Since it's a stepping-stone into my favorite Star Wars video game series, it's undeniably necessary.
The Star Wars movie series, including all six movies, was absolutely a product of sheer brilliance. This movie series has captivated and earned the hearts of many fans who have always dreamed about what life would be like in a galaxy far, far away….
We are finally able to experience our dreams, through this game. Star Wars Battlefront, for the PS2, is a game that allows you to explore the Star Wars universe, through a unique perspective. You are able to take the perspective of a soldier from any one of the four Star Wars teams (called factions) throughout the movie series: Imperial, Rebel, Republic, or Droid soldiers. Each faction has a variety of soldiers to experiment with; each soldier has a specific weapon configuration, so choosing your preferred weaponry is up to you. Weapons range from standard shot rifles and pistols, to explosive missile launchers, sniper rifles, shot guns, and the like.
What really makes the game a dream brought to life is the game's various Star Wars environments. You get to choose which planets to wage war on, and while you scout for enemies, you may also choose to sight see. The game features Star Wars planets from both the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy, making the variation of worlds plentiful and satisfying. Will you choose to snipe on the forest moon of Endor? Or will you choose to hike the Desert Mountains of Geonosis? Perhaps you just wanted to shoot a Jawa – those annoying rats. It's all here!
With all of this being said, the game is far from perfect. The controls are disappointing, to say the least. You cannot use melee attacks (hand-to-hand combat) against your enemies, nor can you roll or dodge in all directions. The game is supposed to make you feel like you're living a battle in the movies, but being unable to punch, dodge, or roll easily makes the experience somewhat contrived. Also, you aren't able to sprint or run, so your best chance of escaping an enemy is too walk (indifferently) and hope he doesn't see you in his limited view.
In addition, you'll realize that battles grow unfair, the more you explore the game. For example, the Empire starts off with armored Imperial walkers on Hoth, while the Rebels have small snowspeeders and sheep called "taun-taun". The battle environment is accurate and consistent with the Star Wars universe but, then again, that means that certain battles have already been concluded. After all, the Rebels would never be able to beat back the Empire on Hoth IN THE MOVIES. So why should I expect any difference in the video game version of the story?
Aside from that, other inequities involve tanks and foot soldiers. Every soldier is able to find and use a tank – if it's vacant. Once any soldier occupies a tank, they are certain to make kills. And if you encounter an occupied enemy tank…..well….they always say to keep one last bullet.
To conclude, Star Wars Battlefront is definitely a flawed game, having battlefield inequities and inexcusable contrived movement options. However, we mustn't forget how this game fits into the overall collection of the Star Wars Battlefront series. It was the first game of the series, and brought fans' mere imaginative thoughts into an experience. If it were not for Donkey Kong, people would not even know Mario. If Pokemon Red and Blue never existed, there wouldn't be any type of successful "monster-battling" series.
Therefore, if it were not for Star Wars Battlefront, there would be no interactive Star Wars universe experience. I personally love Star Wars Battlefront 2 much more, but I can't deny the foundation that this game had laid.