What I remember about the release of Star Wars Battlefront 2 is - is how hyped I was.
During the waning hours of school, my father and I were discreetly transported to a nearby
Gamestop.
It was a loud trip; we both knew about the game, what I was about to play.
Did we have doubts?
Concerns the game might be bad?
Perhaps, but we didnt say a word.
Not when we bought the game, not when I popped it into my Xbox, and not when I saw the main
menu.
Not a word.
Theres something magical about Star Wars Battlefront 2.
No!
No!
You - you stay out of this!
You stay out of this, shit game!
Well with Battlefront 2 EA having been released and the widespread scandal surrounding that
game, (see this video for more info) I thought it was the perfect time to go back to the
REAL Battelfront 2, you know, the one everyone likes!
Because basically the game represents a dream come true, a fantasy game for Star Wars fans.
But is it still exactly that?
Has time warped some things?
And is the game really not as good as we used to think?
Well, lets get ready to - THEY SENT IN THE SUPERS!
Uhhh so lets go and - KNOCK IT OFF!
Lets go - WATCH THOSE WRIST ROCKETS!
Come on, lets go and - (clone troopers yelling constantly)
Fuck it!
Lets just jump straight into this!
OW!
Was it something I said?
The front cover tells you everything.
A side of good, a side of evil, and the side of war all rolled into one spectacular experience
that stretches across both eras of the films.
Whether you were a fan of the original trilogy or grew up with the prequels like I did, and
I somehow turned out ok.
Guess the movies werent that bad.
Meesa called Jar Jar Binks.
Either way, this was looking to be the perfect Star Wars game for ALL fans of the franchise.
And when I got to the main menu for the first time?
I knew I was in for a ride.
Just like the cover showed, two sides, one good one bad, and scenes from all the movies
to reflect that.
Might be a small detail but the point Im trying to make is the game immediately sets up this
dynamic of good and evil.
I mean, sure the original Battlefront had both eras, a wide range of maps, and certainly
nailed the feeling of all out warfare.
But I always felt Battlefront 1 left a bit more to be desired, it was a great game but
didnt quite hit that addicting level.
Neither did it have much of a story except for retreading what happened in the movies.
And with only one game mode, that being conquest, there was still so much to do with this series.
If youre not a fan of Star Wars or you never played the game at the time of its release,
you might look at Battlefront 2 and think, whats the big deal?
Why do so many people have a raging hard on for this?
Well I will admit the game hasnt aged as well as some others, especially since the Battlefield
games have become so popular.
Well, part of the reason fans of such good memories is because this was their introduction
to all-out warfare type gameplay.
I mean, what other games at the time besides Battlefield offered this sense of multiplayer
scale?
My point is this, the Battlefront games were a new frontier for many players.
And though that novelty has somewhat worn off over time, I want you to remember this
was a series in the making.
Now some things we used to take for granted back then, Im thinking of now.
God I cant believe there use to be a time when you just popped a dope ass game into
your console and you could just play it no bullshit.
No extensive manufactured grind for worthless cosmetics.
No shady developers you gotta look out for.
Is this good for the player?
No 5 hour updates, or seasons passes.
No forced online connection, loot boxes.
Or any of that extra crap you have to worry about now.
Just you and the game.
A huge open-ended Star Wars battleground, it was because of the formula and the possibilities
to expand on that in the future that so many people look back on these games with fondness.
Because this was the first time I ever felt truly immersed in the Star Wars universe.
Like I was really taking part in these huge epic battles across some of my favorite movies!
I mean, Rogue Squadron was great but that was only a flying game.
Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, and the KOTOR games were incredible, however they didnt
offer a sense of large scale warfare.
Lego Star Wars was surprisingly fun but a bit too kid-friendly.
We wanted something a little bit more mature, a little more badass and cool.
And THIS!
Is what tied all of those elements and those of the Star Wars universe into one neat package.
A game that wasnt shy of a more mature story.
A game you could play through Xbox live, 4 player splitscreen for all of the modes.
A game made first and foremost with the fans in mind.
Battlefront 2s Campaign is actually pretty simple when you look at it, but is that a
bad thing?
No, not at all.
The story follows the journey of the 501st an elite squadron of Clone Troopers under
the direct command of chancellor Palpatine.
Your missions revolve around executing Palpatines master plan.
You know, getting crystals for the Death Star, executing Order 66 and eventually transitions
into missions for the Empire.
Again the front cover, main menu, and now the story are all about interweaving the two
eras.
Quite honestly they did a fabulous job of that!
What I love so much about the story is when you watch episode 3, you can look at these
huge battles and think, oh man Im probably that clone that just got killed!
Or like, oh shit Im that clone thats gonna kill Aayla Secura.
You know, a lot of these clones you see in the movie are part of the 501st thats in the
game.
You know, thats a really neat way to tie in Battlefront 2 with Episode 3.
And in my opinion it makes Episode 3 a lot better.
With only a few veteran pilots on planet, many of the 501st were pressed into service
to drive off the Seps and buy time for a pair of Jedi Knights to rescue the Chancellor.
After disabling the final capital ship, General Kenobi and Skywalker took advantage of the
opportunity wed created and rescued the Chancellor.
Took all the credit too.
You could look at the clones that marched into the Jedi Temple and imagine yourself
as one of them, kinda fucked up but hey.
I mean it really made the clones more relatable, something that was missing in the films.
Despite being from the perspective of a single clone trooper, the story sheds light on many
of the behind the scenes aspects of the war.
And how the clones transitioned into becoming Storm Troopers.
You get the fact that they have to follow orders but they dont always emotionally agree
with those orders.
When the 501st was finally rotated out of Felucia, Aayla Secura made a point of seeing
us off personally.
Calling us the bravest soldiers shed ever seen.
Its a good thing we were wearing helmets, because none of us could bear to look her
in the eye.
As far as simplicity goes, all of these cutscenes were made from in-game assets.
I mean, its literally just gameplay edited to be slightly more cinematic.
But its powerful because of the narration that goes over it.
There is one voice actor, Temuera Morrison who does a fantastic job, despite no visual
character to get attached to, youre able to sympathize with the clones and he helps ground
these conflicts in reality.
Well the reality of STAR WARS!
Aside from Republic Commando, I think this is the only Star Wars game that actually attempts
to highlight the horrors of the war.
Maybe not in the most dramatic of ways but still.
You might think because the presentation of the story is so simplified that it doesnt
amount to much.
But with a lot of shooter these days youre lucky if you actually get a campaign!
Now gameplay has you going through through the multiplayer maps but with different objectives
and challenges to overcome.
Its pretty linear and not the greatest example of a shooter campaign, but again the feeling
of being a Clone or a Stormtrooper taking place in these epic battles, following orders,
you know thats what makes it feel special.
This was a love letter to Star Wars fans and thats really all it needed to be.
It goes to show you can have something as little as one dude narrating a bunch of stuff
the fans dont know about, tie it in with the films, and manage to make something a lot
of people really liked!
I mean, we all saw what happened when Battlefront 2015 EA The Rebootening came out.
It didnt have a story or a campaign, so you gotta give credit where credit is due.
Despite being mostly focused on multiplayer, the designers this time, made the effort,
went through and created a decent campaign.
Its interesting how certain scenarios are only available in the single-player, like
Empire vs Clones or Empire vs droids, so it still manages to mix things up.
Its fun on normal difficulty and can be quite challenging going through on Elite, but if
you got a buddy or three, then good times await!
The multiplayer is still so much fun but the game is at its best when played with friends.
To be honest, Im pretty bummed I was never able to play this on Xbox Live, you know with
real people.
That wouldve been crazy fun!
And even though the steam servers are back, the PC port is pretty buggy.
Now an interesting fact is when Microsoft was shutting down the servers for Xbox Live,
Battlefront 2 had the 2nd highest population behind Halo 2.
Thats pretty remarkable.
So it definitely had a dedicated playerbase for at least 5 years.
Lemme just say the in-game voices are SO freaking classic.
Look out its Major Malevolence, err uh General Grevious!
Skywalker?
No one said anything about fighting Skywalker.
Im outta here!
This is not a drill.
Repeat.
This is NOT a drill!
Theyve sent in the supers!
Just like the simulation.
We were quoting them back in elementary school as inside jokes!
And now people have totally memed them, its fucking glorious.
You might think ahh those voices arent that important.
But they are!
Thats why they were memed because they were iconic and memorable enough!
Even on the original Xbox performace is pretty good for the amount of stuff going on.
The game looks great!
Of course they downscale the animations when you look at guys from afar and it can get
a little laggy but thats alright.
Seeing as Battlefront 2 released near the end of the Xboxs catalog of games, they probably
pushed this to the limits.
The sound effects are impressive and the music is good ol Star Wars magic.
I mean, This is the bees knees baby!
Its such a beautiful blend of chaos, strategy, and fucking STAR WARS!
You got explosions going off all around you, theres constant blaster fire, your troops
are yelling commands!
Every level has a sense of scale.
The maps are huge but not too huge.
Theres no bullshit kill barriers or invisible walls.
The game does its goddamn best to immerse you and make you feel a part of a huge conflict.
There are tons of things to interact with, fortifications for the Wookie base on Kashyyyk
that you can destroy.
Mounted turrets you can get in, auto turrets in certain places.
Healing and ammo droids, theres a lot of things you can do in each match.
Of course these levels are set in several of the memorable locations such as the Death
Star, Kamino, Tantive IV, Coruscant.
But whats more impressive and Ive just realized this now, was how good they nailed the aesthetics
and feeling of each planet.
For 2005, these maps look great!
Naboo looks and feels like Naboo with that old world architecture.
Some of the details affect gameplay as well.
You know, if youre on Geonosis you got those Spider Walkers, Hellfire Tanks, and even Geonosians
fighting.
Or if youre fighting on Endor then the Ewoks will join the rebels.
What I really enjoy is the references to the movies, some of them you might not have ever
thought about or even noticed.
Theres a Rancor in Jabbas palace that will eat your face off.
You also got Gammoreans that attack everyone and add a bit of chaos here.
Jabba is chillin out watching the mass death and destruction.
And if you look behind, you can see Han Solo in carbonite.
I mean, thats awesome!
Dagobah has that downed X-Wing that Yoda used to help teach Luke about the force.
And when youre down in the cave you can hear Darth Vaders breathing.
You mightve also recognized Yodas hut is one of the command posts.
Then theres those big wing things on Mustafar that were in Episode 3.
And the Death Star has everything!
The Hanger Bays, giant laser kaboom room, and even the conference table where Vader
choked that guy.
Utapau has the hanger when Obi Wan jumps down and says Hello there.
And you actually fight General Grevious there.
Its amazing how faithful they were to the movies.
I mean, when youve got the rights to make a game out of one of the most popular Intellectual
properties ever, well its good to know that some companies and developers can actually
handle that pressure.
A nice bit of trivia is Pandemic and Microsoft also released the modding tools for the game
to the public about a year after its release.
Nearly everything used to make the game was given to the players.
Yea cuz why not?
Why not see what people make with what you give them.
Just let em fuck around with the tools.
The classes are all fun and unique, with each faction having 2 distinct classes.
Even the ones that do overlap are a little bit different.
Each standard soldier fires their rifle a little bit differently.
So it does take some time to get used to each one of them.
It offers a lot of fun too because at the start of the game you cant just spawn in as
a Droideka or a Bothan Spy, what are you CRAZY?
YOU GOTTA WORK FOR IT!
And when you do unlock those classes theyre incredibly satisfying to use.
Some classes have area of affect bonuses like increased damage, health regeneration or shielding,
so how aggressive you were could depend on how beefed up you got.
There was a neat addition to the gameplay in the form of super overpowered weapons.
If you got a certain amount of kills, headshots, or whatever youd be gifted a special gun for
the rest that life.
It rewards good play and survivability.
Also having something that tracks all your medals, your performance, etc throughout all
your games, thats pretty cool.
Also I have to ask, did anyone have a problem with the way vehicles were handled?
Because I dont understand why this changed in EAs games.
You see a vehicle, you get into it, there ya go, kiddo!
First come first serve.
I mean, getting into a dropship is much more fun than being magically teleported to a turret
where you have little to no control after picking up a magic token or whatever.
You have complete control over the vehicles in this!
Use them till you die, you can get out and repair them.
Some of them are used for transportation, others are heavy juggernauts.
Theres a real nice balance and variety to it.
The best part is, unlike the new Battlefront 2, the vehicles are viable for the entirety
of the match.
Theres no section of the maps that force you to get out like on Naboo.
The maps feel free and open.
Like you can go anywhere at any time and theres no forced linearity to it.
You could even hack enemy vehicles and steal them!
Theres so much creativity here.
Another nice touch is the addition of modes like Capture the Flag, Hunt and the incredible
Heroes vs. Villains.
I cant tell you how many times my buddies and I played this, and reenacted the famous
duels from the movies.
Thats another point, the addition of playable heroes was so badass!
Yes they are incredibly unbalanced but hey!
Its fucking awesome when you enter the Battlefield and the music changes to the theme of whoever
youre playing.
Just being able to push troops away, off the cliffs, jump ridiculously high or sprint with
sonic-like speed made the Heroes feel like game changers, like this great power was bestowed
upon you and you needed to do something with it.
And whenever youre a hero walking by some enemies theyll take notice of you.
Again, it really makes you feel like a badass when you play as the heroes.
Really its such a simple, yet fun concept.
Command posts that you capture, forces that you gotta destroy, pretty much just a battle
of attrition.
I mean, you could do a million different things with just that!
The hunt modes were always fun too, even if they got old quickly.
Its a fun little gimmick to be able to play as an Ewok chucking spears or a Wompa tearing
up the rebels, Tusken Raiders discriminating against the Jawas.
I mean, its all here, the perfect combination of elements, vehicles, weapons from the movies
combined into a single experience that just oozes style, creativity and fun.
Probably one of the coolest features of any video game EVER, were the space battles.
I mean, this type of combat in 2005 was off the chain.
There were so many options, you could stay inside to defend your hanger, you could use
one of the turrets on the ship, you could grab a bomber and destroy their ship from
the outside, go for kills in a speedy fight jet.
Or take a transport to and destroy the ship from the inside.
It was so connected and glorious!
Again, the freedom of choice here.
There was a lot of different strategies and it was all about working to focus on certain
objectives.
If you took out the enemys frigates or focused on their turrets, your allies would have a
much easier time moving around.
If you destroyed the auto turret defenses you wouldnt get any points but youd cripple
their defenses.
And you even had the choice of stealing the enemy ships as well!
You got to pilot the X-Wing, Tie Fighters, Clone Dropship all of that great stuff.
Once more I want to reiterate how every aspect of the game was made in service to the fans.
They went all out in creating this game to offer those iconic Star Wars battles even
in space.
Controls were fantastic!
Barrel rolls, spinning, shooting, thrusters, the controls are as good as Star Fox 64.
Its truly impressive how Battlefront 2 managed to put the same level of quality into the
space battles as they did the ground combat.
Youd think this would be a gimmick mode, but they nailed it!
Its not so complex it takes hours to understand how the mode works, and its not so simple
that you get bored of it after playing 2-3 times.
Its a legitimate component of the multiplayer and one of the best things Battlefront 2 offers.
The Space Battles were so fucking awesome at the time, I would always compare them to
other sci-fi games.
Oh Halo: Reach has space combat?
Man I wonder if theyll make a space battle mode as good as Battlefront 2s.
NOPE!
Oh shit!
Destiny has some cool looking ships!
And it appears you can fly around in them.
Maybe theyll finally make a mode as good as Battlefront 2s NOPE!
Ive been waiting so long for another video game to come out and do what Battlefront 2
did but better.
And I think thats a testament to how fun and exhilarating the Space Battles were.
But that wasnt the end of Battlefront 2s innovations.
Galactic Conquest, a mode that turned the multiplayer into a form of the Risk Board
game.
You command different fleets, hold territory, use credits to purchase units or bonuses.
And fight for control of the galaxy.
Battlefront 1 had this mode, but it wasnt nearly as fleshed out.
Instant action satisfied the immediate desire to play and have fun, whereas Galactic Conquest
was great for a long term investment.
Youd be building up your armies and fleets over time, strategically choosing which planets
to attack, where to defend and when.
Some planets were harder to take than others so youd wait till you had an immediate advantage
before you launched your assault, or use a specific bonus to help your troops.
Man, if you somehow got 16 or even 8 people together to play galactic conquest, thatd
be some of the best fun you could find in a video game.
Period.
As Ive been saying, the reason so many people loved back then and NOW Battlefront 2 was
these features were great.
And it was the idea of how they could be expanded and improved in future games.
It was the ideas and concepts that made gamers fall in love with the series.
It might be somewhat primitive now, but they nailed the formula SO WELL!
I mean a modern day version of Galactic Conquest, that builds off of this??
Id shit my pants for that!
Id pay 60$ just for that!
Back when this game came out it was the shit, I mean everyone I knew was either playing
or talking about it.
Looking at it now, Battlefront 2 certainly has some flaws.
The AI on Naboo always get stuck in this corner.
The weapons and aiming could be kinda clunky Felucia had low visibility with stuff popping
up right in your face.
First-person views were kinda buggy.
And the AI overall were far from perfect.
But the greatest tragedy is all of this stuff couldve easily been ironed out in the 3rd
game.
How easy and profitable it wouldve been to make this a trilogy.
When you already know youve got everything there now just make it work perfect.
The first two games were building up to something incredible.
Battlefront One was more or less an experiment that was surprisingly fun and laid the foundation.
The 2nd introduced a lot of new features, weapons, heroes, mechanics, an original story,
and the 3rd game?
Was never made.
What couldve been the greatest Star Wars video game ever, just evaporated.
There are many theories why the game wasnt released and Ill link to some of that stuff
in the description if youre curious.
But what Im trying to say is the formula for these games would be so incredible to experience
on a next gen console.
We all wanted the Battlefront series to continue, to be one of Star Wars flagships.
And I guess thats why people really are attached to Battlefront 2.
Because it was that golden child that passed away too soon and was revived by graverobbers.
Despite the imperfections, Star Wars Battlefront 2 stands the test of time.
Maybe not as mechanically solid as Mario 64 or Halo CE, but it has its place as a classic
Star Wars game made for the fans.
Especially when you consider that DICE & EA have had two attempts at re-creating the magic
here, and on both tries have failed to provide that!
It harkens back to a time when games were finished before they put em on shelves.
Its funny how the industry has changed.
Youve got all these continuous updates, season passes, free DLC, paid DLC, its remarkable
how so many games with all these benefits and yet they cannot match or even get close
to the amount of content Battlefront 2 offered.
It gave us a new perspective into the films we love or dont love.
Improved the multiplayer in several ways, offered plenty of ways to play, unique maps,
it innovated in all the right places.
And most importantly the game offered the immersion of being a soldier in the greatest
battles across the Star Wars universe.
And that, is why Star Wars Battlefront 2 was SO AWESOME!
Hey thanks for watching the video!
Youre pretty cool for making it to the end, but are you cool enough to comment with your
thoughts and opinions?
If youre interested in more Star Wars videos then check the links in the description.
And subscribe to The Act Man for more AWESOME content!
All right everyone, thats all Ive got for today.
This is The Act Man signing out.
PEACE!
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