The original two Star Wars: Battlefront titles are some of the most memorable multiplayer experiences of mine to date. I vividly remember running home each day after school to play online with friends, traveling through iconic Star Wars planets and participating in larger-than-life battles. In recent years, EA has taken to the scene to revive the series with two of its own Star Wars Battlefront titles, yet support has ended for both at this time.
This takes us to just a few weeks ago when we got the surprise reveal of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. Immediately, I was ecstatic at the thought of jumping back into these titles that I spent hundreds of hours in as a kid. While both are available on Steam, they’ve yet to be made playable on modern platforms until now. I got the chance to spend some time with this collection early and opted to hold off until multiplayer was available, as that is an essential part of these titles. While I was extremely pleased with the single-player offerings, the multiplayer offerings are well short of acceptable, which throws this collection up in the air entirely.
(Mostly) A Treat on Modern Platforms
I’m happy to report that the gameplay in both titles is exactly the same as I remember. The chaotic and fun matches are here, with loads of maps to discover between the two titles. Galactic Conquest, Capture the Flag, Hero Assault, and XL (a mode previously exclusive to PC!) are all here, with content from all versions of the games being made available regardless of platform. This is a very welcome change, allowing for the definitive version of these titles to be made available on modern platforms for all.
I had a blast going through and experiencing beloved maps like Clone Facility at Kamino, Echo Base at Hoth, and Mos Eisley at Tatooine. It’s impressive how multiplayer titles like these can be picked up and played just as one remembers. Regarding the gameplay, I do wish Aspyr included more options in the settings. Features like the Adaptive Triggers are utilized in this collection, but they cannot be turned off.
New modes have even been expanded upon, which is not something I expected at first. However, these are welcome changes that provide countless hours of fun. The major one here is with Hero Assault, which is now playable on all ground maps available in the game. Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress are even available to choose from, which makes this feel like the ultimate Hero Assault mode available across all the Battlefront titles.
Despite all the fun gameplay and new additions, there are absolutely some bugs here that must be addressed. There are certain instances mid-gameplay where it feels like the bullet and hit detection is slightly off. This is especially noticeable in close-range encounters, where bullets fly all over no matter how precise your aim is. It mostly occurs in Battlefront II, but there were instances in Battlefront where this was apparent as well. While this doesn’t full-on ruin the experience, it can make battles extremely frustrating.
Additionally, visual glitches occurred somewhat frequently, with textures not loading in for certain scenes and other similar issues. Speaking of, the texture work overall is well done and provides a nice update to the classic style and look of the original games. I was quite impressed with the level of detail Aspyr was able to capture here. Maps and character models look sharp but retain that classic art style that made these games so beloved. I did find it odd that the file size of the game sits at over 30GB, and I’m guessing that these new, updated assets must be the result of that.
Despite these bugs, the game’s performance overall was butter smooth. I experienced a locked 60FPS for the entirety of my time with the collection, which was excellent, coming from my memories of the original Xbox & Xbox 360 versions.
The Online Problem
Unfortunately, the online modes available in this collection are nothing short of a trainwreck. There are only five servers available for Star Wars: Battlefront II, which left thousands of players, including myself, unable to play online. It’s extremely puzzling what led to this decision, but it’s unfortunately the current state of the game.
The battles with other players online are what make Star Wars: Battlefront iconic and memorable. Experiencing that with up to 64 players was a driving point behind this release, yet it’s not present in any capacity. While there is significant single-player content and the ability to play across maps against AI, the real fun has been and always will be with other players in online lobbies.
Until Aspyr is able to correct this and allow for unlimited players to create servers and join together in massive online battles, this part of the experience is essentially non-existent. This is an imperative part of the original game, so it makes the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection feel inferior when in comparison to the original titles.
A Messy Yet Fun Experience
Overall, it’s great to see these two titles available on modern platforms. As someone who grew up playing both extensively, I find it a nostalgic treat to play through these iconic titles on modern hardware. The gameplay loop is just as fine as I remembered, with an exciting number of characters, maps, and classes to choose from. These are two titles that could be played for hours upon end, with endless fun awaiting.
However, the online mishaps are inexcusable and largely make it hard to recommend this collection. Further, there are numerous bugs that can plague matches, both visually and audibly. I do not believe this collection was ready for launch. If you’re someone who just wants to experience the offline modes and isn’t keen on playing with others, this collection is worth the price and an excellent pickup for the most part, besides the bugs. But those searching to rekindle that multiplayer experience won’t find it in this collection for the time being, which is extremely disappointing.
I’m hopeful that Aspyr will work diligently to address these issues and get the collection up to speed, but until then, I recommend holding off on purchasing this collection for the time being. It’s frustrating and disappointing to have to say that, as these are two beloved games that I want nothing more than to sink hundreds of hours into once again. If the issues are able to be quickly ironed out, this is a release I’ll be jumping for joy to recommend to everyone I know. When it works, it’s an amazing time, but between the unreliable online functionality and bugs, Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is a messy experience at the moment that you should be cautious of purchasing until fixes are in.
Disclaimer: Asypr provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection for review purposes.
