Let’s start our multi-step review of Battlefront with a general overview of the feel of the game. The title says it all; we’re gonna be talking about how it looks and sounds. I’ll preface this by saying that I play on a PS4, so my experience of the game will be from the perspective of PS4. Additionally, I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the technical side of the game, such as how many FPS it runs on any system or on PC, so I’m simply going to be focusing on the experience and the overall atmosphere and effect.
First of all, let’s just take another glance at how it looks.
As a gamer myself, and someone who’s played many games of differing genres, I can honestly say that graphics like this are not only astounding, but are also rare. Everything has a very real aesthetic, from the scenery to the blaster in your hand, from the face and clothing of a rebel soldier to a looming imperial war machine. Everything honestly looks great. Details are captured magnificently, the walkers are covered in mechanical details and greebling straight out of the movies, and the blasters are virtual replicas of movie props. Even weapons and equipment used that can’t be specifically identified from the movies are made with that Star Wars feel, making them completely believable for that galaxy far, far away.
The scenery, as well, manages to capture so many texturing details. Small plants sway when you walk through them, footsteps are left in the snow behind you on Hoth, ash will blacken your pristine imperial armor on Sullust, and dirt will powder your rebel uniform on Tatooine. It’s a great experience, and brings the action of the beloved galaxy to life visually.
Now some brief cons. I’ve seen the shoulders of stormtroopers clip into their chest armor on occasion, but not often. Additionally, if you walk or crouch under something close overhead, the top of your character’s head will clip through the object if it’s close enough. It’s not visible in first person, but you can see it in third person, or if you’re watching another player do it. Also, if you play on Endor, when trees are knocked down it doesn’t look perfect, as they make the disconnection from the ground, but it doesn’t look terrible and I don’t mind it. However, what disappoints me more on Endor, is if you play walker assault, the one AT-AT on that map will walk a set path, starting by walking through a river flowing through the map. There are a pair of tree trunks laying across the river, and when the AT-AT sets his foot down on them, rather than simply walking on them or playing an animation of crushing them, the AT-AT’s feet clip completely through them. For a game with such visual beauty, a reality-breaking sight like that can be jarring and frustrating. However, the game still manages to look amazing and capture the locations and action from the movies perfectly.
Next is the sound of the game. Put simply, it sounds like Star Wars. The explosions and laser blasts are perfect, the scream of a TIE Fighter brings back memories of the first Death Star’s trench, the hum and slash of a lightsaber are even just like what we recognize from our favorite duels. The music is the iconic scores we’ve grown to love. It’s a great recreation of the sounds of our favorite universe, and manages to bring everything you see to life.
Overall, the atmosphere of the game is brilliant. You’re running through the forest of Endor, pushing through the brush to hold the line against the Empire. You’re running through the rocky pathways of Tatooine with stolen Imperial cargo, dodging blaster fire on the rocks around you while you hear the voice of your commander shout at you that you’re almost there. You’re stepping out of your base on Sullust, the ash coating your armor as you run toward the rebel scum to drive them off of your planet. You’re pounding footsteps in the snow of Hoth as you mount a hill and find lasers flying across the plains with grenades exploding and soldiers falling left and right before you open fire on the rebels yourself. It brings the most intense moments of that galaxy far, far away, to you, right here, right now, and lets you live them in a very real, immersive way. Its satisfying on many levels as a game, and as a recreation of Star Wars.
Stay tuned to The Hoth Spot for more of our Battlefront coverage, as well as Star Wars news, and check us out on our social medias!
The Hoth Spot 