Fans are expecting some huge reveals to be made at Star Wars Celebration this weekend. While we have confirmation that the upcoming tactical turn-based RPG Star Wars Zero Company will be at the showcase, you really should give Battlefront II a second shot.
Developed by DICE and Motive, Battlefront II is essentially everything fans would have wanted from a modern Battlefront game; but it’s mostly remembered for having a terrible launch. Looking back though, the game is still pretty much fantastic, and anyone who has played the game can definitely attest to it.
The Modern Battlefront We Deserved
When Battlefront II was initially announced, a lot of fans were excited for the game. It promised a whole new campaign focused on a loyal Imperial character (Iden Versio), and it also put the focus on three different eras of Star Wars—the prequels, the original trilogy, and the sequels.
Just like the original Battlefront, players can run around classic Star Wars locations as members of specific factions; and with enough points, they can take control of some iconic heroes all the way from Yoda to Rey Skywalker.
Besides infantry, players can also have access to all kinds of ships and vehicles. You can fly around with an X-Wing or a Naboo starfighter or even take control of an AT-AT walker and cause all kinds of chaos in the battlefield.
With all that promised, what exactly went wrong for the game that everyone was basically put off by launch?
The Most Downvoted Comment on Reddit
It all really came crashing down when it was revealed how EA was planning to cash in on Battlefront II by adding lootbox mechanics. As it turns out, several heroes were going to be locked for all the players, and they would have to grind for lootboxes just so they can be able to hopefully get their hands on a playable Vader or Kylo Ren.
A fan had posted on Reddit complaining about the mechanics, to which the EA community team replied with the infamous “The intent is to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment”. This became a world-record holder for the most downvoted comment on Reddit ever, and it got so bad that it even tanked EA Games’ stock.
click to enlargeThe game eventually launched without the lootboxes and a whole new progression system, but the damage had been done, and the meme of ‘sense of pride and accomplishment’ followed Battlefront 2017 everywhere. Nobody can even say anything nice about the game without being bombarded with ‘pride and accomplishment’ mockery.
Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi, You’re My Only Hope
Despite the launch, DICE and Motive still kept adding improvements and free DLC to the game—all of which got great feedback from the fanbase who decided to stick around and check out the game anyway.
The content drops were all based on the releasing Star Wars content at the time, and everyone got special seasons based on The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. But the biggest draw was no doubt the Clone Wars season which saw the arrival of a playable Obi-Wan Kenobi and General Grievous, plus a new massive Geonosis map that looked absolutely stunning.
More things were added to the game since launch, even dropping new maps and cosmetics based on The Rise of Skywalker. The last update they eventually dropped was a map from the first Battlefront remake based on Rogue One’s Scarif location.
As a fan of all things Star Wars, it was great to see the game pick itself up from its feet, but ultimately they had to stop live support by 2020—just shy of the success of series like The Mandalorian—which fans would have loved content for.
Anyone who was in the trenches when Battlefront II launched knows that the game is definitely underplayed thanks to its launch; but it’s still a fantastic game that celebrates all eras of Star Wars. Its underperformance is probably the reason we won’t get Battlefront III for a good long while, but even by today’s standards it’s still definitely worth checking out—especially if you’re looking for a Star Wars shooter that has more depth than what Outlaws managed to deliver.