Review: Revisiting a bygone era with ‘Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection’

It’s 2024 and I’m back to playing the original Star Wars: Battlefront game. Like many others, I too have some fond memories from the original battlefield game. My elder brother and I used to spend many mornings and late nights sitting around the CRT TV playing battlefield 1 and 2 on PlayStation 2 in the dark, screaming excitedly.

This year, Aspyr brings back these two classic games and makes them available to a new audience Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Going back to these games these days is like going back to a simpler time. For those who want to relive these old memories, the games have been preserved just as you remember them. But for those who have never played these games, or who are more accustomed to modern, traditional shooters, these games are a bit strange. anyhow, Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection As a fan of the series, and as a historical artifact, it’s worth a visit.

Even though these games are now 20 years old, they feel even older than that. I haven’t played them since they first came out, but jumping into them again today – especially the first one – may take some getting used to. For starters, the controls aren’t typical controls of modern shooters. There is no updated, standard control setting that applies to both games. The standard controls from the first game have a fair amount of aiming assistance and sticky reticles. Hits can be very difficult to spot, with some force abilities or lightsaber hits feeling like they should connect, but not doing so. And some game modes last longer than you’re used to halo Or Duty Matches that are brighter.

But really, that’s what to expect from games of this era. those days, Duty He never became the big, effective shooter that he is today. and prefer multiplayer shooters halo And Battle field They were still finding their groove, figuring out what types of genres and gameplay mechanics their audience enjoyed most. battlefield Developers in the same boat are still figuring out what makes a fun competitive shooter.

In fact, the best thing about these games is the amount of features. Both battlefield Sports – especially battlefront ii – There’s a lot of single-player content that’s still pretty impressive. The most notable feature is “Galactic Conquest”. but also consider that Battlefront II – which came out only a year after the original battlefield – Was able to get rid of stick reticles to make combat easier, adding heroes vs. villains, space battles, and refining the shooting mechanics. There is a lot packed in here. For those who aren’t interested in playing online multiplayer, these games have a lot to offer in terms of single-player campaigns that can be fun to play and replay, whether alone or with a friend. And how crazy is it that couch co-op/versus mode in a shooter is something I would praise a game for in 2024?

Again, this aspect of battlefield The game is a symbol of the time when these games were created. Nowadays, game developers spend a lot of time balancing, refining, and ensuring that the multiplayer experience is smooth, frantic, and fast-paced. But at the time, developers working on shooters placed a heavy emphasis on the single-player experience, giving players game modes that could keep them entertained for hours. This doesn’t mean that modern shooters don’t have great story-based experiences, they do have experiences nonetheless. But it’s refreshing to see how much content was offered to those who didn’t want to come online.

There are some changes in this Battlefront Classic Collection Which were not in the original. They include additional characters like Asajj Ventress and Kit Fisto that were not in the original release, or the added feature of Trigger Resistance for PlayStation 5. This is a feature I don’t like. For those playing on PlayStation 5, be aware that the game builds some resistance into the right trigger, making it harder to depress, simulating the feeling of firing a real gun. As good as it is, it also wears out your index finger very quickly.

At the time of writing, the online servers have not been opened to the public. I can’t comment on the multiplayer experience right now but will comment on it in a later article.

for takers Star Wars: Battlefront classic collection, I recommend viewing it as if it were a historical artifact. There’s a lot here that may seem “old” or “outdated”, but it also shows how far games have come. It is a window to a different era of video games where “fun” was still paramount and when game studios were more generous in their offline content.

Thank you to expire For the advanced review copy used to create this article. Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection Available March 14 for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation 5PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.