Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review - Makes Jar Jar Look Good
Grab that walking stick and get ready to feel old! The original Star Wars Battlefront game was released nearly 20 years ago. To put this even more in in perspective, besides the PC Master Race, the most powerful gaming device to play these games on was the original XBOX. Ugh, I’m feeling the arthritis kicking in as we speak. Anyways, get ready to make old people noises as you get up from the lounge to turn on your console because Battlefront 1 and 2 just came out for all modern consoles and we’re getting stuck into it.
As the title not-so-subtly articulates, Star Wars Battlefront ‘Classic Collection’ is exactly what it says on the box. Its Battlefront 1 and 2 re-packaged for modern gaming machines. For those not familiar with the series, here’s a brief overview. You play as either the Rebels or Empire and go to war on the battlefield either completing objectives or preventing your opponents from doing so, such as control point domination, capture the flag, and a range of other tasks. Sure … it doesn’t sound like anything too snazzy by today’s standards, in fact, the Battlefield series has been doing this for years and continues to release newer and better versions. However, 20 years ago (again … ugh), these titles were incredibly innovative and ground breaking! It’s for these reasons that the originals are held in high esteem when it comes to the previous generation of gamers. Merely the mention of these games would bring back wonderful nostalgic memories of firing at AT-ATs on Hoth in a massive 64-player server. Needless to say, this was obviously before EA took the Battlefront IP and screwed the pooch on pay-to-win loot boxes,
But what exactly does the classic collection bring to the table that we haven’t already seen? Sadly, not much. Updated textures, online multiplayer and the fact that it’s bundled together in the one launcher. Battlefront Classic Collection didn’t really need much in terms of new content. Simply giving it a graphical overhaul and injecting a bunch of modern gaming comforts when it comes to online play, and you’ve actually got yourself a game that would bode well with fans of these titles. But like stealing defeat from the jaws of victory, it would appear that this was asking for too much. The game is huge, too huge, it’s going to take up quite a bit of space on your console. Maybe not a big deal except the upscaled textures can sometimes be buggy. On launch day there were issues with servers (which were well documented and we won’t go into here) but as of now, some three weeks later, those issues appear to be resolved. The new issue though, is that I couldn’t find a game online (we were reviewing this on the PS5) that was before 220ms, something I haven’t experienced since my dial-up days (and even that, that was considered a high ping).
After all these years though, how does it feel, blasting lasers and swinging light sabres on a battlefield in the Star Wars universe? Does it still scratch that nostalgic itch for those who were fans of this one back in the day? To put it bluntly, not really. Although nowhere near as extreme, this feels a bit like going back and playing Goldeneye64. You remember it fondly and it was amazing for its time but games have developed far beyond those days. Gameplay with modern controls has forever been evolving to the point where you don’t even realise how good we have it right now until you step back in time and wonder how the hell you were ever able to play this game in the first place! Battlefront Classic Collection feels a bit like this, this is not a critique of this new version as they’ve effectively stuck with how they were originally, it’s just that after a couple of decades, we (as gamers) have a new standard we expect with our video games.
My main gripe with the Battlefront Classic Collection is that it feels like a minimal, viable, product. I’m not one to come out and say the developers are lazy or anything naïve as that, but it definitely reeks of a decision from high management to push out a pre-loved game from yesteryear with as little effort as possible. And to be brutally honest, that sucks. Battlefront 1 and 2 deserved a lot more than this. Playing online (in Australia) really dampens the experience as it’s difficult to gauge where your shots are going and what’s happening at any given moment as the delay is atrocious. As a result, you can forget about playing with any concept of strategic gameplay. For the PC gamers out there, you can literally buy the first two Battlefront games off Steam for $29AU right now! Or you can buy this for $51AU. Battlefront Classic Collection could write a series on missed opportunities and wasted potential for two games that were staples in many gamers’ histories. Give this one a miss.
Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection was reviewed on the PS5 with code kindly supplied by the publisher.
