A reader argues that free DLC has made Battlefront II a much better game than people realise and that a next gen sequel needs to happen.
Star Wars: Battlefront II may end up being one of the most influential video games of all time. Not because of being a great game or coming up with any innovative ideas, but because its complete rejection by gamers helped to destroy the idea of loot boxes in full price games. Theyre still creeping in round the edges, but before Battlefront II failed we were clearly on course for even single-player games having them as a matter of course (see Shadow Of Mordor, which had to take them out).
Its pretty obvious that the loot box angle was all the idea of greedy EA execs and while Im glad they were punished I also cant help feeling sorry for the game. There were a lot of things about it that were excellent (the graphics and the fighter combat) and most other things were good to great, with plenty of modes and a decent little story campaign. At launch Id still say it was a little disappointing, but it was decent and I was perfectly happy with it.
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But over time its gradually got better and better, with lots of free extras and some great new content and modes for the Clone Wars in particular. None of it seems to have ever been given much attention though and I didnt see anyone reporting the recent news about the new Capital Supremacy mode, which is an epic new mode that has you fighting on the ground and in space.
Since paid-for loot boxes were in the end never added to Battlefront II I really do think its turned out to be a great game. But its still not the modern gen Battlefront I always dreamed of and thats why I want to see a third game.
I know were not getting it this year, because its Respawns Jedi game instead, but I really hope that EA dont give up. The starfighter combat alone is just far too good to be left to rot. If not a new Battlefront it needs its own game, a modern day equivalent of Rogue Squadron crossed with X-Wing.
But in terms of Battlefront itself what I want to see is something that fulfils all the ambition of the original PlayStation 2 games but does them better and evolves even further. Many will remember the leaked footage of the original Battlefront III, where you could fly from the ground all the way into space in the same map and we still havent seen that in the modern games.
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We also havent seen mass battles with 64+ troops, or a proper ground battle where both sides have vehicles that are roughly equal. Theres still dozens of memorable characters that could still be made playable and many more planets and locations that havent even been touched yet. More than enough for another sequel even without doing anything new – which I would hope they definitely would.
I know interest is generally low for the game because it has a bad reputation and its become fashionable to hate it, Read More
