Yahoo News Here's what critics think of Star Wars: Battlefront 2
The first Star Wars: Battlefront was pretty well-received overall when it was released in 2015, but in the two years' since Star Wars has continued to release new films, products and games – and succeeded in slowly increasing all of our expectations each time.
So, with the much-anticipated release of Battlefront II now finally among us, can it live up to the hype that's already been promised in its exciting trailers and intriguing gameplay clips?
Digital Spy takes a look at the reviews for the game to find out.
GameSpot
"Serving up the greatest hits of all things Star Wars, the follow-up to DICE's 2015 multiplayer-focused game presents a package that features a greater breadth of content, including an admirable single-player campaign. But the game overall is weighed down by an overbearing and convoluted progression system that doesn't value the average player's time, obscuring an otherwise solid Star Wars experience.
"Battlefront II still manages to evoke that same sense of joy and excitement found in the core of what the series is all about. But as it stands, the biggest hurdle that Battlefront II will need to overcome – for its simultaneous attempts to balance progression with genuine feeling of accomplishments – is deciding on what type of game it wants to be."
Empire
"The 30-year span is absolutely brimming with fan-service, from cool call-outs to existing lore to some compelling new characters and plot twists, faithful Force followers will have a blast playing through [...] The competitive play is sullied, however, by an overly-complicated character progression system, as well as insidious microtransactions that, in their current state, give an edge to those willing to plunk down extra coin for quicker access to perks.
"Battlefront II is not without its flaws, then, but it is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor. An easy, fan-pleasing recommendation for those looking to get a fix of the Force before The Last Jedi lands next month."
Kotaku
"I want to like Star Wars Battlefront II. It improves upon what came before. While the single player barely tells a coherent story, the action manages to delight and where the multiplayer takes acclimation it eventually delivers further excitement. But it's also a testament to some of the most insidious and predatory design decisions of recent years, crushing the excitement under a mountain of poor decisions.
"Battlefront II had the easiest job in the world: deliver a multiplayer Star Wars game and improve upon a hyped predecessor that under-delivered. Unfortunately, the game delivered at launch-perpetually couched with the fact that EA could change its economy and patch its systems and fix so many of these problems-manages to f**k that up."
GameCentral for Metro UK
"The most controversial game of the year might look like the perfect Star Wars adventure, but its pleasures come at a very high price.
"As much as some people didn't like it, the first Battlefront's biggest sin was being a bit simplistic and light on content. By comparison, the sequel is so problematic it raises serious questions about the end of video games as we know it.
"And while that sounds like hyperbole it absolutely is not. If you're competing in a game and the primary factor which determines whether you win or lose is how much money you've spent then what you're left with isn't a first person shooter it's a fruit machine."
IGN UK
"Like a Jedi with hatred inside them, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is its own worst enemy. It's a sequel that's managed to vastly improve upon its predecessor in some major ways: harder-hitting blasters, a wider variety of iconic Star Wars heroes, gorgeous locations, and a short single-player campaign all stand out. At the same time, it's taken a giant leap backward with its baffling progression systems and rushed storytelling, which keep it from being much more than shallow Star Wars fun.
"In terms of delivering on that Star Wars fantasy, jumping from corner to corner of the galaxy to see as much as it has to offer, Battlefront 2 succeeds in a very fun way. I'm just not sure there's enough here to keep me interested for very long."
The Telegraph
"A mostly good adventure, then, but not without some major foibles. There's no doubt Battlefront 2 is better than its predecessor but we do miss some the latter's purity – guns, for example, still feel excellent to fire, but there's so many of them now that you feel like you're in Call of Duty shooter territory.
"Amidst a forcible loot system it creates a slight sense of soullessness that could see DICE's latest effort risks fading into the background as another decent shooter that misses its mark. This is Star Wars, though, so there's no doubt they'll get another shot."
TechRadar
"Whether you're fighting through the glossy corridors and hangars of Death Star II or unleashing the Force as Rey in the bowels of a crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku, you're constantly drinking in how gorgeous BF2 looks even when running on a vanilla PS4 or Xbox One. It's an authenticity that trumps even the sheen and shine of the first game, offering up an experience that's as immersive and enchanting as the films that ultimately inspire it at every turn.
"It's just a shame that the rest of BF2's invigorating package is dumbed down with a needlessly convoluted and ultimately slow progression system [...] Microtransactions are clearly here to stay, and the fact that they're embedded so deeply in BF2's core experience shows how committed EA is to their presence; but coupling this with a progression setup that's so needlessly complicated leaves multiplayer feeling uneven."
Star Wars: Battlefront II is out Friday (November 17) on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
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