DICE's Star Wars: Battlefront: A mistake made?

Good day, internet! First off, what I'd like to stress is the face that I am a huge Star Wars fan. Seriously. I would say a good half of my life has been dedicated to Star Wars content: the movies (yes, even the prequels), the books, the LEGO®, the video games - I've done it all. Let me tell you, folks, the 2000s was a good time to be a kid and a Star Wars fan, because it was ubiquitous. Around that time, the original Star Wars: Battlefront games were some awesome experiences. The shooting of stormtroopers, the riding of the walkers, the conquest of the galaxy, all of it was a blast. It felt like I was in the Star Wars universe. As amazing an experience that was, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that the property was being picked up by one of the kings of shooting games in the modern day, DICE. Not only that, but it was launching on what was then a next-generation system lineup. How could you not get excited?

Honestly, the answer for me was as soon as I read all of the news that came out from Star Wars: Celebration in Anaheim about it. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of positives coming with this game. I love the graphics, and knowing the dedication that the team put in to making it look like the planets we all know and love from the movies is amazing. If you didn't know, DICE sent people out to all the locations where the original Star Wars movies were filmed, to reference the features of each location. That means that for making Endor, the team actually went to California's Redwood groves. That's amazing! Not only that, but it just shows the graphical capabilities these consoles have nowadays - if people are able to go to a location and practically transport that place into your game, who knows what the limits are?

But beyond that, I'm also excited just to be placed in those environments and those situations again. Star Wars generally has a good track record when it comes to modern gaming. Add onto that, say what you will about DICE, but they really have a great understanding of the shooter mechanics. A game like this should be right in their wheelhouse, as we all assumed.

However, after Celebration, all the excitement I had for this game left me as soon as I found out there was no Galactic Conquest. Being a staple of the series, I was a bit disappointed not to have that turn-based gameplay that Battlefront II did so well. Not only that, but there is no official campaign for the game. It is a multiplayer-only experience, which essentially means that one way or another, you have to pay two fees: one to buy the game, and one to actually play it. Not only that, but there's no doubt that EA will likely attempt to sign you up onto a program of their own.

Additionally, the game is said to only feature four worlds: Hoth, The forest moon of Endor, Tatooine, and Sullust (the last has never been featured in a Star Wars film, so it could be interesting). Now, the news around this is that although there are only four packaged-in worlds, each world may have four or five maps within it. That sounds like it could be a good balance, in fairness; there will probably be more planets and maps up for grabs in the form of DLC. Most might not like that, especially under the guise of a Star Wars game. I don't blame DICE for it, however. DLC is just a natural part of gaming nowadays, something to give the game a little more life down the road from the release date. Hell, even Nintendo franchises like Mariokart and Super Smash Bros. are starting to dabble in post game-release content.

But what's the main point I'm trying to make? I don't mean to overall hate on DICE on their choices; after all, they've made some outstanding games in the form of the Battlefield franchise, and that's why I initially praised them when I heard they were bringing back Battlefront to us. My personal feelings on it are just that I don't like it when I'm forced into such a competitive environment, especially on Xbox. I like to play the campaign, test out the features, and then take my skills online to see how I do. DICE isn't giving me that option - they're not letting me dip my toe in. I'm going to have to just cannonball-jump my way into the game.

The thing is, this is just my personal preference when it comes to gaming. Honestly, I'm not even that much of an online gamer to begin with. Half the time, I won't even utilize the online features of the newest game I bought. So when DICE announced to the world that this is a multiplayer-only experience, I was a little disappointed. This doesn't mean I've lost my excitement, though; a new age of Star Wars has begun, people. We've got new movies, new books, and new games releasing for all Star Wars fans. Lucasfilm wouldn't have given DICE this opportunity unless DICE was fully capable. So, while I may now not be going to pick up the game on release day, I'm still remaining optimistic that it fully embodies the fun and excitement that Star Wars has brought to so many people.