As documented in a previous Ocelot, the rebirth of the Battlefront franchise was a little rough around the edges, a shaky start from EA and DICE, wielding their newly acquired Star Wars franchise rights in a similar fashion to a padawan with their first lightsaber. It was messy.
Let’s face it, the first game was Battlefield 4 dressed up in Star Wars drag and thrown into the world like a new born Wookie; kicking, screaming and likely to pull your arms off if you disagreed with it. Or with EA.
But now the development team have been allowed to take their time and this leads to history repeating itself; we are getting a full single player story crossing multiple Star Wars eras, space battles, “expanded” multiplayer (with Heroes vs Villains making a proper return it would seem…) and split screen co-op.
Basically everything we wanted from the first game. And everything we got from the last Battlefront II.
So wait… EA have listened?!
Hold off on that klaxon and celebratory parade people, this could just be a drill! They haven’t told us how much the inevitable season pass is going to cost yet. Or how long it will take them to deliver what you pay for.
Personally, I think the return of a single player experience is going to be key for Battlefront II. If they can create an engaging and expansive campaign experience, Star Wars fans will be gurning with the equivalent force of a Death Star. And no other franchise can produce gurning of that magnitude.
Also, we are getting split screen co-op! Yes, that’s right, it’s 2017 and it’s now amazing to think we can have someone sitting next to us in the same room playing the same game on the same console!
This is revolutionary, soon everyone will be doing it!
As if that wasn’t enough, we are getting proper space battles again, meaning you aren’t just swooping through canyons and snowy hills anymore, avoiding that one bloke with a sniper rifle who seems to think he’s Vasili Zaitsev.
You can take on capital ships, probably a few moons/space stations and, of course, that one guy on the opposing team who thinks flying in a circle will somehow get you to stop chasing him.
Hopefully the release will also present us with some content from Episode XIII: The Last Jedi, but with the game’s release slated for November and the film not due until Christmas time, you can bet your shiny republic credits that it will be in the form of DLC.
If the DICE team can deliver all of the above, Battlefront II could be a classic like its namesake.
Otherwise I’m going to be as angry as this bloke…
