The Eternal Flame: A Review of the “Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection”
I’ve picked up the original Star Wars: Battlefront games again in 2024. The first Battlefront games brought back good memories for me and many others. In the dark, my older brother and I would play PlayStation 2 games like Battlefront 1 and 2 and squeal with joy. We’d spend a lot of time gathered around a CRT TV.
Aspyr has resurrected these two vintage games and made them accessible to a younger demographic with the release of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection this year. Nowadays, playing these games is like taking a trip to a bygone era. The games have been maintained exactly as you remember them, so those who want to relive those wonderful times can.
However, these games may seem strange to individuals who are unfamiliar with them or who are accustomed to more traditional shooters from the present era. Whether you’re a fan of the series or just interested in the game’s historical significance, Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is worth your time.
The games may be 20 years old, but that doesn’t make them seem any younger. Jumping back into them today, particularly the first one, can take some getting used to, especially considering I haven’t played them since they came out. To begin, you won’t find the standard controls seen in most contemporary first-person shooters here. There isn’t a single, universally applicable control scheme for the two games. Aim assist and sticky reticles are prominent features of the first game’s standard controls. Certain force powers or lightsaber hits may not connect even if they feel like they should, due to the inaccurate hit detection. And unlike the fast-paced matches in games like Call of Duty or Halo, some game modes drag on for a very long time.
Then again, that is par for the course with games from this generation. Back then, Call of Duty wasn’t quite the dominant force in first-person shooters that it is now. At the same time, first-person shooters with multiple players, such as Halo and Battlefield, were still in the process of maturing and learning what aspects of gameplay were most popular with players. Just like with Battlefront, the creators of this game are still trying to figure out what makes a good competitive shooter.
The sheer number of features is, in fact, the finest aspect of these games. There is a ton of still-impressive single-player content in both Battlefront games, but notably in Battlefront II. Among its features, “Galactic Conquest” stands out. Also, think about how just one year after the first Battlefront, Battlefront II was able to improve the shooting mechanics by doing away with stick reticles and adding heroes vs. villains and space battles. This is jam-packed with information.
Even if you’re not into playing with others online, you may still enjoy these games for what they have to offer: engaging single-player adventures. How absurd is it that in the year 2024 I would be gushing over a shooter with couch co-op or versus modes?
This is another way in which the Battlefront games reflect their era. These days, developers put in a lot of work to make sure the game’s multiplayer is balanced, refined, and fast-paced. In the past, shooter developers gave the single player experience a high priority and offered players game modes that could keep them entertained for hours. But that’s not to discount the fact that story-driven experiences are still present in today’s shooters. On the other hand, it’s nice to see how much material was available for people who preferred not to go online.
The Battlefront Classic Collection has a few updates that weren’t there in the original. They contain features like trigger resistance for PlayStation 5 and more characters like Asajj Ventress and Kit Fisto who weren’t in the initial release. Personally, I’m not a fan of this feature. Playing on a PlayStation 5? Be careful, because the game simulates the sensation of shooting a real gun by making the right trigger harder to push. This is awesome, but it will quickly wear down your index finger.
No public access to the web servers is available as of this writing. I will be able to provide feedback on the multiplayer experience in a subsequent article, as I am unable to do so at this time.
Playing Star Wars:Battlefront Classic Collection is like handling a priceless relic from the past. There’s a lot that may be considered “old” or “outdated,” but it also demonstrates how much progress games have made. It’s like stepping back in time to a time when developers were more liberal with offline material and “fun” was the most important thing in video games.
For providing the advanced review copy that was utilized to compile this article, we are grateful to Aspyr. March 14 marks the release date for Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection on Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
