Star Wars Battlefront is a competent action-shooter with authentic iconography and sound design that honor its theatrical franchise roots. Star Wars Battlefront 2, similar to its series-reboot predecessor from 2015, offers a bounty of character selections from different classification types. Players may customize avatars that resemble a Rebel Twi'lek, for example, or a Scarif Shoretrooper. But apart from the regular avatars that players can adopt from Star Wars lore, the series also allows fans to play as the franchise's most iconic characters.
From Boba Fett and Count Dooku to Han Solo and Yoda, Star Wars Battlefront pits beloved characters against one another in many multiplayer modes. Each character has a set of unique abilities and weapons relative to their character, such as Chewbacca's bowcaster or General Grievous' multiple lightsabers. However, while their addition is markedly popular, Star Wars Battlefront's hero and villain characters could greatly benefit from a revision toward the game's melee combat, particularly for characters who wield lightsabers.
How Lightsaber Combat Could Be Refined in Star Wars Battlefront
Star Wars Battlefront's implementation of lightsabers results in chaotic hack-and-slash flurries combined with abilities that are spammed after a short cooldown. Star Wars Battlefront 2 does technically feature a parry, though it is only achievable when hacking at another lightsaber-wielding opponents while their stamina is depleted. When taking a look at how hero and villain characters operate within multiplayer modes such as Capital Supremacy or Galactic Assault, the balance is much more refined.
Players must earn enough Battle Points in Star Wars Battlefront 2 to secure themselves the opportunity to play as a hero or villain character. Moreover, it only takes one or two strikes with a lightsaber to defeat a regular soldier-class player, and blaster fire can be deflected or blocked with a lightsaber. Players should arguably feel overpowered and outmatched, for example, when Luke Skywalker appears around the corner of a tight corridor on Hoth.
Rather, melee combat is less of an issue when regular class types are concerned, and more of an issue when it comes to lightsaber duels between iconic characters. Star Wars Battlefront 2 features multiplayer modes such as Heroes vs. Villains and Hero Showdown that are oriented around these characters, and it is here that lightsaber combat can be lackluster.
There is no real tact to strikes dealt with a lightsaber in Star Wars Battlefront 2, and when multiple lightsaber-wielding players are on the screen at once the battle quickly turns into an incoherent scramble. Instead, properly timed parries could remedy this wildly circumstantial combat system and reward skillful players who time their strikes and blocks well.
For Honor's technical combat system implements directional inputs as a tactical mind-game against opponent players. In For Honor, these attacks result in careless and thoughtful attacks that are respectively punished and rewarded, and duels can become highly cinematic with active finisher animations after a successful final blow. Much of For Honor's combat revolves around how one player outpaces another, and how quickly they are able to drain the opponent's stamina or break their guard to open them up to successful attacks.
However, For Honor is admittedly a much slower and strategic experience than Star Wars Battlefront. Because the primary focus of Star Wars Battlefront is its firearms with massive player lobbies, it would be difficult to adapt For Honor's sluggish, methodical combat. For Honor's combat system would need to be adjusted drastically in order to accommodate for Force-related abilities and gunplay that could otherwise easily overwhelm players mid-duel.
If Star Wars Battlefront's combat engagements were designed around parries that were executed with well-timed blocks, this could resolve the issue of having several flurries of strikes where any individual opponent could come out on top. Of course, as with any online multiplayer experience, server latency and lag will always be an issue that players have to contend with, even if the combat system itself is structured properly.
If a Star Wars Battlefront 2 sequel is greenlit, let alone another franchise reboot, an improvement to lightsaber combat would elevate it apart from previous installments. Lightsaber combat in Star Wars Battlefront, above all else, needs to be as functional and satisfying as it is cinematic. It might not be possible to create an experience that is as satisfying as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's single-player combat. But dedicated parries, as well as some sort of strategic mechanic embedded into hack-and-slash lightsaber animations, could potentially improve the next Star Wars Battlefront.
Star Wars: Battlefront 3 is reportedly not in development.
