Star Wars: Battlefront II review round-up

Star Wars: Battlefront II review round-up

0 comments 📅16 November 2017, 18:24

Following yesterday’s AMA on the Star Wars Battlefront subreddit, developer DICE has said it is “incredibly saddened by the negative response” and it appears that after all the excitement the game has been generating in the build up to release, many players are still not happy.

Here’s a look at some of the reviews Star Wars: Battlefront II has received already…

Kotaku

“I want to like Star Wars Battlefront II. It improves upon what came before. While the single player barely tells a coherent story, the action manages to delight and where the multiplayer takes acclimation it eventually delivers further excitement. But it’s also a testament to some of the most insidious and predatory design decisions of recent years, crushing the excitement under a mountain of poor decisions.

“Battlefront II had the easiest job in the world: deliver a multiplayer Star Wars game and improve upon a hyped predecessor that under-delivered. Unfortunately, the game delivered at launch – perpetually couched with the fact that EA could change its economy and patch its systems and fix so many of these problems – manages to f**k that up.”

GameSpot

“Serving up the greatest hits of all things Star Wars, the follow-up to DICE’s 2015 multiplayer-focused game presents a package that features a greater breadth of content, including an admirable single-player campaign. But the game overall is weighed down by an overbearing and convoluted progression system that doesn’t value the average player’s time, obscuring an otherwise solid Star Wars experience.

“Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome – for its simultaneous attempts to balance progression with genuine feeling of accomplishments – is deciding on what type of game it wants to be.”

6/10

NDTV

“Instead of removing its mercenary micro-transactions, EA’s outdating the outrage by reducing the time needed to get what you paid for. It doesn’t help matters that you’re locked out of the Arcade co-op mode which lets you square off against bots to earn credits after a couple of hours either. All this is really tragic considering this is one of the more visually stunning games this year, one with superlative production values. It looks and feels closer to Star Wars than anything else we’ve played in a long time, until you notice how much of a slog it is to play thanks to broken player progression.

“After 2015’s dismal Star Wars Battlefront, we really hoped that Star Wars Battlefront 2 would be worth playing. This is far from the case. With a predictable story and an in-game economy that’s extortionate, we cannot recommend Star Wars Battlefront 2 to anyone at this juncture. Until we see some permanent, widespread changes to how it works, you’re better off playing anything else.”

4/10

The Telegraph

“A mostly good adventure, then, but not without some major foibles. There’s no doubt Battlefront 2 is better than its predecessor but we do miss some the latter’s purity – guns, for example, still feel excellent to fire, but there’s so many of them now that you feel like you’re in Call of Duty shooter territory.

“Amidst a forcible loot system it creates a slight sense of soullessness that could see DICE’s latest effort risks fading into the background as another decent shooter that misses its mark. This is Star Wars, though, so there’s no doubt they’ll get another shot.”

★★★☆☆

IGN UK

“Like a Jedi with hatred inside them, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is its own worst enemy. It’s a sequel that’s managed to vastly improve upon its predecessor in some major ways: harder-hitting blasters, a wider variety of iconic Star Wars heroes, gorgeous locations, and a short single-player campaign all stand out. At the same time, it’s taken a giant leap backward with its baffling progression systems and rushed storytelling, which keep it from being much more than shallow Star Wars fun.

“In terms of delivering on that Star Wars fantasy, jumping from corner to corner of the galaxy to see as much as it has to offer, Battlefront 2 succeeds in a very fun way. I’m just not sure there’s enough here to keep me interested for very long.”

7/10

Ars Technica

“BFII’s campaign suffers from missions that look like they could be awesome, with giant, gorgeous setpieces and an apparent cornucopia of paths to traverse. However, each mission plays out as if some producer yanked a bunch of gameplay features and tactics at the last minute.

“I don’t look upon the time I’ve spent playing BFII and reminisce fondly. The game does not contribute anything significant, special, or even newbie-friendly to the crowded online-shooter genre. I tremble at the thought of younger Star Wars fans getting caught up in a gameplay loop that favors economics over fun—which can still be poisonous without money, depending on how you view loot-box mechanics’ similarities to slot machines, but that part of BFII will only be worse should the real-money economy issues return.”

Verdict: Avoid

Empire

“The 30-year span is absolutely brimming with fan-service, from cool call-outs to existing lore to some compelling new characters and plot twists, faithful Force followers will have a blast playing through […] The competitive play is sullied, however, by an overly-complicated character progression system, as well as insidious microtransactions that, in their current state, give an edge to those willing to plunk down extra coin for quicker access to perks.

“Battlefront II is not without its flaws, then, but it is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor. An easy, fan-pleasing recommendation for those looking to get a fix of the Force before The Last Jedi lands next month.”

★★★★☆

Metro

“The most controversial game of the year might look like the perfect Star Wars adventure, but its pleasures come at a very high price. As much as some people didn’t like it, the first Battlefront’s biggest sin was being a bit simplistic and light on content. By comparison, the sequel is so problematic it raises serious questions about the end of video games as we know it.

“And while that sounds like hyperbole it absolutely is not. If you’re competing in a game and the primary factor which determines whether you win or lose is how much money you’ve spent then what you’re left with isn’t a first person shooter it’s a fruit machine.”

6/10

Digital Trends

“There’s something special about the Battlefront games, and how they capture the excitement of the beloved films. Star Wars: Battlefront II excels on that front, like its predecessor did, and does it in a smarter, more interesting way. It also offers much more of that experience, with a single-player campaign and plenty of multiplayer modes rounding what feels like a fairly complete package.

“Still, Battlefront II is much less of a sequel than the Battlefront done correctly. It feels the same, and carries all the same problems, as its predecessor. With a fun but ultimately unremarkable single-player story, returning to Battlefront probably won’t blow many fans’ minds. Star Wars fans shouldn’t miss another chance to head back to the distant galaxy, and Battlefront fans will find a lot more of what they already like. If you weren’t begging for more Battlefront in 2015, this may not draw you in.”

7/10

Star Wars: Battlefront II is out Friday, November 17th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

Related stories
 Star Wars Battlefront II in u-turn after player protests
 New Star Wars: Battlefront 2 trailer shows off campaign mode
 Star Wars Battlefront II PREVIEW
 Star Wars Battlefront II early access beta begins today

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