It's Good to be Bad in the Star Wars Battlefront II Singleplayer Campaign

[Lizzy Finnegan]

It's Good to be Bad in the Star Wars Battlefront II Singleplayer Campaign

"We wanted to create a campaign that told a story we haven't seen before in Star Wars."

Earlier today, EA revealed the release date - and first trailer - for Star Wars Battlefront II and, as promised, the game comes complete with a singleplayer campaign. There's just one thing - you'll be playing the bad guy.

The game will pick up after the events in Return of the Jedi, with players primarily assuming the role of Iden Versio, an Imperial elite special forces soldier, although the press release states that players will also encounter, and play as, "other iconic Star Wars heroes and villains."

"We wanted to create a campaign that told a story we haven't seen before in Star Wars," says Mark Thompson, Game Director at Motive Studios. "It was important for us to tell a new authentic story, one that gives players a brand-new perspective. By putting players in the boots of an elite member of the Imperial forces, we can show them what the battle was like from the other side."

Neither Iden nor the Empire will be described as the "bad guys" in Battlefront II, rather the story will simply be told from the perspective of the other side.

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You can check out the first full trailer for Star Wars Battlefront II here [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/170114-Star-Wars-Battlefront-2-launches-in-November].

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[Soviet Heavy]

First time since Tie Fighter where you get to play as the antagonists

 

[Spacewolf]

So something we haven't seen in Star wars before is exactly the same thing that was done in the last SW Battlefront 2?

They should have just had you play as the 501st again, might have been able to get some good will if they'd done that.

 

[Kajin]

Yeah, it looks like EA took the hint and are basically copying the original Battlefront II as close as they can.

So long as I get back my Galactic Conquest skirmish mode, I won't complain. It won't buy back ALL the good will Electronic Arts has lost, but I'll still put on my identity obscuring hoody and sunglasses and quietly buy it from Walmart at 3am in the morning, shifty eyes keeping a lookout for anyone that might see me making such a shameful transaction.

 

[Bindal]

Am I getting a Deja Vu or is that really a repeat of Titanfall: First game no singleplayer, sequel gets one after huge complains of the lack of said singleplayer?

First time since Tie Fighter where you get to play as the antagonists

I think Force Command came out a bit later and that was basically Episode 4 and 5 as RTS seen from the Empires perspective, the tutorial being about finding R2D2 and C-3PO.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I need to know the length of single player campaign and whether Galactic Conquest exists, can I play with bots etc. If answers to those questions are satisfactory I'll be pleased.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

"We're not the bad guys, we just believe in the subjugation of everyone under our boot."

An empire based betrayal, manipulation, and the elimination of the Jedi. A culture that decided to rule the galaxy best is through terror, and helped speed up the creation of the Death Star: A machine with the sole purpose of blowing up planets.

Hey, I'm happy that people who are into that will get to play that side of the battle. I know there's a lot of Siths out there. But please spare me the misunderstood angle.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

I need to know the length of single player campaign and whether Galactic Conquest exists, can I play with bots etc. If answers to those questions are satisfactory I'll be pleased.

Those would make the game in to a must have, split screen would be nice too. Even if it was just offline only, conquest was fun that way.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

"

Hey, I'm happy that people who are into that will get to play that side of the battle. I know there's a lot of Siths out there. But please spare me the misunderstood angle.

I just posted in the trailer thread about this. I find it really hard to like, or even sympathize, with this lady when she's standing on the ashes of the billions of people the Empire killed on Alderaan. So yeah, I don't want to be hearing anything about a different point of view, and how they're the ones bringing peace and order to the galaxy now.

 

[Winnosh]

"

Hey, I'm happy that people who are into that will get to play that side of the battle. I know there's a lot of Siths out there. But please spare me the misunderstood angle.

I just posted in the trailer thread about this. I find it really hard to like, or even sympathize, with this lady when she's standing on the ashes of the billions of people the Empire killed on Alderaan. So yeah, I don't want to be hearing anything about a different point of view, and how they're the ones bringing peace and order to the galaxy now.

Seig Zeon!

 

[Spacewolf]

I do wonder if this lass is going to end up being Captain Phasma from the Force Awakens.

 

[Kajin]

"

Hey, I'm happy that people who are into that will get to play that side of the battle. I know there's a lot of Siths out there. But please spare me the misunderstood angle.

I just posted in the trailer thread about this. I find it really hard to like, or even sympathize, with this lady when she's standing on the ashes of the billions of people the Empire killed on Alderaan. So yeah, I don't want to be hearing anything about a different point of view, and how they're the ones bringing peace and order to the galaxy now.

I mean, when a significant portion of your life you've been spoon fed propaganda that tells you you're doing as such, you tend to believe that what you're doing is right and that you're in the clear for doing it. Very few people are the villains of their own personal stories.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I do wonder if this lass is going to end up being Captain Phasma from the Force Awakens.

Well, she looks nothing like Gwendoline Christie. Maybe she's her mom

Or more likely, a character of zero consequence to the universe.

 

[Ishigami]

I do wonder if this lass is going to end up being Captain Phasma from the Force Awakens.

Then Phasma is 60+... not likley?

Personally I never liked the clone trooper lore. It made the empire a very one dimensional affair. I liked media that pretty much ignored it like Tie Fighter (afaik?), Robot Chicken Special or the Cops joke:

It gave them a human side. Instead of having a clone super soldier you have some bloke that tries to escape his or her miserable life on a backwater planet by joining the highly disciplined and well equipped army of the empire. Maybe getting to do something that under normal circumstance would have never been a sensible carrier wish like flying a freakn star ship such as a Tie Fighter or be on a different planets:

I don't like the Nazi approach to villains. It's cheap.
I rather would like a Romans approach. That the Empire brings along some perks besides all that subjugation:

So looking forward to this.

 

[Dalisclock]

"

Hey, I'm happy that people who are into that will get to play that side of the battle. I know there's a lot of Siths out there. But please spare me the misunderstood angle.

I just posted in the trailer thread about this. I find it really hard to like, or even sympathize, with this lady when she's standing on the ashes of the billions of people the Empire killed on Alderaan. So yeah, I don't want to be hearing anything about a different point of view, and how they're the ones bringing peace and order to the galaxy now.

Hey, Alderaan would have been fine if they hadn't been supporting terrorists. They should have respected law and order.

 

[Squilookle]

When will this end?

I mean it. When will people stop feeding in to this bullshit EA keeps shovelling at us? Can you really say with a straight face that the first EA Battlefront was anything more than a shameless cash grab? All those trailers about attention to detail and studying the original props of the movies etc etc and for what? A beautiful but bare bones tech demo. Now they're starting to add some of the features of their acclaimed forebears, in a completely separate package you'll have to fork out loads of money for all over again. Features that shipped built in to the original games.

Why do we support this?​

Now they're saying they're making a story we haven't seen before. A.K.A. from the Empire's perspective. Not only does that show they expect us not to remember games such as TIE Fighter that already did that, but it expects us not to remember the original Battlefront II which did... exactly that.

They just. Don't. Give. A. Damn.​

Worst of all, it seems to be working. Look in any comment thread including this one, and people are willing to forgive, and give it a go if it brings certain changes. The utter shambles of the first one rinsed from the mind. And when it releases and still has giant gaps in it, what then? People still willing to buy it.

You are perpetuating this industry. Yes, you.​

Because an industry where a game can sell well on pretty graphics alone is a very, very dangerous industry. You keep buying this rubbish and it sends EA and its rivals a clear message: that looks are everything. Content doesn't matter. Longevity and replayability doesn't matter. The extra effort, balancing of weapons, testing map design and all the old quality assurance practices don't matter. Unlocks and progression trees are the new 'extra content'- items older games confidently gave you right from the start. And did that limit their replayability? Not really, since people are still playing them to this day.

It will never, NEVER end until we do something.​

And by that I mean, vote with our wallets. Yes the new BFII looks pretty. Yes it fills the screen with flashy staged chaos of laser fire and whirling starfighters. But so did the first EA Battlefront. It was not worth your money, and you were cheated out of it. And it will happen again. Don't fall for it. don't buy into it. Don't prolong this laziness that's crawled in to everything EA does with this franchise.

I am NOT saying 'don't buy the game'​

Just... and I know this would be hard for the more impulsive among you. Just. Wait. Don't pre-order it. Don't reserve it, don't rush out and get it day one. Just wait one week. Just one week. Hear the reviews, see the performance issues, have the inevitable patch release before you try it. I promise you the game will still be for sale 7 days after it releases. If people just had the patience to wait one week before rushing out to buy it, it would send a message that would have the big publishers very frightened indeed: We no longer would be putting money down on promotional material alone. Don't you see? All their trailers and interviews and whatever else they spin to get you to buy something before release... if you ignored that until after the release, then games would be getting purchased on the one thing they always should have been judged on: their actual content. And if the market switched back to this model, publishers would be forced to make a difficult choice for themselves: Either keep pushing the vapid, hollow interactive shells they're making now like Battlefront and see them exposed on launch and suffer apalling sales figures... or actually earn those sales by making a proper game in the first place.

Only then would we start seeing the features we actually want in games. All of them​

Such a whingey rant, I know, but it gets me so frustrated seeing this crap happen again and again and so many buying it because they have nothing better to do, and in doing so giving the vicious cycle another spin at the wheel. Makes me sick to see Battlefront mishandled so blatantly and carelessly, as well.

TLR- Actually you know what? There is no TLR. Read it and do some thinking of your own.

 

[Metalrocks]

well, if there is a nice lengthy campaign and is actually good, i may get it. so, at this stage, it has my interest.

 

[RealRT]

When will this end?

I mean it. When will people stop feeding in to this bullshit EA keeps shovelling at us? Can you really say with a straight face that the first EA Battlefront was anything more than a shameless cash grab? All those trailers about attention to detail and studying the original props of the movies etc etc and for what? A beautiful but bare bones tech demo. Now they're starting to add some of the features of their acclaimed forebears, in a completely separate package you'll have to fork out loads of money for all over again. Features that shipped built in to the original games.

Why do we support this?
Now they're saying they're making a story we haven't seen before. A.K.A. from the Empire's perspective. Not only does that show they expect us not to remember games such as TIE Fighter that already did that, but it expects us not to remember the original Battlefront II which did... exactly that.

Marketing shpiel is marketing shpiel. I rolled my eyes and moved on with my life.

They just. Don't. Give. A. Damn.
Worst of all, it seems to be working. Look in any comment thread including this one, and people are willing to forgive, and give it a go if it brings certain changes. The utter shambles of the first one rinsed from the mind. And when it releases and still has giant gaps in it, what then? People still willing to buy it.

People are willing to give them credit on actually listening to criticism and improving from it. Nothing wrong with that.

You are perpetuating this industry. Yes, you.

Well, fuck.

Because an industry where a game can sell well on pretty graphics alone is a very, very dangerous industry. You keep buying this rubbish and it sends EA and its rivals a clear message: that looks are everything. Content doesn't matter. Longevity and replayability doesn't matter. The extra effort, balancing of weapons, testing map design and all the old quality assurance practices don't matter. Unlocks and progression trees are the new 'extra content'- items older games confidently gave you right from the start. And did that limit their replayability? Not really, since people are still playing them to this day.

For the record, while I am quite pleased with what they are offering with their Battlefront II so far, I didn't touch the previous game with a ten-foot pole exactly because it was shallow and devoid of any and all actual content.

It will never, NEVER end until we do something.
And by that I mean, vote with our wallets. Yes the new BFII looks pretty. Yes it fills the screen with flashy staged chaos of laser fire and whirling starfighters. But so did the first EA Battlefront. It was not worth your money, and you were cheated out of it.

No I wasn't. I didn't buy it.

And it will happen again.

Neato, can I borrow your crystal ball?

Don't fall for it. don't buy into it. Don't prolong this laziness that's crawled in to everything EA does with this franchise.

So, again, we shouldn't credit them when they are improving?

I am NOT saying 'don't buy the game'
Just... and I know this would be hard for the more impulsive among you. Just. Wait. Don't pre-order it. Don't reserve it, don't rush out and get it day one. Just wait one week. Just one week. Hear the reviews, see the performance issues, have the inevitable patch release before you try it.

As impulsive as they come and no, it won't be hard. I never pre-order anyway, even for the games by far more trustworthy people than EA and if the SP is less than ten hours long I might as well say "Buh-bye" until a good discount.
That's the problem with all the "YOU are the problem. Yes, you!" style of writing. Eventually someone who doesn't fit the description is going to respond.

 

[immortalfrieza]

It will never, NEVER end until we do something.​

And by that I mean, vote with our wallets. Yes the new BFII looks pretty. Yes it fills the screen with flashy staged chaos of laser fire and whirling starfighters. But so did the first EA Battlefront. It was not worth your money, and you were cheated out of it. And it will happen again. Don't fall for it. don't buy into it. Don't prolong this laziness that's crawled in to everything EA does with this franchise.

I am NOT saying 'don't buy the game'​

Just... and I know this would be hard for the more impulsive among you. Just. Wait. Don't pre-order it. Don't reserve it, don't rush out and get it day one. Just wait one week. Just one week. Hear the reviews, see the performance issues, have the inevitable patch release before you try it. I promise you the game will still be for sale 7 days after it releases. If people just had the patience to wait one week before rushing out to buy it, it would send a message that would have the big publishers very frightened indeed: We no longer would be putting money down on promotional material alone. Don't you see? All their trailers and interviews and whatever else they spin to get you to buy something before release... if you ignored that until after the release, then games would be getting purchased on the one thing they always should have been judged on: their actual content. And if the market switched back to this model, publishers would be forced to make a difficult choice for themselves: Either keep pushing the vapid, hollow interactive shells they're making now like Battlefront and see them exposed on launch and suffer apalling sales figures... or actually earn those sales by making a proper game in the first place.

Only then would we start seeing the features we actually want in games. All of them​

Such a whingey rant, I know, but it gets me so frustrated seeing this crap happen again and again and so many buying it because they have nothing better to do, and in doing so giving the vicious cycle another spin at the wheel. Makes me sick to see Battlefront mishandled so blatantly and carelessly, as well.

TLR- Actually you know what? There is no TLR. Read it and do some thinking of your own.

I am so sick of people always saying "Vote with your wallets" all over the place and thinking that actually accomplishes anything,. Under any objective, truly unbiased reasoning voting with your wallet is just like any number of pointless crusades which really exist for the sole purpose of simply pretending one is actually doing something to make oneself feel better about something that in reality they can do absolutely nothing about. If voting with your wallets actually did anything there wouldn't be crappy half assed exploitative games like the first EA Star Wars Battlefront to begin with. These games exist, will always continue to exist, and have run rampant throughout the entire video game industry because those who give a damn about the quality of their entertainment has and always will be far far exceeded by those who don't. For every 1 person who refuses to buy any game for some exploitative business practices or whatever there's thousands more who either don't know or don't care will buy it anyway. The people who refuse will always be nothing more than a microscopic blip on the profit margins of game companies. Take this for example, the vast majority of people will buy it just because it has the words "Star Wars" and "Battlefront" on the front of it. The reality is those who care about video games stopped being the target audience LONG ago. All refusing to buy into games like this ultimately does is cause people to deprive themselves of any enjoyment they could get out of a game for the sake of a crusade that never has and never will do anything.

Here's advice for anyone who thinks that voting with your wallet will make a difference: The fact is that it won't. If you're interested enough in a game to buy or rent it, do so, don't refuse just because of some misguided desire to change the industry.

 

[Neverhoodian]

We've NEVER experienced a Star Wars single player campaign where you play as the "bad guys?" Tie Fighter, X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter: Balance of Power, Rebellion, Force Commander, Galactic Battlegrounds, Empire at War, Pandemic's Battlefront games, Bounty Hunter and the dark side paths of the Jedi Knight and KOTOR series would all beg to differ.

Look EA, I'm sure you're well and truly chuffed for all the praise you're getting with these "new" features (aka "content that should have been in the first game"), but don't try to pull the wool over our eyes with your revisionist history.