Throwback Thursday: Star Wars: Battlefront Series

Ryan Mottola ’14 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
Remember when you fought with the ewoks of Endor, crushing the imperial walkers as they defended the construction of the second death star? Or how about the battle of Geonosis, when you watched Mace Windu send droid limbs soaring?
With the recent release of Battlefield 4 and all the hub-bub about DICE’s next title, Star Wars: Battlefront 3, it’s almost necessary to write a throwback for the Battlefront series.  There’s no better game to get the firsthand experience of a soldier during one of the iconic battles in George Lucas’ saga than Battlefront 2.
There are twenty four different maps to fight on, ranging from Naboo to Coruscant. Just like Battlefield, there are different classes to choose from, each with their own unique weapons and tools. As a jet trooper in the clone army, you can reign grenades down onto the separatist droids. As droideka (rolling battle droids), your repeating blasters can stop wave after wave of clones. Even wookies are playable, wielding bowcasters. Huge names from the movies become playable as well, including Boba Fett and Yoda.

Almost every vehicle from the Star Wars universe is included in Battlefront 2, all of which are pilotable. The dogfights are a blast, especially from the ground, as you watch two aircrafts send lasers and photon missiles sailing. Speeder bikes are just as hard to drive as you imagined, especially on the forest planet of Endor. If you’re up for it, you can find a tauntaun and ride that.
Although there is a single player campaign, all the fun lies in the multiplayer and instant action modes. Nobody wants to sit through ten minutes of politics and debate; they just want to blow each other up. Battlefront 2 is the type of game that people still talk about even after it’s dead. The gameplay is so smooth, the scenery is enormous and strategically designed, and the different play styles vary enough to keep even the most inattentive gamer entertained. It doesn’t hurt that John William’s epic overture is played during every single screen.
You can find Battlefront 2, and a mountain of other Lucasarts games, in the Steam store. They’re on sale almost every other week for less than five bucks. A steal if there’s ever been one.