Star Wars: Battlefront II

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Star Wars: Battlefront II
Developer(s)	Pandemic Studios
Publisher(s)	LucasArts
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox , PC
Release date(s)	NA November 1, 2005 EU October 31, 2005
Genre(s)	Action, Shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, online multiplayer, splitscreen
Rating(s)	BBFC: PG CERO: 12 ESRB: Teen OFLC: M PEGI: 12+
Media	DVD, UMD, CD-ROM
Input methods	DualShock 2, keyboard, mouse, Xbox controller

Star Wars: Battlefront II is a first-person shooter/third-person shooter video game developed by Pandemic Studios, and published by LucasArts. The game is the sequel to the successful Star Wars: Battlefront and features new vehicles, characters, game mechanics, maps, and missions. The game was released in PAL regions on October 31, 2005 on the PC, Xbox, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2 platforms, and in North America on November 1 of the same year. It was later updated to be backwards-compatible for the Xbox 360.

Unlike its predecessor, Battlefront II features a more narrative-based campaign, retelling portions of the Star Wars storyline from the point of view of a veteran Imperial Stormtrooper, reminiscing about his tour of duty in service of both the Old Republic and as part of the Galactic Empire. Upon release the game was generally well-received as an improvement over the original. One of the new additions is the use of Jedi and Force powers.

[edit] Gameplay

Battlefront II includes ship-to-ship space battles.

Battlefront II's gameplay is fundamentally similar to its predecessor's, albeit with the addition of new game mechanics, units, and vehicles. The general objective in most missions is to deplete the number of enemies to zero. Killing an enemy unit subtracts from that faction's reinforcements, and likewise the death of the players or allies results in a similar decrease. Besides simply killing enemies, players fight for control of 'Command posts', where units respawn after death and which allows players to change character classes.^[1] Most command posts can be 'captured', by killing all enemies nearby and standing by the command post for a set amount of time. Controlling a majority of the command posts scattered on a map results in the faster depletion of the enemy's forces, and allows the player to respawn in more locations.^[1] If all command posts are captured, the losing team has only twenty seconds to recapture one before the game ends in their defeat, regardless of the amount of reinforcements they have.^[2] In other game modes such as Capture the Flag or Assault, command posts cannot change ownership.^[1] In addition to this land-based mode of combat, Battlefront II adds several space maps, where players must gain a certain threshold of points to win. Land maps include Endor, Utapau, Coruscant, and Mustafar, while space maps include space battles over Mygeeto, Felucia, Tatooine and Hoth.

There are two eras from which to choose; Galactic Civil War, or Clone Wars. Each era features two opposing factions; in the Galactic Civil War the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire vie for control, while the Clone Wars features the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) and the Galactic Republic. While most character classes are similar to classes of the other factions, each faction has two unique classes, which are unlocked gradually.^[3]

[edit] Classes

Players have the ability to choose between several classes throughout the game. They all have different specialties as well as certain weaknesses.

• Soldiers are all-purpose infantry skilled at killing other infantry at close to middle range.

• Heavy Troopers are used for taking down vehicles and turrets.

• Snipers are used for long range attacks and one-hit-kill head shots.

• Engineers can repair turrets, vehicles, and health/ammo droids. They have shotguns for close quarters and can dispense health and ammo.

Each faction has two special classes to choose from. It requires 8 points to unlock the first character and 12 points to unlock the second.

• Republic: Clone Commander and Jet Trooper.

• CIS: MagnaGuard and Droideka.

• Rebels: Bothan Spy and Wookiee Warrior.

• Empire: Imperial Officer and Dark Trooper.

[edit] Heroes

Battlefront II also features special heroes, which are found sporadically throughout the game. The hero each faction can receive is entirely dependent on the map. Some examples include Boba Fett, Obi-wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, and Luke Skywalker.^[4] Heroes have a fixed amount of health which is depleted over time, but can be regained by killing enemy troops. Besides being far tougher than normal units, some heroes (force-users) also have special abilities, such as Force powers. Only Force-users have lightsabers (exception is non-force user Grievous) which can cut down infantry in two slashes as well as the ability to jump high and run very fast. Non-force users have upgraded guns. ^[5]

[edit] Galactic Conquest

Just like in its predecessor, "Battlefront II" includes Galactic Conquest. In Galactic Conquest you can play as the Empire, Republic, CIS, and the Rebellion. You command a fleet and go throughout the galaxy conquering and protecting planets. To help you in this you can get upgrades. Upgrades include having a Jedi leader, combat shielding, energy boost, ect. As you go through Galactic Conquest, you will fight in space and on land until you conquer all planets.

[edit] Campaign

Whereas Star Wars: Battlefront's campaign featured missions spanning both the prequel and original trilogy, with the player assuming control of all four factions, Battlefront II contains only one campaign, called "Rise of the Empire", which is found in every version of the game except the PSP version.^[6] This set of missions is presented as the narration of a veteran Imperial stormtrooper of the 501st Legion, known as "Vader's Fist", beginning with an attack on the planet Mygeeto during the Clone Wars and ending with the assault on Hoth as depicted in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.^[7] This Campaign includes battles on the surface of Geonosis (as a tutorial) , surface of Mygeeto, space of Coruscant, surface of Felucia, space and surface of Kashyyyk, surface of Utapau, surface of Coruscant, surface of Naboo, space and surface of Mustafar, surface of Kamino, the interior of the Tantive IV, the interior of the Death Star, surface of Polis Massa, space and surface of Yavin 4, and surface of Hoth.

[edit] Plot

The 501st Legion is debuted during the Battle of Geonosis. Following the battle, the legion is deployed to obtain a crystal for the Death Star superlaser on Mygeeto while preventing their Jedi general from knowing what they are doing. They then assist in the Battle of Coruscant, Felucia, Kashyyyk, and Utapau. Following those battles, Order 66 is activated and the unit swarms the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and wipes out the Jedi there. The team, now under direct control of Darth Vader, is known as "Vader's Fist." After this the 501st is deployed to Naboo to take out freedom fighters, their leader (the new queen of Naboo), and a few Jedi. They are also stationed on the Death Star, however rebels escape. Although they kill most of the escapees, they are removed of their duty aboard the battle station. They also assist in bringing down rebellions on Mustafar and Kamino that attempt to recreate the Clone Wars. After the formation of the Rebel Alliance, the team tracks down a piece of the Death Star plans taken from a prisoner escape, which actually saves them from being stationed on the Death Star during its destruction during the Battle of Yavin. The 501st takes it revenge by swarming a battlestation on Yavin IV and killing some Alliance leaders.

The team comes to its greatest hour during the Battle of Hoth, which broke the back of the Rebel Alliance by killing many rebel soldiers and destroying their last base, forcing the survivors to scatter across the galaxy.

[edit] Multiplayer

Multiplayer in Battlefront II offers significantly more game modes and improvements over the original game. The 'Conquest' game type returns, and there are several other modes, not all of which can be played on every map. Battlefront II also offers game types such as Capture the Flag and Galactic Conquest. In this game, players move their fleets across the entire Star Wars galaxy, defeating their foes on land or in space battles. Winning a battle gains the victor credits, which can be used to buy bonuses or construct new fleets. Also there is another mode called hero assault. Heroes and Villains fight it out trying to earn a set amount of points. This mode features all of the heroes in the game in one place, allowing a new level of gameplay. The game supports 24, 32, or 64 players on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC platforms, respectively.^[8]

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Setting

Main article: Star Wars galaxy

Like most other Star Wars games, Battlefront II takes place on many of the worlds featured in the films. In addition to visiting locations such as Endor, Naboo, Hoth, and Kashyyyk, which were seen in Star Wars: Battlefront, the second installment features new locales such as the Death Star, and Tantive IV. The game also travels to locations seen in the last film in the prequel trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, such as Mustafar and Utapau.

[edit] Plot

The game is told as a frame story, with an Imperial stormtrooper recounting the adventures of the 501st Legion. Originally, the Legion was part of the Old Republic, and fights against the Separatists from Geonosis to Utapau. After Emperor Palpatine commands that Order 66 be carried out, the 501st leads a massacre of the Jedi at their temple on Coruscant, coming under the direct supervision of Darth Vader. Feared throughout the galaxy, the 501st becomes known as "Vader's Fist". Under their new leader the 501st executes missions such as a forced regime change on Naboo, the destruction of a new droid army on Mustafar and an attempted clone rebellion on Kamino.

With the Galactic Empire firmly established in the ashes of the Old Republic, the 501st soon grows bored of the endless tedium, drills and inspection associated with maintaining the empire. When the Death Star's schematics are stolen, Vader leads the Legion across the galaxy in search of the plans, eventually leading to the boarding of the Tantive IV. Despite capturing the Rebel sympathizer Princess Leia, the plans are still transmitted, and the Death Star is destroyed. The 501st is then pressed into crushing the fledgling Rebel Alliance, leading to the victory at Hoth, where the narrator proudly proclaims the Rebellion finished.

[edit] Reception

Battlefront II was praised not only for having a much more engaging single-player storyline,^[10] but also for fixing many of the issues that plagued the original. For example improving the intelligence of AI units, or adding more varied objectives for victory.^[10] Computer and Video Games argued that the strengthened single-player aspect was "unrelenting" and always a good challenge.^[11] Publications found the inclusion of space battles a welcome addition, however Gamespot argued that the addition of Jedi, though looking "good on paper", didn't end up "feeling as epic" as expected.^[8] Game Revolution argued that if the multiplayer was taken away, even the new campaign was not enough to make Battlefront II worth the buy.^[4]

[edit] See also

• List of video games by LucasArts
• Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
• Star Wars: Battlefront

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Star Wars: Battlefront Wiki
• LucasArts Main Site
• Star Wars: Battlefront II on Wookieepedia
• Star Wars: Battlefront II at MobyGames