So, the day has come, and the Battlefront: Classic Collection released, to resounding cheers, but after a few hours of playing it, I feel that it was a lazy re-release, and not the remaster that I - and many others - was hoping for.
The Pros
Being able to get back onto these games alongside friends is great, don't get me wrong, me and a few of the lads had a blast last night, but couldn't help but notice things that didn't feel great.
This collection has so much going for it and was anticipated from its announcement.
Being able to join friends in 64-player games of conquest is a lot of fun, and in a way helps to make the maps feel bigger, and the battle more chaotic.
Hero assault is fun, and being able to play as any of the heroes and villains in 64-player death matches on any map on the game is a good idea (on paper) but, they feel too chaotic and downright crazy at times. If you're looking for fast-paced action, then it'll be up your street, but it does come across as too much.
The texture improvements to the game are welcome but don't make too much of a difference to the overall experience.
Also, this collection gives the player everything in one package, which is good considering there were heroes, and maps exclusive to certain platforms back when they were originally released. So, having a chance to have it all together, is good, but maybe not worth the price of 35 Euros.
The Cons
I'll start with the one thing I noticed, which was enough to instantly annoy me before I got into the first game.
They changed the sound of the loading screen for the first game.
This is the original sound effect.
Its semi high high-pitched, and there are clearly two different tones.
Here's a comparison between the two.
Why would they change it? I don't get that.
Is it game-breaking? No, but I do think there will be a lot of fans, like me, who are annoyed by this slight yet annoying change.
There is no reason for the change that I can think of, other than the studio purposely trying to annoy people.
Teaming Up
One thing I noticed was how annoying it is trying to find friends to join their game. Without some sort of Squad-based addition, so you and your friends can team up in the lobby before joining the game, it's a bit irritating to find them.
Also, there is no function to join them as they're playing like you can in most games.
Some Improvements They Should Consider
One thing that stood out to me is the fact that games are over so quickly. One of my mates mentioned it last night, and it got me thinking that it would be really easy to fix this.
They could boost the health of everyone, so it isn't so easy to get killed and inevitably win or lose the match.
Another thing they could do, which would be nearly easier, is they could potentially increase the amount of tokens each team has, from 180 - 360 which would double the amount of time it takes to complete each game.
Flight Controls
One of the final things that bugs me is the inverted axis while flying ships being set to default and by the look of it, is unchangeable one console.
I can't stand the inverted axis, and I don't see why the studio wouldn't give people a chance to choose which one they'd like to use.
You could change these controls in the originals, so why there isn't an option here baffles me.
Last night I was flying a snow speeder and couldn't get out of the hangar until my second attempt. Then I tried to cable tie and AT-AT, but crashed.
The space battles were one of my favourite things to do, but it seems like I'll be holding off on them for the time being.
There are a lot of issues so far, and I hope most of them can be fixed. Currently, I'm afraid of the studio refusing to do anything for the game, and abandoning it like some recent remasters.
The big battles are great, and the chance to play these games again is a big draw, and the slightly enhanced graphics are good. But, a couple of issues take away from the initial excitement of this game.
I'll continue to play it and am currently working through the Rise of The Empire campaign, which tells the story of the 501st. Great story, and it adds so much to Battlefront 2 which I think the newer Battlefront games missed out on.
Nothing else as really stood out to me yet as being negative, but overall I do feel that this was a slightly missed opportunity to do something great, which the entire fanbase would have appreciated.
