[Disclosure: The Star Wars Battlefront 2 campaign is co-written by former IGN editor Mitch Dyer.]
Star Wars Battlefront 2 feels like its 2015 predecessor took a hard look at itself and discovered what it wanted to be: a fun, strategic shooter. I was excited for the first game, but ultimately disillusioned by the characterless shooter hiding behind a Star Wars skin. It was accessible, sure, and sometimes even fun, but I dropped it after two weeks. After just a little time with Battlefront 2’s multiplayer, I know this game has the potential to keep my attention all thanks to a major change: classes.
The original Battlefront’s loose loadout system was seemingly inviting in its flexibility, but ultimately left me a little disappointed. The new class system still offers player customization, but also has some much needed structure. Each of the four classes (Assault Trooper, Heavy Trooper, Officer, and Specialist) have three equippable abilities that vary based on the player’s collection of Star Cards similar to the original. This time, however, Star Cards allow for more strategy as each class is outfitted with a standard set of abilities (like the Specialist’s trip mine and scanner) that make each class more defined outside of their weaponry and mobility. I would have liked to have seen more of the Star Cards, but the standard loadout fit to each class felt just fine too.
Although I tried each of the classes, I mostly stuck with the Officer class. It was the one I was most curious about since it’s a support role, but it’s not a straight medic. Instead, the Officer emits a buff that increases ally recovery and reduces damage. Once I got the hang of it, I felt like I was actually making a good contribution to my team with that ability and my friendly turret. Racking in the points from essentially boosting those around me also awarded me a prime position on the leaderboard thanks to all the points I earned from helping numerous teammates at once (and from getting some pretty decent kills, of course). It felt good to have some sort of sustainability on the team, but I didn’t feel overly responsible for take care of individuals.
Tokens have been replaced with the Battle Points system for unlocking vehicles and heroes.
Those extra points were especially handy since Tokens have been replaced with the Battle Points system for unlocking heroes, special units, and vehicles. It doesn’t take too long to save up for an upgrade, but if you want to play Rey or Darth Maul, it’ll (thankfully) take some time before you’ll have enough to unlock them. The coveted heroes are given a specialization update, too. Boba Fett is more of a scout with verticality and rockets for a wider range of damage, while Darth Maul is a fast, close combat Force user. Though I didn’t get to play Rey, EA emphasized that her specialization is mind control.
Suddenly I feel like I have a lot more context for the interrogation scene in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Her willpower was what I thought overpowered Kylo, not her natural talent for manipulation. Battlefront 2 is canon, so it’s interesting to see how the DICE team creates the kit for each of the heroes and how those can give us a unique insight into each of the characters.
I played Theed, and made sure the handlers put me on the Separatists side – I happen to really like the Trade Federation's silly battle droids. Their banter was as fun as I was hoping, and it was especially satisfying to help my fellow droids take down a Rey on a rampage. Generally the weapons feel better too. My Officer couldn’t snipe an enemy from across the map (unlike the strange uniformity the blasters seem to have in the previous Battlefront) but I was especially effective at a closer range when paired with my turret.
Battlefront 2 still needs some balance tweaks – heroes and the heavy assault soldiers felt a little too overpowered – but it has a lot of potential, especially with its campaign (which you can read more about in our hands-on impressions preview). Did I mention this game is gorgeous? Because the three-phase battle took us through brilliant areas on Naboo that I wish I would have had time to explore. Yeah, I’m ready for more.
Miranda Sanchez is an Editor at IGN. You can chat with her about video games and anime on Twitter.
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