STAR WARS™ Battlefront™ II

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Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017) remains one of the most frustratingly split titles in modern gaming. Underneath the surface, it possesses some of the best sound design, visual fidelity, and raw Star Wars flavor ever produced in a video game. Yet, it is permanently weighed down by corporate missteps, abandoned post-launch support, and stripped-back local features that pale in comparison to its 2005 predecessor. The Good: -Presentation & Audio: Frostbite's visual engine paired with official Skywalker Sound archives creates an incredible Star Wars atmosphere. The thermal detonators, blaster claps, and iconic hero voice lines feel ripped straight from the films. -Core Gunplay & Unit Diversity: The transition to class-based infantry (Assault, Heavy, Officer, Specialist) combined with specialized Reinforcements (Reinforced Enforcers, Infiltrators, Aerials) gives matches strong tactical variety. -Hero Combat (In Short Bursts): Playing as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, or Darth Maul feels weighty and cinematic when operating properly in online team environments. The Bad -Guttings & Missing Features: Despite matching modern visual standards, the game severely regressed in basic options compared to classic 2000s shooters. There are no native private lobbies, no offline Heroes vs. Villains, no Galactic Conquest, and no seamless space-to-ground capital ship boarding. -Inflexible, Forced PvP Multiplayer: The online experience is ruined by a complete reliance on forced PvP. Without options for private matches or dedicated server browser controls, players are constantly thrown into sweaty, competitive public lobbies against sweat-tryhards and max-level heroes, destroying any casual or cooperative fun. -Incomplete Prequel/Classic Roster: EA cut support in 2020 to reallocate developers to other projects, leaving iconic heroes from the 2005 game and broader lore completely off the table. Most notably Aayla Secura, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Kit Fisto, Jango Fett, Asajj Ventress, and IG-88 were left out while spending developmental cycles on background units like BB-8. -PC Local Support is a Disaster: Split-screen was completely cut from the PC platform out of the box. While modders attempted to force the code back in, secondary players are permanently crippled with blank "Guest" profiles, stripping away inventory access, cosmetics, and emote wheels. -Forced Public Queueing: Instead of letting you host a private squad session with just a friend (or a friend + bots to fill the empty slots), the game forces you into public matchmaking. If you don't have a full 4-stack, it throws in total randoms who sprint ahead, steal hero picks, or ignore objectives. Repetitive Linear Loops: Every single match follows the exact same script. Capture Command Post A, move to Command Post B, defend for 4 minutes, repeat. There are no dynamic events, no custom modifiers, and no sandbox options. Artificial Difficulty via Bot Spawns: Rather than engaging squad mechanics, the difficulty comes entirely from the game spawning endless waves of aimbot AI directly behind or around your squad. They took what could have been a deep, customizable 4-player sandbox mode and turned it into a repetitive matchmaking playlist.