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Star Wars Battlefront

Platform: PS2, XBOX, PC
Publisher: Lucas Arts
Developer: Pandemic
ESRB : Teen

By Chris Ching

To coin a phrase from a Dark Lord of the Sith, "Impressive... most impressive."

Defying twenty years of Bantha poodoo encrusted Star Wars games, Pandemic and Lucas Arts have created a classic with Star Wars Battlefront.

That's quite an accomplishment when it comes to this franchise.

Aside from the arcade coin-ops of the 80s and the stellar Super NES Star Wars trilogy in the 90s, rarely has a video game been able to fully convey the fun and feel of George Lucas' galaxy far, far away.

Battlefront is a glorious exception to the rule. It immerses the player so deeply into the Star Wars universe - and with such panache - that fans will need plastic surgery to remove their smiles from recreating all the famous battles from the movies.

There's so much to take in at once: the scope of the environments, the music and sound effects, the sheer gargantuan number of characters and vehicles dotting the battlefields. You are literally dropped into the movies and left to your own fancy.

The choices are dizzying. Take part in the Clone Wars or the Galactic Civil War? Side with the Rebel Alliance or get your TK-421 on and blow that Rebel scum away as a servant of the Empire? And I'm not even touching on the various types of soldiers you can play as or the fleet of vehicles and animals at your disposal.

While the Historical and Galactic Conquest modes have you follow a storyline, sometimes you just want to create a battle and start blowing enemies away - which is where Instant Action comes in. Customize a battle in a few seconds and you're ready to go.

The makers of Battlefront also get it right with the little touches. Favorite Star Wars characters like Luke and Vader pop up to lend a hand (robotic and otherwise), the Sarlacc pit waits to strike while you're busy trying to fight off your enemy AND a tribe of Tusken Raiders, and wasn't that Han that just got pulled out of the carbon freezing chamber? These and more are moments when a Star Wars Fanboy can't help but get a little tingly. Don't laugh, you know you will!

Any negatives? Not really. The Ewoks on the Endor battlefield could stand to be a little less chirpy, but a shot of laser fire can shut those little furballs up. I do miss not having maps for Dagobah or Coruscant although you do get a Episode 3 preview of the wookie homeworld Kashyyk.

I could go on talking about the game, but here's the bottom line. The Star Wars Trilogy are my favorite movies ever. I've read the books, collected the figures, and yes, played the games. I feel perfectly comfortable in saying Star Wars Battlefront is a must own. It's an item that can stand proudly next to Heir To The Empire, the Star Wars radio shows, and George Lucas in Love, as one of the best Star Wars inspired products ever.

How's THAT for an endorsement?!

Rating: (4 out of 4 stars)