Star Wars: Battlefront (PlayStation 2/Xbox)

Reviewed by JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)


It has been a decade since George Lucas' video games company (LucasArts) released Dark Forces, which was essentially Doom dressed up in Star Wars clothing.

Unsurprisingly fans loved it, the game sold zillions of copies and LucasArts were firmly on the map.

Ten years down the track and dozens of Star Wars games later, LucasArts has joined forces with Pandemic Studios (Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars Clone Wars) and publishers EA Games to produce Star Wars Battlefront.

Similar to how Dark Forces was so obviously inspired by Doom, Battlefront has borrowed from EA's online shooter Battlefield 1942, which, with its team-based combat and free-for-all use of vehicles, has been one of the most popular online titles in recent times.

Battlefront is an action shooter that can be played using either a first-person or a third-person view. Players choose from one of four Star Wars factions: the Rebels, the Separatists, the Republic Clone Army, and the Imperial Empire.

Each side has at least five different classes of soldier, including standard infantry, scouts, and pilots (capable of repairing vehicles). Some classes are unique to that faction. For example, the Rebels have a Wookie smuggler and the Republic Army has a Jet Trooper who can zoom around in a jet pack.

The game lets players control more than 25 vehicles, from Tauntauns and AT-ST Walkers to X-Wings and TIEs.

While some are eagerly awaiting online battles, only a fraction of console owners are equipped to play online. Thankfully, split-screen and system-link options, plus a lot of effort has gone into making Battlefront's 16-level single-player campaign convincing.

There are three single-player modes: Instant Action; Historical Campaign, which lets players take part in a series of battles from the films; and Galactic Conquest, a broader campaign that rewards you for winning battles and conquering planets.

The fighting takes place across ten planets, including old favourites such as Hoth, Endor and Tatooine. The maps are huge, each faithfully recreating some of the more spectacular locations from the films.

Visually, the game looks terrific with familiar sound effects and music rounding off a complete package.

Price: $99.95

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