Star Wars Battlefront Review Roundup

Perhaps not as hotly anticipated as Fallout 4, Star Wars Battlefront has been awaited with eagerness and excitement; it’s Star Wars after all.

DICE’s latest Frostbite Engine 3 powered shooter is easily the best looking Star Wars game yet, and it promises a lot of the George Lucas-imagined splendour while still being a solid shooter. Does it do that?

Let’s look to the scores first.

For the moment, there aren’t all that many User Reviews and each platform holds a number of unreasonable “0” scores, as is the way with Metacritic, so the scores are lower than what we think the game will ultimately reflect.

Perhaps the opinions of the critics is where it’s at.

PC Gamer – 72/100 (PC)

“In the thick of a 40-player battle, with X-wings screaming overhead, John Williams’ score blaring, and laser fire criss-crossing the battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront can feel like the most exciting game ever made.”

“This would be more exciting if the ship combat wasn’t basic to the point of feeling like a mini-game. There’s no weight or nuance to the flight model whatsoever, the differences between the ships are negligible, and the lock-on is so generous that it feels like it’s doing most of the work for you. This, combined with the weightless, floaty controls, reduces Star Wars’ famous dogfights to a joyless chore, and I’ve now reached the point where I just ignore starship power-ups if I see them.”

Gamespot – 7/10 (PS4/Xbox One)

“If nothing else, Star Wars Battlefront is an exercise in pure spectacle, laid out in all of its neon glory. I can’t help but smile when the Boba Fett guns down three fighters in a row from his Slave I ship, or a snowspeeder careens past with flames trailing in its wake. The first 10 hours are packed with these moments, and it’s worth playing just to watch them unfold.

But Battlefront doesn’t go much deeper than its ambitious surface appeal. It front loads its best content, only to fade in quality as the hours roll by. Star Wars Battlefront’s skin is beautiful, but its legs are shaking, and threaten to buckle with time.”

Forbes – 6.5/10 (PS4/Xbox One)

“Star Wars Battlefront is fan service to its core, replete with loving nods to the nuances found in the original film trilogy—Vader’s imposing gait, the distinct Wilhelm screams, that crying whine of a TIE Fighter’s engine, Han Solo haphazardly firing his blaster while retreating, and countless more memories from our collective consciousness of youth. With impeccable sound design, fantastic character animations, and exquisitely detailed environments in every square inch of playable space, the developers at EA DICE have crafted a wholly immersive Star Wars experience that remains faithful to the universe and looks stunning in doing so.”

“Digging deeper, I realized any mode in Battlefront that doesn’t employ hero and vehicle gameplay is merely lackluster soon after its dazzling initial impression fades away. Once again, Battlefront is more of a step backward for shooters, even if it stands as a terrific Star Wars experience. ”

Destructoid – 6/10 (Xbox One)

“Star Wars Battlefront feels authentic in many ways, but that authenticity is aggressively pursued at the cost of gameplay, and is often tacked-on. If you’re in the mood for a relatively shallow shooter with caveats you likely won’t be disappointed, but I wish that DICE had a little more time to polish it and add more substance.”

Game Informer – 7.5/10 (Xbox One)

“Designed primarily as a multiplayer shooter, Star Wars Battlefront offers nine modes, ranging from large-scale 40-player wars to intimate 8-player firefights. Each avenue of play unfolds in four maps set across four locations: Hoth, Endor, Tatooine, and the lesser-known Sullust. The best parts of the experience are contained in just two modes: Supremacy, a war over of territorial control, and Walker Assault, a match of attack and defend featuring enormous and heavily armored AT-ATs. The other modes don’t capture the epic scale of war; they are primarily palate-cleansers, yet fun in the smaller challenges they bring.”

Polygon – 8/10 (Xbox One)

“DICE seemingly put a lot of energy into making Star Wars Battlefront as broadly appealing as possible. The compromises along the way could draw in some players like myself who normally wouldn’t sink dozens of hours into a multiplayer-focused shooter, but I initially found myself worrying they may also limit the game’s staying power.”

“As a massive Star Wars fan, I’m predisposed to liking Battlefront. What surprised me, though, was how little I care about playing as almost anyone of note. Like Justin, I’m unmoved by the Heroes and Villains mode. With the notable exception of Boba Fett (and even he has a bizarre and unwieldy control scheme), I have much more fun as an anonymous Rebel or Stormtrooper. Their modes are much more interesting than the movie hero power trip.”

More November review roundups

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Review Roundup

Fallout 4 Review Roundup

Need for Speed Review Roundup