DICE has done what many thought was impossible. Star Wars Battlefront 2 released in 2017 to heated negative acclaim, mainly for its pay to win microtransactions and lackluster single-player offering.
Instead of abandoning the project, however, DICE stuck with the game and fixed many of its core issues. Now, it is arguably one of the best Star Wars video games ever made. Its visual fidelity and arcadey-gunplay make this game an instant classic among avid Star Wars fans. With that said, there are still plenty of things DICE could add that would massively improve or harm the game. Here are 5 additions we would love to see for EA’s Battlefront 2 and 5 we don’t want to see.
10 Want: More Weapons
Battlefront 2 has a significant amount of customization, including both gameplay augments like Star Cards and cosmetic items. Unfortunately, that variety is simply lacking for weapons.
Every class in Battlefront 2 can wield one of four weapons, three of which can have mods equipped on them to suit your playstyle. New weapons were planned to be added at some point after launch, but due to the catastrophic loot box progression system, DICE spent its resources instead fixing the game. With Battlefront 2 being in a better state than ever before, now would be the perfect time to add new weapons to the sandbox.
9 Don’t Want: Focus on Heroes
Heroes are a fun part of Battlefront 2, allowing players who do well to play as iconic heroes from the Star Wars universe. The game offers so much more than playing a Jedi, however.
Vehicle combat, unique abilities for soldiers, and using reinforcement troops are the meat of Battlefront 2 and where it truly shines. Focusing more on adding heroes and hero-based content shifts the focus from intense infantry combat, fighting for your survival, to cutting down helpless AI and players with a powerful hero. Heroes are a core part of the experience, but focusing too much on them can compromise the delicate balance DICE has crafted thus far.
8 Want: Private Matches
One of the most fun things you could do in Battlefront 2 2005 is hosting a private match with your friends and see who would rise on top. This feature is sadly missing in EA’s version.
There are local matches players can host with one co-op partner but that’s it. There is no way to host a private server with friends, or the ability to host a modified server for that matter. Adding this feature would allow for both competitive tournaments and large game-nights between groups of friends to form.
7 Don’t Want: More Clone Wars Content
The Clone Wars is one of the most interesting eras within the Star Wars universe, consisting of inspired character designs and iconic planets. And it’s gotten incredibly old.
Nearly every update that has been released for this game has consisted of content pertaining to the prequel trilogy. There was an update related to the sequel trilogy of films and the Solo film, but every other update past then has brought prequel content to Battlefront 2. It results in every match feeling the same even though the amount of maps and units is far greater than what is typically on display.
6 Want: Better Lightsaber Combat
While focusing on adding hero-based content might do more harm to Battlefront 2 than good, reworking lightsaber combat to include more depth sure wouldn’t hurt.
Games like Jedi Academy and The Force Unleashed used lightsabers to great effect, although none have come as close as Jedi Academy. The controls for those games allowed for precise lightsaber cuts, making fights against troopers and lightsaber wielders alike equally engaging and satisfying. Granting more control over one’s lightsaber would add much-needed depth to hero characters.
5 Don’t Want: Gimmicky Game Modes
There are few game modes present within EA’s Battlefront 2, but most of the ones that exist add to the game’s overall fun factor. While it could use more game types, adding event-exclusive ones or more silly modes could harm the game.
Take Hunt, for instance. This silly mode tasks players to survive as Stormtroopers at the dead of night on Endor against a tribe of Ewoks that other players control. It brings back memories of the older hunt modes from Pandemic’s rendition, but it doesn’t add anything substantial to the game. Trying to find matches for this mode take close to half an hour at times, showing disinterest in playing it. These modes should not become the norm.
4 Want: Cross Era Matches
In Pandemic’s version of Battlefront 2 back in 2005, certain maps would allow players to fight against cross era factions, such as the Republic versus the Empire. This feature is missing in EA’s version.
Adding cross era fights would add a large amount of replayability to many of the game’s maps and modes, letting players fight against heroes and enemies they wouldn’t otherwise see. Seeing Republic Commandos face off against Sith Troopers would be a fantastic spectacle that no other modern Star Wars can satisfy currently.
3 Don’t Want: Return of Loot boxes
Nearly everyone remembers the complete disaster that was Battlefront 2’s launch. The main issue the game had was its focus on monetizing loot boxes to sell character upgrades called Star Cards.
These loot boxes granted buffs for random characters and heroes, ranging from increased health to earning additional points in a match. This system was so widely criticized it got various governments such as Belgium to ban the practice altogether. It also resulted in the most downvoted Reddit comment in history, with an EA spokesperson trying to justify the insane grind. Needless to say, this should not make a return to Battlefront 2.
2 Want: Ground to Space Battles
The Star Wars films and comics portray action scenes with infantry on the ground while starships fly overhead to take out enemies. This would be perfect for Battlefront 2.
Originally, Battlefront 2 from Pandemic was going to receive a sequel from Free Radical that would include the ability to have space battles in a ground mission, letting players fly up from a checkpoint on-planet into space and destroy capital ships. That game was obviously canceled, but DICEs assets and technical expertise could make this dream a reality, adding a layer of depth and innovation that simply doesn’t exist in any other Star Wars video game.
1 Don’t Want: A Sequel
What worse thing could happen to Battlefront 2 than the disastrous pay to win loot boxes? It is rather simple: a sequel. Creating a third Battlefront game would invalidate nearly all of the work DICE has worked on.
And that would be a massive shame. This game has effectively done a 180 since it released, adding plenty of free content for hardcore fans of the Battlefront games and the Star Wars IP. Creating a sequel would start everyone back at square one and leave behind the dozens of beautifully crafted maps and heroes behind. It would be best to continue expanding this game to make it the definite Star Wars FPS title.
NEXT: 5 Star Wars Games That Need a Sequel (& 5 That Should Be Forgotten)