Star Wars Battlefront II EA seems to have listened to all the feedback and criticism voiced by gamers and it really shows. Dice and EA should be commended for all the features and gameplay they're adding to Star Wars Battlefront Ii EA that wasn't in their first game. It just shows that gaming companies listen to feedback and make changes based on that feedback. A major complaint when Battlefront EA came out was that it went to a multiplayer only game with a very limited single player and offline modes. Also, they came out with a $50.00 season pass which divided and segregated their player base.
But, thankfully they learned from their mistake and have decided not to include a season pass of any kind in this game. It still begs the question will there be DLC? My answer is there will most likely be DLC for Star Wars Battlefront II EA of some sort although it is not confirmed. It's not like EA, given their track record, to cut a season pass and take a loss on potential revenue. Some DLC, given all that they're adding, could be considered, provided it's good DLC.
Features in Star Wars Battlefront II EA
The first major feature you're going to get is a single player campaign. This was surprisingly not even in the first Battlefront EA game which is why it's great to see it here. You will be playing through the eyes of Inferno Squad, which in the reveal trailer witnessed the destruction of the Death Star II on Endor.
This in itself does seem to be a compelling story because we will witness things from the imperial perspective. This is probably one of the strongest things it has going for it. Another huge feature that is coming back is Space Battles. Which was also absent in the first game even though there was atmospheric combat with fighters and classics like the Millennium Falcon and Slave I.
However, this will be like the epic space combat we remember from the originals.
If you're a console player there is also good news for you guys because you will be getting split screen co-op for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. This will only apply to an offline mode that I believe you can take stuff from into multiplayer. Of course, there's an asterisk so I don't really know if that's accurate; but what is accurate is there will be split screen co-op for console players.
Another big complaint from the first game was there was only one Era the Original Trilogy. Thankfully you will be getting characters from every Era including Kylo Ren and Ray from the newer films. There also seems to be more heroes now because they can be upgraded and enhanced with abilities. How this will be balanced in multiplayer I'm not sure and that could be a problem. In the first game, heroes were insanely overpowered. This was essentially the case for players who used Boba Fett who could use a jet pack. If the heroes are balanced than this could be a good feature, and I will be interested to see how that plays out.
However, there is one feature that is missing that would be a nostalgic addition to Battlefront II, and that is Galactic Conquest from the originals.
Galactic Conquest was epic because you could conquer the galaxy with a set faction and battle over planets to gain control of the galaxy. For those who have played the original Battlefronts that was probably one of the most time engaging modes as it could take hours to win. If EA adds Galactic Conquest to this game on top of all the other stuff they're giving us then this would be a legendary game meeting all expectations.
Should You Pre-Order
Unlike most games where I would tell you not to pre-order I'm going to say you should go out and pre-order Star Wars Battlefront II EA. it's coming out on November 17, 2017. With such a hollow first game not living up to Battlefront standards set by the originals, this does feel like a significant improvement and it does deserve a reward for good behavior.
Companies who listen to gamers and support gamers should be rewarded for their actions. I believe a big portion of the community voted with their wallets against the season pass because it was almost the price of another game, and also EA elected not to tell you what was fully in the season pass to begin with. I'm glad that there is no season pass this time around because there won't be any player divide, and the price without that season pass seems fair. In the end, it's up to you to determine if you will go for the standard edition or the deluxe edition. The only difference is around $20 between the two. The Deluxe Edition does give you some upgrades and early access to the game which might be worth it.
By far Battlefront II EA is far superior to Battlefront EA on almost every level and it really shows you that they're taking this more seriously and actually listening to the fans and critics.
