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A Miraculous Comeback Amid Mixed Reception: Still the Best Modern Star Wars Multiplayer Battlefield Game

8/10
Opening
As a heavyweight and phenomenal popular IP that is of great significance, although Star Wars has many works in the domain of video games, its influence is far less profound than that in the field of movies. Star Wars Battlefront II, developed by EA in 2017, is a remake of the classic original developed by Pandemic Studios in 2005. Featuring top-notch optimization, gorgeous graphics, and diverse gameplay, it is enough to rank among the top Star Wars battlefiled games. Nevertheless, the poor micro-transaction and loot box system, extremely differentiated and unbalanced character design, and poor balance at the beginning of its release have caused an irreversibly and devastating blow to the reputation of this game. The large-scale loss of players eventually caused this prospect-rich work to stop content updates on April 29, 2020. Since then, Star Wars: Battlefront II has remained lukewarm.
In May 2025, due to a series of coincidences, Star Wars: Battlefront II unexpectedly enjoyed a second spring, with an average daily number of players reaching 10,000, and a peak of an astonishing 15,000 on Steam. This number not only far exceeds that of Titanfall 2, which was in a similar situation, but even makes evergreen works of Electronic Arts such as Battlefield 1, Battlefield V, and Battlefield 2042 far behind. The renewed activity of the community has made the entire game full of vitality, and even the unpopular modes that were formerly disregarded have regained vitality. This is undoubtedly the best opportunity to experience the multiplayer mode of Star Wars: Battlefront II, which has been rare in recent years.
Strength 
It is hard to imagine that Star Wars: Battlefront II provides gorgeous, outstanding visual effects and demonstrates industry-leading optimization at once. The light and shadow effects at high saturation are exceptional, and each frame is like a wallpaper. The campaign takes the spin-off stories in the Star Wars universe as its main line and allows players to play classic characters from it, the overall difficulty is noticeably moderate. The game also has a 4-player PVE mode, instant action, and arcade modes offering full support for offline play. For players who don't like the actual PVP balance of this game, the rich PVE content can also bring a lot of fun.
The multiplayer mode has numerous maps with different mechanisms, terrains, and mission objectives. In addition to team deathmatch and battlefield mode, there are interstellar dogfights, hero battles, and the unique battle royale mode Ewok hunt to choose from. The characters in the game are also quite diverse. In addition to heroic characters with lightsabers, powerful ranged weapons, or skills, there are also a variety of special units and vehicles. The available units in different camps are also thoroughly different, which can deliver players a highly diverse gaming experience. The exciting soundtrack, the compact and grand battlefield, and the excellent visual expression all provide an incredible sense of immersion, making players feel as if they are indeed on the battlefield in the Star Wars worldview.
Weakness 
The differentiated asymmetric unit strength design is both the most significant feature and flaw of Star Wars: Battlefront II. The special units and heroes in the game can be deployed only after scoring enough points. Ordinary units are already at an overwhelming disadvantage in front of special units, they are like fish on a chopping board in front of heroes, and are at the mercy of others, with no ability to fight back at all. Experts can continuously accumulate scores and slaughter enemies as desired through their proficiency, while ordinary players may have no gaming experience to any extent. The unequal situation brings compelling negative feedback to novices, and the match often becomes incredibly one-sided. The snowball-like poor balance makes it even harder for the disadvantaged side to bounce back. The limit on the number of heroes to 4 ensures balance, but it also makes every game a carnival for experts, with average players lacking the opportunity to experience heroes.
Despite the removal of the micro-transaction, Star Wars: Battlefront II still retains the card upgrade and weapon unlocking systems. The former requires continuous improvement of the character's level to unlock and enhance the bonus, while the latter lets players grind to unlock weapons and accessories. New players already have disadvantages in maps and proficiency compared to veterans, and now they have to face the differences in character values. Coupled with the poor striking and shooting fell, weak hit feedback, and TPS-based operations, players need to invest a considerable amount of time to learn and adapt. It is also no exaggeration to describe the battlefield of multiplayer mode as a battle between gods. The gorgeous special effects, chaotic battlefield, poor transitions between light and dark, and glaring lighting effects all make it much more difficult for players to identify the enemy. In addition, when the latency is too high, the player's operation input will be lost, which makes this game very unfriendly to players with medium and high latency.
The campaign is mediocre regarding level design, the maps are often large and empty, and the air combat is over-covered. The biggest with the plot is that the depth is insufficient, not only does the length issue lead to many strange and abrupt twists in the middle and late stages, but the plot logic and character relationships are also very confusing and chaotic. The plot has a predetermined direction, it becomes increasingly hollow and dull, and the general, self-touching passion and awakening are completely incapable of arousing empathy. The single-player AI logic is quite strange, and you will often encounter wide-ranging unexpected, and peculiar bugs during the campaign.
Conclusion
Most players now may feel that this game is greatly overlooked, but there are too many potential problems in it, both in the campaign and the multiplayer mode. An empty plot and clichéd level design campaign waste the excellent visual effects, TPS as the primary perspective, unique operation feel, and the units with notable differences's multiplayer mode require a great deal of time to learn. It even takes a long time for new players to stand on the same starting line as veterans. Even so, Star Wars: Battlefront II still occupies an irreplaceable and unique position. For fans of the series, this one is definitely the best Star Wars battlefield game that can be found, with unique restoration and creative gameplay coupled with top optimization and gorgeous graphics, it will surely not disappoint you in a short time.
Compared to Titanfall 2, which is in a similar situation to this work, the nostalgia of the original one, the blessing of the Star Wars IP, and most importantly, the overwhelming and comprehensive failure of the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection released in 2024 have all played a vital role in promoting the resurgence of Star Wars: Battlefront II. For lucky current players, not only do they no longer have to endure the micro-transactions and loot box systems that undermine the balance, but now the game's skins and other customized props are all given away directly, and the in-game currency has lost any meaning other than commemoration. Star Wars: Battlefront II's rare second spring is anticipated to reactivate the entire community, and a massive potential market might also promote the birth of new works in the Star Wars: Battleground series.
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