Star Wars: Battlefront-II
Posted: 2009-02-22 02:50pm
Finally broke down and got Battlefront-II. I love Battlefront I and played it over and over again. I finally decided that if I liked it that much, than BF-II was worth the look. Got in through Amazon fairly cheaply. I know BF-II has been out a long time-- this is typical of me. I wait to see what reviews the game garners, how well it stays popular for extended periods, and if it is replaced by something better within a few months. Only after careful consideration do I plunk down the money.
First off, I have to say I love it. The expansion of characters to play and the expansion of many different worlds in each game is awesome. The weapons are more interesting, and I really like the fact that the settings on some of the familiar planets (ie, Yavin, Naboo, etc) are the same layout as in BF-I and they didn't succumb to "redesign the past" syndrome.
There are some complaints:
I miss having two levels to each world: typically, it was one confined, infantry-like fight in close quarters or urban terrain; the other would be more of an open-field combat where heavy vehicles could be used. Now it is just one level per world (admittedly, I have played 'Galactic Conquest' and not 'Campaign' so it may be different).
In the first version, BF-I, there were many times when I was the only one left on my team and there'd still be several enemy left. I had to do the "last man standing" thing and there were times when I was able to survive against all odds. A memorable time was on Yavin, when I, as the Imperial Scout/Sniper, got on top of the pyramid with the command point and held off 17 Rebels, picking them off one-by-one as they approached until I finally won, with just a couple shots left. Great fun! Now, it seems that if you have just 1 or 2 guys left on your team, and the enemy has over 10 or more, the game simply decided that your position is untenable and ends play with your side in defeat.
There's no way to skip the space battles. They're fun, but sometimes they seem like afterthoughts to the land campaigns. They can actually get a bit monotonous after awhile, and it also seems that if I don't take a bomber out and personally see to it that the enemy starships gets hacked at, my AI teammates won't do much to it. When I take bomber out there to attack the starship, I get a lot of support from more of my team bombers.
My biggest complaint:
Does it seem to anyone else here that the enemy will utterly fixate on your character in the battles? I've seen enemies literally ignore an entire squad of guys surrounding them and shooting at them to concentrate on shooting at my character. I've seen enemy soldiers run past my team's tanks and sprint across open fields full of my guys to try to get at my character. I understand the game is supposed to be challenging and that you shouldn't hide in the mass of your fellows, but come on, now. They ignore immediate threats within arm's reach to get at me, clear across a field.
Battlefield specific complaints:
What is it about Polis Massa that makes it such a pain for the Empire to assault? I use the same tactics that work well in other close-quarters assaults but there's something about Polis Massa that makes it an Imperial graveyard. There seems to be one central room that is key to the holding of Polis Massa, and the Empire's starting points almost guarantee that we aren't able to bring as many forces to bear as the Rebels. No matter which 'bonus' I use, within minutes I have 10 guys left and the enemy has 40+. I notice similar results at Felucia.
These are minor complaints, since overall I really enjoy the hell out of the game. I like how the different worlds are balanced so that you're encouraged to play some of the different character classes (for example, a Sniper isn't as universally useful; sometimes it's better to play the regular grunts or specialty classes). Any other insights?
First off, I have to say I love it. The expansion of characters to play and the expansion of many different worlds in each game is awesome. The weapons are more interesting, and I really like the fact that the settings on some of the familiar planets (ie, Yavin, Naboo, etc) are the same layout as in BF-I and they didn't succumb to "redesign the past" syndrome.
There are some complaints:
I miss having two levels to each world: typically, it was one confined, infantry-like fight in close quarters or urban terrain; the other would be more of an open-field combat where heavy vehicles could be used. Now it is just one level per world (admittedly, I have played 'Galactic Conquest' and not 'Campaign' so it may be different).
In the first version, BF-I, there were many times when I was the only one left on my team and there'd still be several enemy left. I had to do the "last man standing" thing and there were times when I was able to survive against all odds. A memorable time was on Yavin, when I, as the Imperial Scout/Sniper, got on top of the pyramid with the command point and held off 17 Rebels, picking them off one-by-one as they approached until I finally won, with just a couple shots left. Great fun! Now, it seems that if you have just 1 or 2 guys left on your team, and the enemy has over 10 or more, the game simply decided that your position is untenable and ends play with your side in defeat.
There's no way to skip the space battles. They're fun, but sometimes they seem like afterthoughts to the land campaigns. They can actually get a bit monotonous after awhile, and it also seems that if I don't take a bomber out and personally see to it that the enemy starships gets hacked at, my AI teammates won't do much to it. When I take bomber out there to attack the starship, I get a lot of support from more of my team bombers.
My biggest complaint:
Does it seem to anyone else here that the enemy will utterly fixate on your character in the battles? I've seen enemies literally ignore an entire squad of guys surrounding them and shooting at them to concentrate on shooting at my character. I've seen enemy soldiers run past my team's tanks and sprint across open fields full of my guys to try to get at my character. I understand the game is supposed to be challenging and that you shouldn't hide in the mass of your fellows, but come on, now. They ignore immediate threats within arm's reach to get at me, clear across a field.
Battlefield specific complaints:
What is it about Polis Massa that makes it such a pain for the Empire to assault? I use the same tactics that work well in other close-quarters assaults but there's something about Polis Massa that makes it an Imperial graveyard. There seems to be one central room that is key to the holding of Polis Massa, and the Empire's starting points almost guarantee that we aren't able to bring as many forces to bear as the Rebels. No matter which 'bonus' I use, within minutes I have 10 guys left and the enemy has 40+. I notice similar results at Felucia.
These are minor complaints, since overall I really enjoy the hell out of the game. I like how the different worlds are balanced so that you're encouraged to play some of the different character classes (for example, a Sniper isn't as universally useful; sometimes it's better to play the regular grunts or specialty classes). Any other insights?
