STACK #133 Nov 2016

GAMES

FEATURE

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Battlefront Beta The Scores a Hit

"T he Walker Assault is too heavily in favour of the Imperial forces," we heard repeatedly from gamers during the six-day Star Wars: Battlefront beta that ran during October. Although DICE have since admitted that this is indeed the case and work will be done to rectify the balance, we actually liked the fact that the Imperial invaders battered the Rebels. After all, that's the way it was in Irvin Kershner’s classic, The Empire Strikes Back . Besides, when a Rebel victory was obtained (only six times over the entire five days), the sense of accomplishment was memorable. After spending an inordinate amount of time with the beta, we like exactly where DICE are taking Battlefront . It is the most authentic Star Wars game we’ve laid our hands on, right down to the Snowtrooper costumes, the weapons and the vehicles; the shimmering snow on the Hoth battleground is a sight to behold. Eight vs. eight Drop Zone is probably where we spent most of our time, enjoying the demands of quick-thinking strategy and the

deployment of diverse tactics in a bid to gain the advantage. The austere volcanic setting on Sullust adds to the desperate struggle of locating a pod, activating it and then guarding the area – as either a Stormtrooper or a Rebel – quite literally with your life. Overall, we came away from the Battlefront beta with a positive

impression. The visuals and the audio are remarkable; a testament to the hard work that DICE has put in to capture the right Star Wars feel and aesthetic. The only negative we can

draw upon is the lack of campaign. The Missions co-op levels in the game will likely satiate offline gamers only temporarily, and not everybody likes playing online. Will EA release a campaign level as DLC? Doubtful, but we can only hope. May the Force be with you.

• Star Wars: Battlefront is out Nov 19

Four Other Star Wars Games You Really Should Play

Knights of the Old Republic (2003) An RPG extravaganza, BioWare decided to bin the mythology of the Star Wars films and take the universe back four thousand years.The Sith has decimated the ranks of the Jedi, and guess what? It's up to you, a fledgling Jedi, to restore order to the galaxy. But will you be tempted to join the Dark Side? As is to be expected from a BioWare property, it's well written, features an excellent blend of turn-based and action combat, and is simply a must-have in any video game collection.

LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game (2005) “Far better than the movies” is a quote you’ll often hear about LEGO Star Wars:The Video Game, and we concur. It would be wrong to suggest that this is simply one for the kids. Start it up – irrespective of your age – and you’ll find it pretty damn hard to stop. Packed with puzzles, stacks of replay value and a generous helping of humour, this superb title is fun for all the family.

Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (2001) If you owned a GameCube in 2001 and loved Star Wars, you’d have definitely strapped yourself into an X-Wing fighter to take on the Empire in this corker of a title. If you want to play a game ahead of Battlefront  that captures the feel of the original trilogy, then look no further.The sequel to Rogue Squadron on N64 is significantly larger than its predecessor and features ten missions that will take players to the Battle of Hoth and right up close and personal with the Death Star. Unmissable.

TIE Fighter (1994) From the moment they first appeared in Star Wars , screaming across the screen, we all wanted to fly aTIE fighter. Back in 1994, we got our chance, and we weren’t disappointed. Even now, the game holds up. A sequel to the popular X-Wing,TIE Fighter was an infinitely better title that delivered just about everything you could possibly want from a space simulator/ shooter. It had strategy, solid controls, a compelling narrative, and an excellent combat system that could be played in first or third person.

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