directional pad is used to look around and it's this combination, which makes aiming whilst moving
almost impossible thus making you a sitting duck for the enemy. You can change this by fiddling about with the controls at the options menu but, to be honest, none of these are truly satisfying.

It was the Space Battles that really excited us though and it's here that fans of the series are likely to come first for that all important adrenalin rush. After selecting your desired mode of space travel and taking off, it's up to you. The first thing you'll notice is just how insignificant your ship looks when you pass over one of the huge battle cruisers. You won't have a much time for this though as you'll find yourself right in the middle of a Galactic Dogfight. Obviously your ultimate aim is to destroy the enemy, which you can also achieve by attacking the weaker points of the huge command ships but unlike other console versions you can't land inside them either for a break or to engage in some enemy sabotage.

Possibly one of the biggest disappointments in Battlefront II is the complete lack of online play, which is one of the main selling points of the other versions. In its place is a four-player game played over a wi-fi network with AI bots making up the numbers. This is fun for a while but is not nearly as immersive as the on-line play would be and, as a result, a huge missed opportunity to build upon an already strong brand.

The majority of Star Wars titles have enjoyed an impressive soundtrack and Battle Front II is no exception. In fact as you play through the levels you'll not only be treated to some wonderful music but also all the sounds you associate with the Star Wars Universe.

Overall what you have here is a hugely enjoyable and immersive Star Wars game but you can't help but feel that something is missing. The most glaringly obvious thing is the absence of any on-line play and the complete lack of any story based campaigns but there are also other, more subtle, cosmetic and gameplay areas, which really should have been fine-tuned before the game was released. The fact that the space battles are far more enjoyable than the 'on-foot' missions should surely have been addressed at the testing stage. All in all though, it's an enjoyable romp which just asks a little too much of the PSP's limited power.

By Andrew Blanchard

Review Round-Up

IGN: 7.8
“Battlefront II on PSP mirrors its console brethren in terms of complexity and scope but can’t keep up in performance. So while every vehicle, unit and weapon is at your disposal, you’ll need to contend with an unstable framerate and lackluster visuals while you take over the galaxy.”

GameSpy: 7.0
“Sure, there's the fun of playing as the Rebels or as a defender of the Republic, but there's something about being the bad guy in the intergalactic trenches that really makes Star Wars Battlefront II so much fun…in single-player mode.”

GameSpot: 6.8
“It's got some of the console and PC versions' mechanics, but the lack of a story-based campaign and online multiplayer sucks much of the fun out of this PSP shooter.”

Modojo: 8.0
“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.”

Aggregate Rating: 7.7