Star Wars Battlefront is not a game for the diehard fan of the console FPS, ruminating over their K/D ratio before frivolously arguing over which weapons are/are not OP and which should/should not be nerfed by Treyarch/Sledgehammer Games/DICE/Infinity Ward. By the same token, it is also not a game for the battle-weary fan of the PC shooter, live streaming their lengthy play sessions of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Twitch, hoping that one day they’ll earn enough daily donations to warrant sacking off their job in favor of playing Bomb Scenario for food.
Star Wars Battlefront is a game for those who may not necessarily be fans of the genre it resides within, but who have been enticed into playing it by virtue of the Star Wars license attached to it. With it having received a lukewarm critical reception, one recurring complaint lobbed in its direction has been that it offers an experience that caters to the “casual player” over those who are more experienced in the art of shooting virtual men in the face, as if it being a more inclusive shooter should be considered a bad thing in a generation where every other game that places a gun in your hand has delusions of becoming the next big thing in eSports.
Star Wars Battlefront is unapologetic about being tailored towards appealing to the most players possible, and if this proves to be off-putting to those who wanted another competitive online shooter, then so be it. The genre is saturated with games designed to appeal to those gifted in the handling of fictional weaponry, with unremarkable players such as myself left by the wayside. This is how it should be, of course – God knows I wouldn’t want EA’s blood on my hands if the next Battlefield game was made vastly more accessible to appease unskilled individuals such as myself – but I believe that there is a place for Battlefront in among the more challenging games of its genre, and I am thankful for its existence. Having a shooter to play that is less focused upon victory and more concerned with giving you a good time in your pursuit of it is far more appealing to me, and I’m sure that many feel the same way, too.
But I do understand the criticisms. I get that its balancing issues are ostensibly a “bad thing,” that its practically indistinguishable weaponry makes for a stunted experience for those who typically enjoy tinkering with their loadouts, and that an apparent dearth of content is initially off-putting. I do agree that its season pass is inexplicably priced, and it is difficult to ignore that, while there are plentiful amounts of modes to play around with, the distinct lack of maps for its marquee Walker Assault mode is likely a result of content needing to be withheld in order to sell said season pass. While I would certainly argue against those who claim that Battlefront is a soulless DLC vehicle in the vein of Turtle Rock Studio’s Evolve, it’s not without its flaws in this regard. I get why people dislike it, and why some may even flat-out refuse to buy it on account of them refuting its focus upon future downloadable content. But I think those who do so are missing the point of the game.
Star Wars Battlefront is to shooters what Mario Kart is to racing games. You can become skilled at it through practice and find yourself topping the leaderboard more often than not, but the gameplay systems put in place are chaotic enough to ensure that anyone can be successful at it. While you will need to become acclimatized to handling the various weapon types, as despite all guns being laser-based (as you’d imagine considering the game’s source material) there are clear distinctions between a heavy blaster, a blaster rifle and a blaster pistol, you can pick up an E-11 and swiftly start racking up kills. Like Mario Kart, it’s a game where players of varying skill levels and ages can converge and have a good time. It’s a game where I can hop into an X-Wing and not crash it within the first 2 minutes a la Battlefield, because every vehicle has been made easy to commandeer so that I can spend at least 5 minutes having some fun in one before crashing into a hill and embarrassing myself.
The Star Wars license has an immeasurable impact upon Battlefront‘s appeal in all areas, but that was to be expected given that, y’know, it’s a Star Wars game and that should therefore be the case. What I didn’t expect, however, was that all of its little perceived shortcomings are also things that I’ve come to love about it. I love how playing the Rebels in Walker Assault feels like you’re actually a part of this group of plucky underdogs, fighting against the more well-equipped Imperial infantry with their chicken walkers and their giant AT-ATs. I love how the battle of Endor feels like its movie equivalent, where Rebels blend into the scenery by virtue of their camo garb, and where the Empire unfortunately stand out from the crowd thanks to their white bucket helmets. While DICE has stated how Battlefield isn’t intended to be asymmetrical multiplayer game, this is certainly the case in Walker Assault mode, though I feel the game – and, crucially, its mimicking of the film series it is based upon – is improved by these imperfections.
With shooting games having become the most lucrative genre in the medium, our definitions of what these games should/should not include have become very clearly defined; they should be balanced and place both teams on a level playing field to reward and inspire competitiveness; they should offer a variety of customization options for weaponry; and they should strive to aim for Call of Duty‘s place atop the FPS throne. But Battlefront doesn’t aim to accomplish any of these things, and in my opinion, it works to its advantage.
Not having such stifling systems in place allows Battlefront to be a far more authentic Star Wars experience, and while there are some incongruous additions that serve to take the player out of the fantasy, such as the power-ups littered around the map and, most notably, the Hero/Villain characters’ poor voice acting and odd movement (Darth Vader should not hop around Hoth like a Sith rabbit), by and large the incredibly realized audio and visual design of the game is complemented by action that feels like you’re taking part in the grand spectacle of a Star Wars battle scene. It’s wonderful fun, and would not have been possible if DICE had adhered to the rigid constraints of what many believe should be included in a modern FPS game, or if they would have simply taken the old Battlefront games and given them a current-gen veneer. There are criticisms that can be directed at Star Wars Battlefront, but DICE managing to create an accessible Star Wars shooting game that can appeal to those sitting outside of the developer’s usual demographic is arguably not one of them. Star Wars is for everyone, and that’s the case with Battlefront, too.
