So, last night I picked up Star Wars Battlefront 2 at EB Games. I had the first one, and though I enjoyed playing it for a little while, it never really caught my attention to warrant a lot of replayability.

SWBF2 is going to change that, I think.

While there is a lot of carry-over from the original games, there is more than enough new content and new gametypes to keep me interested - and that in itself is a feat. Along with the standard classes such as Clone Trooper, Rebel Vanguard and Droid Pilot, there are new classes like the Smuggler and Bothan Spy. These two new classes are like Special Ops guys who sneak in behind enemy lines to blow up important enemy assets.

One of the coolest additions to the game is space combat. You have the choice of a knock-down drag-out dogfight in starfighters (X-Wings, TIE Fighters, the various new fighters from the new movies, and much more), hopping into a Capital Ship turret control, or duking it out in the corridors of the enemy ship as you attempt to destroy shield generators and engine cores. Space combat is hairy and chaotic, just like the first scene of Revenge of the Sith.

Another neat thing they've done is the ability to play as a Hero or Villain. If you do well enough in combat, you are given the choice to spawn as an Era-Specific Hero or Villain, like whiney Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Jango Fett and General Grievous. You can only play as this character as long as you continue to do well. If you die, you have to respawn as a regular trooper or droid or stormtrooper.

Sound, as usual, is great. Movie music adds a real cool Star Wars atmosphere, and even the sound effects are perfect. There is radio chatter that alerts you to someone being on your six, a bomber approaching your home cruiser, or a Super Battledroid coming up behind you.

If you're a big fan of the Star Wars genre, this is a must-have game.

This review brought to you by cheese... Mmm, cheese.

C.

I have the original for PS2 and I played the hell out of it.

I have one question though, have they fixed the mouse lag? I was a beta tester for BFII and maybe it was just my system, but the horrid mouse lag just about ruined the experience for me. Frame rates were fine, but it seemed like a full second between moving the mouse and my aim actually changing. In a first-person shooter, that's not exactly a good thing...

I didn't notice any mouse lag in SWBF2, and I dont' remember any in the first one, either. I've got a system that clocks in about 300mhz or so above the recommended system requirements, and it loads fast and plays smooth.

C.

Probably fixed since the beta then, in which case I'll have to pick this game up. A few people were having problems with it, but I figured it was more the game's fault than my hardware, running a 2.8GHz AMD with 512DDR and an X800XL 256MB graphics card.

I think I see why UrbanDead on RPOL's been so slow...Maybe I'll pick this up this weekend so I won't notice it so much...

Hey! I'm trying to let everyone post before I continue the game!

C.

Well I got it today. Damn if the mouselag isn't still there too... I must find some way to fix it. It makes me a horrible player because it's so damn hard to aim with such sludgy-feeling mouselook.

EDIT: I am an idiot. Apparently turning v-sync on causes the mouselag. 100% precision with it off. Why didn't I try this before?

Anyway, kickass game

You talking about multiplayer or single player, or both? I've found the mouse kind of slushy in multiplayer, but in single player I've found it's pretty good.

C.

Posted by Crossfire You talking about multiplayer or single player, or both? I've found the mouse kind of slushy in multiplayer, but in single player I've found it's pretty good. C.

Single player is fine. I just tried multi and the mouse still feels a bit off there, but it's a hell of a lot better than when I had v-sync on.

hmmm, I just got it off the internet and I really don't think its that great. It's ok but the flying instructions are incomplete and the crosshairs are kind of annoying. I had to turn v-sync on otherwise I only got half of the picture. I might get into it later but its not something I'd sit down and play for a few hours straight. Maybe its just my taste. Graphics are good though.

Posted by Sinister Crayon hmmm, I just got it off the internet

that might be your problem right there.

I liked it. I don't like the Jedi characters that much though . . . they all move slowly, and the sprint command is awkward. If they had guns, that'd be something else. You could double-jump to a roof or something and snipe.

My brother just got it. We played the first one for a while, but it had limitations, but 2 looks sweet. Let ya know once I play it a bit.