Star Wars Battlefront Beta Impressions: Who Said a Storm Trooper Couldn’t get a Head Shot
When this game was finally officially announced 2 years ago I
was full of enthusiasm at the prospect of being able to be a part of some of
the most iconic moments in film history. But when it was announced there would
be no conventional single player it felt like the game was becoming a stripped
back version of its past iterations and me not being a multiplayer guy, it put
me off the idea of buying the game all together. But I had a spare weekend with
nothing to play and oh was I wrong, downloading this beta may have been the
best thing I’ve done in a while.
From the moment I heard the first note of the spectacular and
iconic John Williams score I was thrust, head first, back to when I was a child
hearing that magnificent score for the first time as I, with wide eyes, was
captivated by the Star Wars universe. Every aspect of this beta successfully
recreated this moment for me many times to a point where I was literally
laughing in joy at just how authentic and thrilling this game makes it to be In
the Star Wars universe. From the unforgettable sound effects to the unique
aesthetic of the laser blasts that come roaring across the skies as you are
being fired upon by the enemy to the feel and look of the various trademark
Star Wars worlds you’ll find yourself warring across. Every cog of this beta is
working to magically transport you to this beloved universe and it works to a startling
degree.
And this is in no small part due to the amazing graphics that
bring these iconic worlds to life. At various moments on this beta I just had
to stop and gawk in awe at how beautiful some of these landscapes are as the
lava spitting pits of Sullest perfectly catch the lens flared sun; creating a
picture that is not only graphically amazing but also still manages to capture
the spirit and feel of the original Star Wars movies.
Speaking of the epic score it was utilised almost perfectly
in this game. Through the cunning of Dice the score would begin to swell and
finally erupt in a perfect melody of heroism at the most ideal times. From the
execution of a luck filled streak of kills to the moment your team manages to
take down an AT-AT, the score helped elevate theses already awesome moments to
new, goose bump worthy moments.
However in long strides of un-eventful phases of gameplay a
short snippet of the iconic Star Wars theme would play almost reminding you to
get back into the fight. This not only got old very fast but it also cheapened
the effect of the theme later down the line, becoming more of an annoying alarm
than the achievement gratifying tool it should have been used for.
One major issue I have with Dice’s Battlefield series is that
the maps feel too big, leaving me continuously running to a more populated area
to instantly get killed and have to run an annoying amount of time once again
just to get to my cluttered grave. Thankfully though Dice have avoided this in
Battlefront. While maps in the game are still very big, the expansive snowy
terrain of Hoth for example, you never feel left out or too far away from the
action, there is always a badass moment around the corner to keep you
entertained and motivated to fight on.
But none of this above and beyond fan service would be of any
use if the game wasn’t any fun to play but thankfully it really is. The gunplay
of this game, while not as fluid as Dice’s other shooter Battlefield, is tight,
precise and exhilarating. It’s a childhood dream come too true to not only be a
part of the Star Wars action but to be able to create my own little badass
moments of heroism or pure evil through the fun as hell moment to moment
gameplay. While there was only a limited range of blasters to use in the beta,
4 to be exact, they felt good to use as their power was not understated as
their lasers zoomed unstoppably through the air.
Along with your main weapon you get almost perk ‘cards’ that
allow you to have special abilities that can range from a simple thermal detonator
(grenade) to a helpful sniper rifle or mini jet pack. These additions bring
great dynamics to the game that stop the experience from becoming bland or boring.
While one player can utilise their far off position by dropping Storm Troopers
from afar with pin point accuracy, another can utilise the maps surprising attribute
of vertical scale to traverse the map in a quick, and let’s be honest, awesome
way. All this combines to create a concoction of gameplay that isn’t getting
old anytime soon.
You earn these ‘cards’ and other weapons by using the in game
currency and thankfully this is relatively easy to acquire. This game never
leaves you feeling like you’ve wasted your time or that your just awful at the
game as no matter what you leave a match with something gained for your hard
Storm Trooping work. And if you’re really good at the game the end screen,
awarding players for the best kills, etc, by name and avatar, gives you a great
sense of accomplishment that you can brag about later to your friends.
But owning the battlefield with your blaster isn’t the only
way to go. You can also take control of the unique vehicles the Star Wars
universe has to offer too. From X-Wing’s to AT-AT’s; there’s a plethora of ways
to decimate the enemy and fulfil another part of your young Star Wars filled
fantasies in a cool and fun way as Dice yet again has managed to capture the
essence of what made these aspects of Star Wars great and finally give you control
of it as you create some more personal iconic Star Wars moments.
While it is awesome to see the X-Wing fight a horde of
imperial star ships in the skies above you, when you actually get to be in the pilot’s
seat, flying the iconic machine feels abit to stiff as you awkwardly take what should’ve
been a sharp corner through a cloud to gain the advantage in a dog fight. It
just doesn’t feel as fluid or exciting as it should. This may be because you
are restricted to a small real-estate of sky in the upper atmosphere of the given
planet and not the more expansive reaches of space like in previous Battlefront
games; of which Dice’s decision not to include a more expansive way to really show
what an X-Wing is capable of still baffles me to this day.
Another aspect of the beta that left me slightly disappointed
is that you only get access to 3 modes of which each only has one map. While it’s
obvious that Dice don’t want you playing the whole game before release, the
titles of modes left un-attainable by the beta barrier left me excited and
wishing for more as I wait in breath-held anticipation. But the fact that disappointed
me the most was the vastly restrained selection of maps. However the fact that
after 7 hours of playing I’m still not bored of the beta is a great testament to
just how fun the gameplay is and how spectacular the level design is to keep me
coming back again and again after each game over screen.
But of the modes you do get in the beta, Walker Assault on
Hoth and Drop Zone on Sullest, there is a surprising range of experiences that
showcase a lot of what Battlefield will be capable of when released. There’s
smaller more intense 8 Vs. 8 gameplay of Drop Zone where the fight for control
of the next weapons pod becomes an all-out tug-of-war, but with blasters. While
Walker Assault, where you must either defend or destroy the attacking AT-AT’s
by any means possible, land or air, in teams of 20, showcases the impressive
and epic scale of Battlefront as your dropped into a war torn landscape trampled
by AT-AT stomps and ravaged by the above warring star fleets that rain down
destruction leaving a smog of blaster spark flecks in their wake. These two
modes are not only addictively fun but also prove that while some may see this
Battlefront as a more restricted version of ones before, there’s still more
than enough on offer to keep you busy until the release of Episode 7 and beyond.
The other mode available in the beta is a solo (or co-op)
survival mode pitting you against waves of the imperial menace. While this mode
is a fun sandbox to create rebellious heroic moments of your own the beta only
gives you 5 waves, meaning the escalating challenge usually felt in a survival
mode isn’t really felt here making this mode, if just played alone, get rather
old fast. However I would recommend it as a good practice ground to hone your
skills before making your debut as a leading imperial enforcer of rouge rebel commander.
There were a couple of technical hitches in my time playing,
however this is to be expected in a beta.
While the frame rate stayed at a good and stable rate, never slowing
down when the action got too heated or the moment too epic, the game did freeze
for seconds at a time as well as the audio cutting out to then re-appear at random intervals, but
these problems were few and far between. Another major set of hiccups were in
the menu as both mentioned problems above happened continuously while trying to
navigate my way to a match.
I went into this beta thinking it would be a fun little time
waster for a weekend but left being blown away by its attention to detail,
ability to re-capture the magic of the original trilogy and just the pure fun
that brings out the inner child in all of us. 4 days ago I wasn’t even
considering buying Battlefront but now it’s firmly on my Christmas list.
Even with only 1 day left of the beta I would highly recommend
and even plea with you to get it; because it’s an un-miss-able experience for
not only any Star Wars fan but shooter fan too.
For more Star Wars Battlefront Beta Epicary check out my
YouTube Channel for Battlefront and other gaming montages put to a badass song
or score:
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