On Tatooine and Naboo, citizens scream and run amok at the start of each battle, forming a tide that gets pushed away by the incoming waves of stormtroopers and rebel soldiers. There are spider-like drilling machines on Kamino that periodically launch themselves at buildings, only to be blown away and sent slithering back down into the ocean depths. The spectacle is brought to life by a myriad of incidental details. I’ve gasped at the thrashing sea and lashing rain on Kamino, and I’ve gawked at the verdant splendor of Kasyyyk’s mountains and beaches (did it always have that many ys?). The greatest strength of Battlefront 2, at least for the first few hours, lies in providing variations on that moment. A player-controlled rebel bomber swoops by and unloads its payload onto the armoured walker, which stumbles a little but continues its march forward.
An AT-AT towers above me, with a Star Destroyer hovering in the background. The icy planet is bathed in an absurdly beautiful pink glow cast by the setting sun. I emerge from an underground tunnel on Hoth, and rather than running straight to the action on the front lines, I find myself stopping to absorb the scenery. The Star Wars Battlefront 2 singleplayer campaign has already been judged, but here are my thoughts on the multiplayer front - loot crate warts and all.
