In addition to space battles,
Battlefront II also brings in a number of additions to the ground game, namely the inclusion of the Hero class. After accomplishing certain goals in battle, Heroes are unlocked and available for use. Each side is limited to one Hero and once unlocked, you have to work to keep them by accomplishing additional goals and racking up high kill counts. In theory, the addition of Heroes sounds great – but in practice, it leaves much to be desired. Most Heroes are saber-wielding Jedi, so combat really just boils down to mashing the attack button and hoping others are foolish enough to get in your way. Even the non-Jedi Heroes are a bit underwhelming to use as they’re nothing more than supped-up versions of the other classes.
Other additions to the ground game are much more useful. Each faction now has an additional class, like the Clone Commander, who gives defense bonuses to nearby units or Bothan Spies, who have the ability to cloak themselves. Similar to the Hero class, these special units need to be unlocked; but the conditions are usually far less strenuous and once you have them, you can’t lose them. The returning classes have also been revamped and feel like more than the same character but with a different weapon, adding a variety of new tactics. For example, Engineers can now repair broken vehicles and droids. Also, you can now switch classes whenever you want (provided you can reach a spawn point) instead of having to die first.
All of the changes help to make Battlefront II a much more focused product than the last one. The same “troops and vehicles on a massive map” premise is there, though the things you can do during battles (mainly in the way of tactics) have been expanded.
Battlefront II is an enjoyable experience, especially if you plan on taking the game online or are a “Star Wars” fan, and well worth a look.
