Over the last few years, gamers have been hit with a real sense of deja vu. There have been quite a few games released that have exactly the same name as games from the past. The newest iteration of the Hitman series is a good example of this, but another example is one of the most beloved Star Wars games of all time: the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2.
The original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 released way back in 2005, developed by Pandemic Studios and Savage Entertainment. It was very well-received and instantly became a classic. The newer version, EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, released to far different reception. Over time, EA's Battlefront 2 has become a game that's respected for the post-launch support it's received.
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This is where the most noticeable difference between these two games is going to lie, for obvious reason; one was released in 2005, and the other was released more than a decade later in 2017. But for its time, the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 looked pretty sharp. There was a noticeable step-up in the graphics quality between the first game in the series and the second, especially considering they were only released about a year apart. The graphics look dated now, but back in 2005, the effects, the animations, the settings, the characters; everything came together to form an authentic Star Wars experience that resonated with players.
EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 similarly recreates the Star Wars universe in its game faithfully. DICE's Frostbite engine is well-known for its impressive graphics, even on the last generation of consoles, and there's no mistaking it here. That said, graphics quality isn't nearly as important as the art direction, especially when it comes to recreating worlds and characters that fans know and love. EA's Battlefront 2 does a fantastic job in that department too, with characters looking almost identical to their big screen counterparts, and the settings near-indistinguishable from the locations they're based on.
Gameplay-wise, these two games are fairly similar. The original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 could be played in either first or third-person, with pretty basic shooter gameplay. Players embodied one of two sides in each conflict, Rebels or the Empire, as well as the Republic or CIS. There were a variety of different classes to choose from, some unique to that specific side, while others were copies that every faction got with slight modifications and a different skin. There was also vehicle combat, as well as space battles, which really added some nice variety from the usual gameplay.
EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 has extremely similar gameplay, only different from a few standpoints. There are character classes in the new Battlefront 2 as well, but they can be customized a little bit more than the original game. There are a few different weapons available to each class, as well as some different gadgets. Each class can be specialized a little bit more to cater to a specific playstyle, as opposed to the original where every character of the same class and faction had the same things.
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These two games have some similarities, but also some severe differences, when it comes to the modes available to them. As far as similarities go, both of the main modes in both Battlefront 2's are fairly similar, though EA's iteration can be a little bit more complex. In essence, two teams fight across a map vying for control of certain objectives, whether they're attacking or defending. There are some different ways these games spice it up a bit: Conquest Assault on Mos Eisley in the original, for example, or some of the smaller and more intense modes on the newer Battlefront 2.
These two games had some very different modes, too. The original had Galactic Conquest, which played out like a board game as far as the metagame goes, where players could unlock units, upgrades, etc. while progressing their ships across the galaxy. Moving a ship onto an enemy planet started a battle for control of that planet, while moving a ship onto the same planet (or empty space) as an enemy ship started a space battle.
EA's Battlefront 2 had a very in-depth campaign; while the original Battlefront 2 did have a pretty fun campaign as well, it wasn't at the same level. The new Battlefront 2 has a campaign with a very solid story, fully-acted scenes with motion capture, and some really cool set pieces. It meaningfully adds to the Star Wars canon and is absolutely worth a playthrough on its own.
The original Battlefront 2 didn't really have much in terms of progression. It didn't intend to; the game was there to play when players wanted to, and pretty much everything was available to play right from the get-go. There were Elite versions of the weapons that players could unlock by earning 12 kills in one life, but the weapon was only available for that life. It could be unlocked permanently by obtaining the Legendary status on the Frenzy award, usable then by switching weapons and then switching back. Otherwise, players could play as select heroes or villains, like Boba Fett or Obi-Wan, by doing well enough throughout a match, much like in the new Battlefront 2.
The new Battlefront 2 has quite a bit of progression available to it, at least at launch. It took time to unlock different weapons, Star Cards (gadgets/abilities), and upgrading them took time as well. Over time, this progression was improved so that it was less RNG. But overall, EA's Battlefront 2 has a lot more progression than the original game. That makes sense, considering progression is expected of a game in this day and age, and also because this is a game made in the era of online gaming. The original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 was released around the time online gaming was both more difficult to do, and not nearly as popular as simply playing offline.
EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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