Vehicles
Vehicles play a huge part in Battlefront and they are very well implemented. AT-ATs, AT-STs, X-Wings, TIE Fighters, and Snowspeeders along with all of their Episode I-III counterparts and more are available. In many of the vehicles, you need to have more than just one trooper in them to take full advantage of them. In addition to a pilot, you need gunners to man the secondary turrets. This really makes the team aspect hit home because to be successful you need the full cooperation of everyone. The different craft all handle really well and it is easy to figure out the controls for each one. Some seem overpowered, but that also makes the game very true to the movies. Not all maps let you use vehicles, and while they are still good, it has to be noted that using vehicles is way more fun.
Graphics and Sound
Graphically, Star Wars Battlefront looks really good considering how many players and vehicles are running around the map and there are explosions going off all over the place. Detail in the environments has been sacrificed in favor of more detailed characters and a steady framerate, but that is a perfectly acceptable trade off. The characters look really good and it is fun to see all of the little details on their armor. The vehicles also look really cool and are covered with little details that fans will love. The only real problem with the graphics is that the animation is somewhat stiff, but it really isn’t that bad. Battlefront isn’t the most gorgeous looking game out there, but it has the details where they really matter and looks good overall.
The sound is also very good. The music and sound effects have been lifted directly from the movies and it all sounds great. Everything is appropriate and just what you would expect. Considering the source material, this isn’t surprising.
Bottom Line
Star Wars fans can buy Battlefront without hesitation because this is everything you have ever dreamed of. Every once in a while you just get a hankering for some Star Wars goodness and Battlefront is a great way to satisfy that craving. Single player is fun, but the online multiplayer is the main focus of the game and if you don’t have Xbox Live you are really missing out on half of the experience. If you can’t play online, Battlefront isn’t as easy to recommend, but I do think that hardcore Star Wars fans will enjoy it enough to justify a purchase even if they are just going to be playing alone in their parents’ basement. I recommend Star Wars Battlefront for at least a rental, but depending on how big of a Star Wars fan you are it is a solid purchase.
