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Games : Give it a Rent
Ranking:
Sale Price: $23.99 Last Price: $ Buy now! 3rd Party 12.95 In Stock
Release Date: November 17th, 2015 Movie Release Year: 2015

Star Wars Battlefront

Overview -

It is the year of 'Star Wars', and along with the movie that is sure to break many records, gamers have a new 'Battlefront'. The original series, developed by Pandemic (since shut down), was well received, with the last release in 2005. A PSP spin-off series by Rebellion Developments concluded in 2009. This multiplayer-centric reboot was developed by EA’s DICE studio ('Battlefield', 'Mirror’s Edge'), with help from Criterion and Visceral.

OVERALL:
Give it a Rent
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Release Date:
November 17th, 2015

Video Review

Ranking:

'Star Wars Battlefront' is one of the best looking Frostbite games to date, even with performance and visual quality that has been scaled back on the Xbox One as compared to the PS4 and PC. The terrain is rich and beautiful, effects are dense, and animation is realistic. Framerate stays at or near 60 most of the time, but the big battles slow down a tad. Another issue I noticed was a late draw-in when the camera was moving at high speeds, such as during the dogfights. First- and third-person views are both well implemented, but I much prefer third-person for the slightly better situational awareness.

Endor, Hoth, and even the new Jakku are identifiable and memorable. If there was a stream of free maps, they would be very welcome.

On the connectivity end there is little to complain about. I had no dropped matches, host migrations, long lag stutters or anything of the sort, even with 40 players involved. Matchmaking is quick and accurate, as the players involved were mostly equal in skill level.

Audio Review

Ranking:

The sound design is also of a high quality. The blasters, thermal detonators, lightsabers, and spaceships sport the perfectly imitated film sound effects that fans have come to know over the years. John Williams’ score is as wonderfully recognizable and iconic as ever. It is a tough act to follow for the voice acting, which is decent but not revolutionary - not surprising, given the lack of any real storyline.

Final Thoughts

The reboot of 'Star Wars Battlefront' rises above the mediocre level of many licensed games to be something quite enjoyable. But as I play, and the energy level slowly wanes, I can’t help the feeling that it could have been more. Like 'Evolve' and 'Titanfall' before it, 'Battlefront' has a great premise and strong initial gameplay, but a short honeymoon period.