Attack of the Clone

 

If it was not already under the Christmas tree, Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is likely to be still at the top of your children’s shopping lists. Released barely a few days before the film The Last Jedi (who said “coincidence of the calendar”?), the newborn of the intergalactic franchise is a first-person shooter, so the action is seen through the eyes of the character the player embodies. The first instalment, in 2015, had struggled to keep its audience, despite impressive visuals. Indeed, a game being aesthetically successful is not enough to keep it captivating. The main innovation is the addition of a single-player storyline, also called a “campaign”. You play Iden Versio, a woman enlisted in the Empire’s shock troops. It is rather rare to play on the side of the “baddies” and this original idea is welcome! It will not take long, though, for Iden to change sides. The boundary between Good and Evil then becomes very black-and-white again. That does not stop this adventure from being rather entertaining, and it will delight Star Wars fans, by letting them play, for the length of a mission, iconic characters. The camera also switches to the 3^rd person in those moments (the hero is shown on screen). Impossible then to miss Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. This is what is called “fan service”: pleasing an eager audience with small (or big!) nods. It is a pity that this last aspect is so central, since the campaign remains rather secondary. Five short hours are enough to get through it. Interest then shifts to the online multiplayer mode. Battles from the saga follow one another, in which eliminating other soldiers is not the only way to win. Collaborating to complete objectives is crucial, such as sabotaging a cannon or hacking a computer. It is all rather epic and visually as impressive as ever, but ends up being rather repetitive. Unfortunately, it feels like simply an enriched version of the first game. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is rated PEGI 16, but offers no more violence than the films. However, its “loot boxes” system has caused a great deal of controversy. It is indeed possible to buy strategic advantages in the form of “mystery boxes”. Their content is purely random, and if the points earned in the game are no longer enough, the credit card can start to get hot. While this practice can be likened to gambling, it above all represents an excellent way in to discuss values and content quality with the youngest players. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 will therefore find its place in your game library more appropriately when it is on sale. Let us hope online players are still numerous enough by then, still showing interest in the game.
 
 

Battles also take place in space, at the controls of fighters.

To discover the content by watching players rebroadcasting their games: https://www.twitch.tv/directory/game/Star%20Wars%20Battlefront%20II

Niels Weber is a FSP psychologist-psychotherapist specialising in hyperconnectivity
niels.weber@semperludo.com
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