How can you not love the first true online Star Wars experience? Sadly, it was plagued with interface problems that were corrected with patches, and wholly revamped in Battlefront II.

I haven't felt a disturbance in the Force like this since... ;)

Read my original review on AOL GameDaily:
http://www.gamedaily.com /star-wars-battlefront/pc/game-main /2502/

Learning Curve: Instant!

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Though eclipsed by the sequel, the original is still a lot of fun.

The thing which was so refreshing about this game--something that Battlefront 2 lost sight of a little--is that here a shooter almost without stress. Unlike every other FPS, here you are not the hero. You are not Luke Skywalker, you are not Darth Vadar; you are nameless-grunt-number-four, doing your part in a battle that is much bigger than you are, and which will go on whether you live or die.

Which means you can die! It's okay! You'll respawn, at any (friendly controlled) command post you choose. You'll have the opportunity to switch to a different class, too. Choose quickly, though--the battle is going on without you.

This does not mean that you cannot lose, however. Each side has a limited number of reinforcements which it can bring to the battle. Each time a player, or an AI character, dies and respawns, one reinforcement is used. Use all your reinforcements and you lose. Burn through all theirs and you win. (Some battles also have specific objectives.)

The result is a war-game that actually somewhat resembles war. Because, sometimes, you'll be the hero who runs into enemy fire and takes down a dozen baddies before perishing. Sometimes, you'll be the sniper counting your kills. Sometimes, you'll die defending the Alamo (your command post). Sometimes you'll be the footsoldier who contributed a little and lived to tell about it. Sometimes you'll be the poor soul who gets killed the moment his boots hit the dirt.

In fact, as often as not, you'll be all of them in the same battle.

The result is a unique experience, and an excellent game for the casual gamer, or to play co-op with less-skilled friends (no need to worry about them dragging you down). Don't worry about pwning the whole place--just get out there, get shot a little, and have fun.

Learning Curve: Instant!

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