The original Battlefront 2 modders have been busy making the game what it should have been. While Battlefront 2 (2005) is often heralded as the gold standard for the Battlefront franchise, it neglected unique aspects that made the original so fun.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 built upon the original’s foundation quite well. It added space battles, playable heroes and villains, and an interesting story mode. These elements were featured in the original, albeit in a much less encoming fashion. The original had aerial vehicles, but none that could be flown in space. Heroes and villains ed the battles, only controlled by AI though. The original Battlefront had a campaign mode but lacked a well-defined story and employed a broad narrative context for each game of conquest. The original and sequel also notably featured the Galactic Conquest mode, which deserves its own game.
Despite the sequel’s upgrades, it failed to live up to the original Battlefront in many ways. Some areas that the sequel improved upon are actually the highlights of the original that made it fun in the first place. Playing as Star Wars’ heroes and villains in Battlefront 2 was a great addition, but the feeling of fleeing from the AI characters is more fun. It truly captured a Rebel soldier's fear when up against Darth Vader. Battlefront’s integration of aerial vehicles also makes it stand out from its successor. Seeing a dogfight in the sky above the fight on the ground gave the battles a more expanded, epic feeling.
The Original Star Wars Battlefront Had The Best Maps
Battlefront's ability to offer the best gaming moments was courtesy of its incredible maps. Bespin Platforms is one of the best maps ever featured in a Battlefront game. The fight for control of the central command post was pure havoc and hectic fun and made using the Cloud Cars or other ships an excellent strategy to infiltrate the enemy base. Geonosis is another stellar map, and the Republic Gunship’s presence made the battle feel much more like the movie than its counterpart in Battlefront 2.
As controversial as it may be to tout the classic Battlefront as the best in the franchise, it genuinely holds up as a unique experience that its successors have yet to fully recapture. It shows that it’s not too late for a Battlefront 3 to shoot for the original's greatness. Overall, the Star Wars Battlefront games are all quite good, which is a testament to how strong a formula the original introduced. It gives players a great reason to check out each entry because they all do different things very well.
