So there's an open beta for Battlefront 2 (EA Edition) going on this weekend that showcases a few game modes, and I thought it'd be interesting to get people's impressions. I didn't buy the 2015 Battlefront on account of lack of content and EA's ridiculous season pass shenanigans, so this is my first time trying out DICE's take on the series.
First off, let's address the elephant in the room; not only does the game have loot boxes, but many of the prizes they contain give gameplay advantages. You get new weapons to equip (most of which are better than the default in nearly every way) and "battle cards" that increase stats or allow you to customize abilities. The stat boosts in particular give players a distinct edge over newbies, from increased damage and health regen to reduced cooldowns for abilities. The silver lining in all this is you can't buy the loot boxes with real money (at least not in the beta; I wouldn't put it past EA to enable such a "feature" in the final game), and fights are so quick and lethal that it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference. It's a bone of contention to be sure, but I don't know if it's a deal-breaker or not at this point.
There's no denying it, Battlefront 2 is a beautiful game, which includes the PS4 version that I've been playing. I've played the Naboo and Takodana maps so far, and both are gorgeously detailed. Crowds of civilians and flocks of birds scatter in the wake of oncoming droids on Naboo, and Takodana features some very impressive foliage, all the way down to the moss on stones. It's just too bad someone decided to crank up the glare from the light sources; I found it hard to find targets illuminated against the bright sunlight, to the point that I had to crank the brightness down. The sound is fantastic as well, but let's be real here; it's hard to screw up the audio for a Star Wars game.
Now to the gameplay. For those who complain that it's a modern Battlefield game with a Star Wars skin...it's a fair argument. Firefights are short and fierce, with the winner usually boiling down to the player that gets the drop on their opponent. My first match or two consisted of running around the map aimlessly, only to be gunned down without hardly ever firing a shot. I often didn't even see my killer when I died. It was hard to get used to for someone more accustomed to games like TF2 and Overwatch, but I was eventually able to acclimate myself.
Now I've only played a handful of matches so far, but it seems like map balance may be an issue. I have never seen the Separatists win on Naboo (though they came very close once), nor have the First Order ever been successful on Takodana. The latter map is particularly egregious, with the FO having to take the map that leads to Luke Skywalker from Maz's castle and run past a gauntlet of Resistance spawns to get to the final objective. Most of the time they don't even make it out of the courtyard before they're gunned down and the map is reset to its original location.
Current verdict: I'm liking it for the most part despite my complaints....though I'm not entirely sold on whether it's worth picking up at launch for full price. I'll probably get it so I can play with my workplace friends (Destiny 2 currently has them in its clutches, a game that I have no interest in), but I hope there are enough features to keep it from fizzling out in a month or two.
First off, let's address the elephant in the room; not only does the game have loot boxes, but many of the prizes they contain give gameplay advantages. You get new weapons to equip (most of which are better than the default in nearly every way) and "battle cards" that increase stats or allow you to customize abilities. The stat boosts in particular give players a distinct edge over newbies, from increased damage and health regen to reduced cooldowns for abilities. The silver lining in all this is you can't buy the loot boxes with real money (at least not in the beta; I wouldn't put it past EA to enable such a "feature" in the final game), and fights are so quick and lethal that it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference. It's a bone of contention to be sure, but I don't know if it's a deal-breaker or not at this point.
There's no denying it, Battlefront 2 is a beautiful game, which includes the PS4 version that I've been playing. I've played the Naboo and Takodana maps so far, and both are gorgeously detailed. Crowds of civilians and flocks of birds scatter in the wake of oncoming droids on Naboo, and Takodana features some very impressive foliage, all the way down to the moss on stones. It's just too bad someone decided to crank up the glare from the light sources; I found it hard to find targets illuminated against the bright sunlight, to the point that I had to crank the brightness down. The sound is fantastic as well, but let's be real here; it's hard to screw up the audio for a Star Wars game.
Now to the gameplay. For those who complain that it's a modern Battlefield game with a Star Wars skin...it's a fair argument. Firefights are short and fierce, with the winner usually boiling down to the player that gets the drop on their opponent. My first match or two consisted of running around the map aimlessly, only to be gunned down without hardly ever firing a shot. I often didn't even see my killer when I died. It was hard to get used to for someone more accustomed to games like TF2 and Overwatch, but I was eventually able to acclimate myself.
Now I've only played a handful of matches so far, but it seems like map balance may be an issue. I have never seen the Separatists win on Naboo (though they came very close once), nor have the First Order ever been successful on Takodana. The latter map is particularly egregious, with the FO having to take the map that leads to Luke Skywalker from Maz's castle and run past a gauntlet of Resistance spawns to get to the final objective. Most of the time they don't even make it out of the courtyard before they're gunned down and the map is reset to its original location.
Current verdict: I'm liking it for the most part despite my complaints....though I'm not entirely sold on whether it's worth picking up at launch for full price. I'll probably get it so I can play with my workplace friends (Destiny 2 currently has them in its clutches, a game that I have no interest in), but I hope there are enough features to keep it from fizzling out in a month or two.
