mission parts battlefront 2 manufacturer

Inferno returns to Vardos, where Raythe"s satellites are being deployed. Iden confronts her father, who reveals that Vardos, their homeworld, is one of their targets and will be purged to send a message of the Empire"s strength. Despite the fact that Vardos is his, Iden"s, and Hask"s home, he orders the satellites to be activated, which shoot laser beams down toward the planet, generating massive storms and, despite his daughter"s anger reminds Iden that her mission is only to extract Protectorate Gleb, an Imperial military instructor and leader of Jinata Security, alone. However, upon witnessing the destruction caused by the storms, Iden and Del decide to disobey orders and send refugees to the Corvus as well. Hask calls them out and holds Iden at gunpoint, under, judging by his dialogue, orders from Admiral Versio, but when he moves his blaster towards Del, Iden shoots Hask in his leg. Iden and Del make their way through the city in a stolen AT-AT , destroying anti-air turrets, eventually reaching the Corvus and escaping with their crew and refugees, while the newly promoted Commander Hask brings Gleb to the Admiral.

Six months later, Iden is a loyal Republic commander and has recreated Inferno Squad for the Republic. Leia asks Iden to track down a missing general, Han Solo. At Maz Kanata"s castle on Takodana, Solo meets with an Imperial defector, statistician Ralsius Paldora, who has hidden two data cubes in the woods: one providing information on the sources of fuel for Imperial fleets, and another providing information on how to free the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Solo, annoyed at Paldora for not bringing the intel on him, has to fight off waves of Imperials on his own, as Paldora"s blaster is "just for show" - he was never actually trained in shooting it. After recovering the intel, Solo, Chewbacca, and Paldora escape aboard the Maz Kanata, and are reinforced by Inferno Squad. After destroying an Imperial Light Cruiser and TIE Fighters, Solo goes to the Corvus with Inferno. After Solo leaves in the Falcon, presumably to Kashyyyk, Iden looks at Paldora"s intel. The data reveals that Admiral Versio"s fleet is being fueled at Bespin and that an abandoned Imperial weapons factory is still located on Sullust, prompting Iden to ask Leia for authorization to go after her father on Bespin; Leia tells Iden that she does not report to her. Del says that fleet command might not approve of the mission, which they regard as a personal one, so Leia says that she would greatly appreciate the capture of an Imperial admiral. Iden and Del travel to Bespin; although Hask and Admiral Versio escape, Iden and Del are able to destroy the sources of fuel in a Cloud Car, successfully exploding three Star Destroyers.

Zay witnesses the destruction of Starkiller Base. Afterwards, she and Shriv escape in a TIE Fighter, but are stopped in orbit of D"Qar, the location of the Resistance base as they are considered by the Rebels to be Imperials trying to trick their way onto the base. General Leia Organa personally contacts Zay and Shriv, offering her condolences to Zay over Iden"s death and informing them that they are evacuating. Shriv sends the dreadnought schematics to Leia from Dio while she offers them a new mission: to find their allies in the Outer Rim. The two accept and jump to hyperspace.

Star Wars: Battlefront II, also shortened to "Battlefront II", and alternatively abbreviated as "SW:BF2" or "SWBF2" is a first-/third-person shooter video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by LucasArts, and was released in North America on November 1, 2005, for the Xbox (backwards compatible with Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S), PlayStation Portable (backwards-compatible with the PlayStation Vita), PC, and the PlayStation 2 (backwards compatible with certain PlayStation 3 models). The PC variant comes in two type of disks: CD-ROM, which comes with four discs, and DVD-ROM, which has only one disc. The release date coincided with the release of Revenge of the Sith on DVD.

On May 31, 2014, GameSpy (the online service that was hosting Battlefront II"s multiplayer at the time) was shut down, and with it went the game"s online functionality. However, three years later on October 4, 2017, Disney announced that online multiplayer has been restored as well as crossplay between the Steam and GOG versions of the game.

Battlefront II expands upon the original game"s single-player experience with mission-based objectives drawn from Attack of the Clones"Battle of Geonosis to The Empire Strikes Back"s Battle of Hoth. It is a story-based campaign told from the view of an unidentified 501st clone trooper; it revolves around the 501st Legion as the unit evolves from the Galactic Republic"s Clone Troopers to Imperial Stormtroopers. The plot spans more than 16 new locations, many from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, including volcanic Mustafar and the space battle above Coruscant.

Many maps that came from the original Battlefront were edited to fit more accordingly in the storyline, such as the Naboo battlefield, which was originally Plains, but due to the clones" lack of action upon the Invasion of Naboo conflict between droids and Gungans, the setting is shifted to Theed.

There are several differences in overall gameplay between the first and second Battlefront installments. The first is an attempt to add realism to missions by adding objectives and changing the way orders are issued. The second group of changes revolves around a point system, which determines which units can be used, special abilities for players, and rank.

In campaign mode, in addition to the basic tasks of capturing command posts and killing enemy troops, certain objectives must be met for a mission to be successful. These missions may include destroying a specific target, recovering an item, or keeping the opposing force from overrunning a position. In these situations, enemy reinforcements are unlimited and will continue to be deployed until the objective is completed.

While controlling troops, one of the most striking differences between the original and the sequel is the method of issuing orders. Unlike the original Battlefront, in which up, down, left, and right on the directional pad each issued a specific command to nearby groups, commands are now issued by using the targeting reticule to select a specific soldier and pressing the up button. The system chooses which command seems appropriate; for infantry troops, the up button toggles between follow me and move out. In vehicles, the commands are either get in or get out. An infantry trooper targeting a vehicle can order it to stop. Although the variety of commands is much more limited and issuing them is more complicated, the new aiming feature allows users to select the exact class of trooper they want to help them, as well as order vehicles to stop from a considerable distance. The number of troops at the player´s command is based on the player´s rank (see squad leader ranks below).

There is a new feature in Battlefront II called the Point System. The point system is vital to being able to play special unit types, such as advanced unit classes as well as heroes and villains. Points can be earned by killing enemies, capturing command posts, or destroying vehicles; they can also be deducted by doing negative actions such as harming teammates. Before the advanced units are unlocked, they will be marked by silhouettes; Heroes and Villains will not be on the unit selection table unless if the player does not choose if they want to be the hero/villain or not.

Battlefront II features a total of nine units for each playable faction, with four regular units, two space units, two advanced units, and one hero or villain per map.

Sniper - This includes the Clone Sharpshooter (Republic), Assassin Droid (CIS), Rebel Marksman (Rebellion) and Scout Trooper (Empire). Equipped with a sniper rifle, blaster pistol, thermal detonators, and an automated blaster turret. This unit has less health than the others, but they excel at long-ranged engagements, able to provide heavy damage at a safe distance. They are also faster than the other units, allowing them to retreat and cover distance much more easily than their slower counterparts.

Heroes and Villains are playable in Battlefront II after achieving a certain amount of points. This unit consists of the iconic characters from the films, such as Darth Vader, Chewbacca, General Grievous, and Mace Windu. Unlike regular units" health, the heroes and villains" health will slowly drain over time if they do not find enemies to kill. Dying will cause the hero or villain to retreat and depending on the game mode will be selectable again after a period of time has passed. If friendly fire is enabled, killing teammates will cause the heroes and villains" health to decrease faster.

The Training mission is the tutorial on how to play Battlefront II. It is the unofficial first level to the Rise of the Empire campaign, but can be skipped without taking anything away from the Rise of the Empire story. It is played on Geonosis and is displaying the Battle of Geonosis, the first battle of the Clone Wars. Doing this will have no effect whatsoever and can be played any time. The mode runs through the basics of each class, capturing command points, using ground vehicles, and using heroes, with Mace Windu being available to play.

Part 2 (Revenge of the Sith): Coruscant Space - A Desperate Rescue: The 501st is pressed into space combat during the Battle of Coruscant, and must destroy a Separatist cruiser to clear a path for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to rescue Chancellor Palpatine.

Part 4 (Expanded Universe): Kashyyyk Space - First Line of Defense: The 501st are sent on a seemingly suicidal mission to relieve forces on Kashyyyk. But first, they must fight their way to the planet´s surface.

Chapter 2: Rise of the Empire-The Galactic Republic has fallen. Emperor Palpatine has created a new Galactic Empire to rule in its place, and Darth Vader has taken command of the 501st, replacing Republic uniforms and equipment with Stormtrooper armor and weapons.

Part 2 (Expanded Universe): Mustafar Space - Preventive Measures: Gizor Dellso, a surviving geonosian member of the CIS, has reactivated a droid army. To prevent the Clone Wars from starting up again, the 501st is sent in.

The missions Preventive Measures and Tying up Loose Ends are Empire vs. CIS. In these two missions a rogue Geonosian called Gizor Dellso has reactivated the Droid control beacon on Mustafar, and the 501st must go to the planet, shut down the droids, and kill the Geonosian engineer. These are the only missions that are Empire vs. CIS.

The mission Changing of the Guard is Empire vs. Clones. In this storyline Kamino has been secretly growing a new Clone Army to fight back against the Empire. Darth Vader hires Boba Fett for his knowledge of the inner workings of the Clone Facility, and sends the 501st to Kamino to destroy the Cloning Facility and growing cylinders.

The PSP has 3 exclusive campaigns focusing on different areas of combat. The player has no allies on the battlefield but has unlimited lives. Each campaign has 4 missions, in which heroes can be used.

Rogue Assassin - The player must eliminate key targets (commander units) on the battlefield within a certain amount of time. In this campaign the player gets to use the jet trooper with a rapid-fire blaster rifle that is similar to enemy troopers" in the Changing of the Guard mission on other formats. The missions focus on overall combat.

Rebel Raider - The player must steal vital technology from the enemy and bring it back to a certain location within a certain amount of time. This mission type is similar to Capture the Flag.

On December 19, 2005, LucasArts introduced a new downloadable level for the Xbox version of Star Wars Battlefront II through Xbox Live. The upgrade adds a Hero Assault Mode to Kashyyyk, which provides a new alternative to Mos Eisley for the Hero Assault mode.

Another Xbox Live download was made available on January 31, 2006, with two new playable hero characters (Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress) as well as four maps from the original Star Wars: Battlefront. Each of the new boards (Yavin 4: Arena, Bespin: Cloud City, Rhen Var Harbor and Rhen Var Citadel) has Conquest, Capture-the-Flag, and Hero Assault modes (including the two new characters). Rhen Var Harbor also has a Hunt mode where the native species are Wampas. In addition, Hero Assault modes were also added to the following maps: Coruscant, Mygeeto, and Naboo.

In late March 2006, the game was added to the Backwards Compatibility List for the Xbox 360, and is now playable on both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. [1]

Lucasarts released a Patch on February 15, 2006. [2]. The patch also included support for additional maps, and the modding tools were subsequently released on February 21. [3]

October 2, 2017 saw the release of an Official Patch released for the Steam & GOG versions of the game. This patch included GOG Galaxy integration, effectively restoring the game"s multiplayer aspect.[4] The patch was met with negative reception from players due to the various bugs it introduced, as well as it breaking compatibility with many mods. GOG issued a reversion that restored the game.

IGN claimed that the game suffers from problems remaining from the original Battlefront, such as a lack of challenging AI characters in single player mode. Computer-controlled opponents and allies tend to run headlong into gunfire, wander off ledges, and walk into walls. IGN felt that this, along with redundant use of planets featured in previous "Star Wars" settings, were problems carried over from the original ´´Battlefront´´.[5]

IGN also noted that the complex controls and graphics of space battles and all-hero battles can make online multiplayer games virtually unplayable. Moreover, IGN felt that Lag times and high ping rates can cause the action to become choppy, objects and players to disappear, and weapons to become ineffective. [6] A related criticism from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) is the longer load time needed between boards, which is also caused by more detailed graphics and larger maps than the original Battlefront.[7]

For the Playstation 2 version, many have complained about the lack of a patch to resolve most gameplay issues, as well as having a server with large amounts of AI without crashing.

In addition the omission of fan favorite maps (e.g. Cloud City, Bespin Platforms) from the original Battlefront, and the subsequent XBOX Live-only addition of these maps have caused great disappointment among fervent fans of the game with other systems. However, many of the original Battlefront maps are available to download on some fansites. Minor fan complaints also mention the abrupt and inconclusive story ending of the campaign which stops at the Battle of Hoth without at least concluding with Return of the Jedi. A possible explanation, however, could be that since the Imperials historically lose the Battle of Endor, the player would have to also lose in order to conclude the war as it happened. An argument also has been made about the age of the 501st"s men around that time, because clones age twice as fast as humans.

Official criticism of the PSP version revolves mainly around the platform´s ability to handle the game (the game was hard coded to recognize 32MB of RAM - half than the 64mb RAM offered by the Slim), rather than the game itself. Although the graphics were slightly stripped down to improve load times, EGM found ´´Battlefront´´´s controls to be too complex for the PSP´s simple controls. EGM cited further problems with the game´s slowdown in multiplayer mode.[8]. Many players also cited dislike for the PSP version due to its removal of the story-line mode from the console versions depicting the Rise of the Empire, and the ability to enter large enemy ships like the Star Destroyer and damage them from the inside, probably due to the technical limitations of the PSP system. A list of differences between the PSP version and others can be found here.

Battlefront 2 was also criticized for its bland textures, lack of popular battlefields from the first game such as Bespin: Platforms, and the AI unit count, which was decreased dramatically.

Star Wars: Battlefront II is a 2005 first-person shooter and third-person shooter video game based on the Star Wars film franchise. Developed by Pandemic Studios and published by LucasArts, it is a sequel to 2004"s Star Wars: Battlefront series. The game was released in PAL regions on October 31, 2005, on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP), Microsoft Windows, and Xbox platforms, and in North America on November 1 of the same year. It was released on the PlayStation Store on October 20, 2009, for download on the PSP. The PSP version was developed by Savage Entertainment.

The game features new vehicles, characters, game mechanics, maps, and missions compared to the original Battlefront. Unlike its predecessor, Battlefront II features a more narrative-based campaign, retelling portions of the Star Wars story from the point of view of a veteran clone Imperial Stormtrooper, reminiscing about his tour of duty in service of both the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire. Gameplay additions over Battlefront include the use of Jedi and Sith, additional game modes such as hero assault, and objective-based space battles.

Battlefront II was well received, with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions scoring in the mid 80s at aggregators GameRankings and Metacritic. The PC version scored slightly lower at both sites, scoring a 76.60% at GameRankings and 78 at Metacritic. The PSP version was the worst received, scoring 70.93% at GameRankings and 69 at Metacritic. Reviewers generally praised the narrative-based story; however, some felt that the upgrades from the original were not enough to merit the price. Like the original game, it was a commercial success.

GameSpy Technology scheduled a shut-down across all titles using the service for May 31, 2014, which included Star Wars: Battlefront II for PC, PS2, and Xbox. Electronic Arts announced it would extend support for Battlefront II until June 30, 2014. The extended support ended on July 25, 2014, taking all GameSpy online video games across all platforms offline. The Windows version was added to a list of supported games on GameRanger on May 31, 2014, which allows for continued online play. On October 2, 2017, multiplayer for the Windows version was again enabled, allowing for Steam and GOG cross-play.

Battlefront II is fundamentally similar to its predecessor, albeit with the addition of new gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to sprint and roll forward.capture the flag mode. Like its predecessor Star Wars Battlefront, the game is split into two eras: the Clone Wars, with battles taking place between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and the Galactic Civil War, where battles between the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire take place. Players have the ability to choose between six classes during gameplay. Four class types are common to all factions: Infantry, Heavy, Sniper and Engineer.MagnaGuard and the Droideka for the Confederacy of Independent Systems; the Bothan Spy and the Wookiee for the Rebels; and the Officer and the Dark Trooper for the Empire.

Battlefront II introduces a new special class—Heroes—that allows players to control iconic characters from the Star Wars universe; heroes were featured in the original Battlefront, but only as NPCs that spawned randomly during battles. Heroes are also unlocked by scoring a predetermined number of points, and are unique for every faction. Heroes serve as the most powerful class in the game and, as such, there can be a maximum of one hero for each faction on the battlefield at the same time. Each hero is available only on certain maps, although there is a team deathmatch mode, exclusive to the Mos Eisley map, that allows all heroes from all factions to compete against each other to earn points by performing kills.

In Battlefront II players can battle in space and engage in ship-to-ship combat. Players sabotage enemy capital ships externally by firing at vital systems, or on foot by landing in the enemy hangar.

Whereas the original Battlefront"s campaign featured missions dependent on the chosen faction, Battlefront II contains only one campaign, called Rise of the Empire, which is found in every version of the game except the PlayStation Portable (PSP).501st Legion, starting with the Battle of Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone Wars (as depicted in Attack of the Clones) and ending with the Battle of Hoth (as depicted in

The PSP version of Battlefront II does not feature the Rise of the Empire campaign. Instead it features three single-player Challenge modes: Imperial Enforcer, Rogue Assassin, and Rebel Raider.Gungans on Naboo and Ewoks on Endor.Capture the flag.

Like its predecessor, Battlefront II includes Galactic Conquest. In this mode, the player commands a fleet throughout the galaxy conquering and protecting planets, much like a game of

In Instant Action players can choose from any of the game"s 24 maps, as well as any available eras and modes. Four other modes are included in addition to the traditional Conquest mode that was found in Star Wars: Battlefront; Hunt mode, Capture the Flag (CTF), which is available in 1-flag and 2-flag variants, Hero Assault and Space Assault.

The game"s campaign mode is told as an autobiography of an unknown clone trooper veteran who recounts the many battles of the 501st Legion. Originally part of the Grand Army of the Republic, the 501st are first deployed during the Battle of Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone Wars, where they capture a Separatist outpost occupied by battle droids and Geonosians. Over the following three years, the legion prove themselves as one of the most efficient in the Clone Army, and are assigned important missions throughout the Clone Wars.

Near the end of the war, the 501st are sent to Mygeeto to aid the 21st Nova Corps, led by Jedi General Ki-Adi Mundi, with the destruction of a Separatist energy generator. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, the clones receive special orders from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to collect a sample of the generator after its destruction, which would later be used to help power the planet-destroying battle station known as the "Death Star".Coruscant, which has been attacked by Separatist forces commanded by General Grievous. The clones are ordered to clear the path for Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to board Grievous" flagship and rescue a captured Palpatine. Next, the 501st are assigned to serve under General Aayla Secura, commander of the 327th Star Corps, on Felucia, where they defend a damaged AT-TE from several Acklays and Separatist forces in the area. Afterward, the 501st travel to Kashyyyk to clear a path through the Separatist blockade and defend a key Wookiee village, with help from Jedi Grandmaster Yoda.

Shortly after their victory on Kashyyyk, part of the 501st are sent to Utapau to assist the 212th Attack Battalion, led by Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the capture of a major Separatist stronghold and General Grievous. While the clones complete their mission, Obi-Wan eliminates Grievous, bringing the Republic one step closer to winning the Clone Wars. Upon their return to Coruscant, Palpatine issues Order 66, which brands all Jedi as traitors to the Republic and orders their summary executions. Under the command of the newly christened Sith Lord Darth Vader, the 501st storm the Jedi Temple to kill all its occupants, while the remaining Jedi who are spread across the galaxy are swiftly murdered by their clone troopers, effectively wiping out the Jedi Order. Meanwhile, Palpatine declares the end of the Clone Wars and the Republic"s reorganization into the Galactic Empire.

Now part of the Imperial Army as Darth Vader"s personal legion, the 501st are assigned various missions to solidify the Empire"s rule, quickly earning the nickname "Vader"s Fist" for their efficiency. Their assignments include forcing a regime change on Naboo by assassinating the Queen, destroying a droid factory on Mustafar that was reactivated by the rogue Geonosian Gizor Delso, and eliminating the Kaminoans" new batch of rogue clones, with the help of bounty hunter Boba Fett. Following the Kamino incident, the Empire halts clone production, and clone troopers are slowly replaced by stormtroopers. The 501st remains one of the few Imperial legions to consist mostly of former clone troopers.

James Arnold Taylor (top) and Tom Kane (bottom) return to voice Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in Star Wars: Battlefront II. The actors have voiced these roles several times in the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Battlefront II was announced on April 21, 2005, during Star Wars Celebration III held in Indianapolis, Indiana.Zero to develop Battlefront II. The engine was used in Pandemic"s other two Star Wars titles, Star Wars: Battlefront. As with Battlefront Lua was utilized as the game"s scripting language. Battlefront II"s release date would be set to coincide with the DVD release of Battlefront coincided with the release of the original trilogy on DVD.Battlefront II was also included on the Revenge of the Sith extras DVD to further promote the game.Battlefront II, browsing forums and using other means to provide feedback for the sequel.Revenge of the Sith in order to build the related in-game assets.

Bob Bergen voices Luke Skywalker, having voice doubled for Mark Hamill in previous Star Wars games such as the Corey Burton recorded lines for Count Dooku, a role he has played in other Star Wars games as well as the James Arnold Taylor, who played the role in the 2002 game Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well as the cartoon series.Scott Lawrence also returns to voice Darth Vader, a role he has portrayed since the 1994 game Star Wars voice actors such as Tom Kane, Steve Blum and T.C. Carson also provide voice overs. Temuera Morrison portrays his signature roles Boba Fett, Jango Fett and the game"s clone trooper narrator, but does not provide the in-game clone chatter as he did in Battlefront.

On February 15, 2006, Pandemic released a patch for the PC version, which included support for mods and general improvement to the game.Mod tools for the Windows version of the game were subsequently released on February 21, 2006.Softimage XSI included in the mod tools allows users to create new 3D models and animations for the game. The Battlefront II mod tools provide a wider range of capabilities to the end user than the original Battlefront, allowing a user to create anything from user interface changes, to additional gameplay levels, to large-scale modifications. The original assets used to build the retail version of the game were shipped with the mod tool package that was released and allowed users to either modify an existing level or create an entirely new map from scratch. Subsequently, modifications have been created which expand the game further into the Star Wars eras, and fan-created stories.

On December 19, 2005, LucasArts released the first of two downloadable packages for the Xbox version of Battlefront II. The free content added the Hero Assault mode to Kashyyyk.Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress, as well as four maps from the original Star Wars: Battlefront; Yavin 4: Arena, Bespin: Cloud City, Rhen Var Harbor and Rhen Var Citadel. In addition, Hero Assault modes were also added to Coruscant, Mygeeto, and Naboo. It sold for USD $4.99.Xbox Live servers were shut down on April 15, 2010.Backwards Compatibility List for the Xbox 360, and is now playable on both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360.

On May 4, 2014, it was announced that the Star Wars: Battlefront II Online servers hosted by GameSpy were closing down on May 31, 2014. The Windows version was added to a list of supported games on GameRanger on May 31, 2014, which allows for continued online play.Steam and GOG cross-platform play;

Battlefront II was well received overall. The highest aggregate scored was for the PlayStation 2, which holds an 84% at GameRankings and an 84/100 at Metacritic.2005, according to the NPD Group.2007,2008.2009 Star Wars: Battlefront II reclaimed second place once more.Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),

Battlefront II was praised not only for having a much more engaging single-player storyline,AI units and praised new varied objectives to obtain victory.GameSpot argued the addition of Jedi, though looking "good on paper", did not end up "feeling as epic" as expected.

Game Revolution argued if the multiplayer was taken away, even the new campaign was not enough to make Battlefront II worth the buy.IGN claimed the game suffers from problems remaining from the original Battlefront, such as a lack of challenging AI characters in single-player mode. Computer-controlled opponents and allies tend to run headlong into gunfire, wander off ledges, and walk into walls. IGN felt that these, along with redundant use of planets featured in previous Star Wars settings, were problems carried over from the original.Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb gave the game a 4 out of 5, but criticized the online multiplayer.

Narrator: What Ki-Adi Mundi didn"t know, however, was that our unit of the 501st was really after an experimental Mygeetan power source. Pandemic Studios. Star Wars: Battlefront II. LucasArts.

Narrator: With the information gathered on Polis Massa, Vader concluded that the stolen plans had been given to Princess Leia Organa ... after a brief and pointless battle on the Tantive IV over Tatooine, we began looking for the plans. Pandemic Studios. Star Wars: Battlefront II. LucasArts.

Narrator: As the rebels fled the 501st gathered around a burning bunker and let out a cheer that shook the stars. The rebellion was done. Pandemic Studios. Star Wars: Battlefront II. LucasArts.

Plunkett, Luke (April 14, 2010). "Today, The Original Xbox Live Dies". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2014.

Kato, Matthew (January 2006). "Star Wars: Battlefront II (PSP)". Game Informer. No. 153. p. 157. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2014.

Bedigian, Louis (November 2, 2005). "Star Wars Battlefront II Review - PlayStation 2". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2014.

Valentino, Nick (November 13, 2005). "Star Wars Battlefront II - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2014.

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Star Wars Battlefront II is an action shooter video game based on the 2015 reboot of the series. It was developed by DICE, in collaboration with Criterion Games and Motive Studios, and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released worldwide on November 17, 2017, for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. The game features both single-player and multiplayer modes, and overall includes more content than its predecessor. The single-player campaign of the game is set between the films Iden Versio, the commander of an Imperial special ops strike force dubbed Inferno Squad, who defects to the New Republic after becoming disillusioned with the Galactic Empire"s tactics. Most of the story takes place during the final year of the Galactic Civil War, before the Empire"s definitive defeat at the Battle of Jakku.

Upon release, Battlefront II received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the multiplayer, gameplay, balancing, visuals, and variety, but criticism for its single-player modes, campaign, microtransactions, and progression system. The game was also subject to widespread criticism regarding the status of its loot boxes, which could give players substantial gameplay advantages if purchased with real money. A response from EA"s community team on Reddit on the topic became the single most down-voted comment in the site"s history, amassing over 600,000 downvotes. In response, EA decided to remove microtransactions from the game.

Since its release, the game received numerous content additions through free title updates in an attempt to repair its reputation after launch, which brought in a large number of new players. These updates ended on April 29, 2020, after Electronic Arts concluded that the game had reached its desired number of players and had substantially improved since the initial release. A Celebration Edition of the game, which includes all in-game cosmetic options, was released on December 5, 2019.

Star Wars Battlefront II is a third- and first-person shooter, where players can partake in either ground battles, assuming the role of soldiers, or space battles, where players pilot starfighters. The game features both single-player and multiplayer game modes, and three distinct eras from the Star Wars saga: the Clone Wars, with battles taking place between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems; the Galactic Civil War, where battles between the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire take place; and the war between the Resistance and the First Order. Each faction has its own type of soldiers (e.g. clone troopers for the Republic, battle droids for the CIS, and stormtroopers for the Empire and the First Order) and starfighters. While the soldiers differ only in appearance and control identically, the starfighters feature unique abilities, offering a more varied gameplay style.

The gameplay in Battlefront II is class-based. All factions have the same four soldier classes—Assault, Heavy, Officer, and Specialist—and three starfighter classes—Fighter, Interceptor, and Bomber (although the Resistance and the First Order do not feature the Bomber class). The ground battles feature additional Reinforcement classes, which are unlocked by trading in "battle points", earned from defeating enemies and completing map-specific objectives. All factions have three soldier Reinforcements—the Enforcer, Aerial, and Infiltrator—and two vehicle Reinforcements—the Speeder and Armor. The Republic, CIS, Rebels, Empire, and First Order have an additional Reinforcement class—the Artillery—which is featured only in specific maps for the Galactic Assault mode (e.g. the MTT for the Separatists, which is available only on Naboo and Kashyyyk).

All classes can be leveled up with the exception of Artillery. After reaching a new level, the player is awarded a Skill Point that can be used to unlock or upgrade a Star Card. Star Cards are the main form of progression in Battlefront II, and can be equipped on a certain class to increase one of their stats, such as health regeneration or damage output, or to replace one of their abilities with a new one. Up to three Star Cards can be equipped at the same time for each class. Players can also customize their soldier classes by purchasing new appearances or unlocking new weapons via milestones. Although the game features limited weapon customization, each weapon is unique and offers a different playstyle. Furthermore, players can unlock weapon attachments, which alter a weapon"s stats, such as its range or fire rate. The Reinforcement classes can also be leveled up and customized, but their weapons and abilities cannot be changed.

Aside from the basic soldier and Reinforcement classes, players can take on the role of several heroes or villains based on iconic Star Wars characters. Unlike in 2015"s Battlefront, heroes are an actual class rather than a bonus and can be leveled up and receive new appearances. In multiplayer, heroes are only available in the Galactic Assault and Supremacy modes, and, similarly to Reinforcements, are unlocked by trading in "battle points". In the former mode, players can select any hero from the roster offered by the game, while in the latter, only era-specific heroes are available. Both sides can have a maximum of two heroes on the battlefield at the same time. There are also several hero-centered game modes, like Heroes vs. Villains and Hero Showdown, where heroes are the only class available to use, and, as such, do not cost any battle points.

Star Wars Battlefront II"s single-player campaign has players explore various locations across the Star Wars galaxy, including familiar planets featured in the films, such as Endor, Naboo, Takodana, Bespin, and Jakku, as well as Fondor, Pillio, and Vardos, all three of which are new to the franchise. The events of the campaign begin around the time of Galactic Empire"s defeat. The final level takes place 29 years after the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, around the time of Resurrection DLC expands upon the game"s ending, featuring three additional levels that take place during The Force Awakens.

Iden Versio is captured by the Rebel Alliance and interrogated for the codes to unlock an Imperial transmission aboard a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. She activates her droid, Dio, which sneaks to her cell and frees her; Iden had allowed herself to be captured in order to erase the Imperial transmission, which would reveal the Emperor"s plan to ambush the Rebels at Endor. She successfully erases it, then escapes the ship by launching herself into space, whereupon she is intercepted by the Corvus, Inferno Squad"s flagship. Aboard the Corvus, Iden confirms the mission"s success to fellow squad members Del Meeko and Gideon Hask.

Meanwhile, Del arrives on Pillio to destroy one of the Emperor"s hidden bases. He encounters Luke Skywalker, who helps him fend off the local wildlife and gain access to the base, discovering it contains the Emperor"s spoils of conquest, one of which Luke claims for himself. The pair part amicably, as Del begins to question the Empire"s goals and motives. Later, Inferno Squad is sent to Iden"s homeworld, the Imperial-controlled planet Vardos, to retrieve Protectorate Gleb, just as Operation: Cinder is about to begin. After witnessing the satellites for Operation: Cinder slowly destroying Vardos with storms, Iden and Del, disillusioned by the Empire"s actions, abort their mission to try to evacuate civilians, causing Hask to betray them. The pair return to the Corvus and make their escape, now traitors to the Empire. Seeking out the Rebel Alliance, they meet General Lando Calrissian, who gives them the choice of helping stop Operation: Cinder, or escaping to start new lives. Choosing to help, they aid Leia Organa in protecting Naboo, destroying the satellites for Operation: Cinder, and reactivating the planet"s defenses. After Naboo is liberated, Inferno Squad joins the New Republic.

Months later, Inferno Squad – Iden, Del, and Shriv Suurgav – is sent to Takodana to find General Han Solo, who has gone missing during his mission to extract critical data from an Imperial defector that can help liberate Kashyyyk. After Solo and the defector make their way past a squad of stormtroopers and back to the Bespin and Sullust. On Bespin, Iden and Del attempt to capture the Admiral, but are led into a trap by Hask. The pair escape, destroying a Star Destroyer fueling station in the process. On Sullust, Lando and Shriv investigate a hidden Imperial weapons cache and find a weapons factory instead, which they destroy.

It was confirmed during EA Play 2017 that Star Wars: Battlefront II will not feature a Season Pass. Instead, all downloadable content was released via free title updates, split into multiple "seasons".

Since April 29, 2020, after EA concluded that the game had reached its desired number of players and had substantially improved since its initial release, the game no longer receives support for new content updates.

The first season, based on the 2017 film Galactic Assault map on the planet Crait, Finn and Captain Phasma as heroes for the Resistance and First Order, respectively, and Tallie Lintra"s RZ-2 A-Wing as a new hero ship.The Last Jedi season also included a continuation of the single-player campaign, titled Battlefront II: Resurrection, which was made available on December 13.

On May 3, 2018, EA Star Wars announced on Twitter stating that the second season of content would be based on the film Hero Showdown, starfighters to the Arcade, and a returning map from 2015"s Star Wars Battlefront, Jabba"s Palace, along with skins for Leia Organa and Lando Calrissian based on their disguises in Kessel and a new variation of the Solo) as a hero ship, along with reintroducing the game mode Extraction, initially available only on the two new maps added with this season. New skins were also released for Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca, based on their appearances in Solo.

In February 2018, the game"s design director, Dennis Brännvall, teased that content based on the Clone Wars era, primarily the animated series Galactic Assault map set on Geonosis, new clone trooper skins, and Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grievous and Count Dooku as new playable heroes, with the actors who voiced them in The Clone Wars recording new voice lines for them.

An update released on January 23, 2019, added Count Dooku to the game and made the Geonosis map available for other game modes. On February 27, Anakin Skywalker was added, along with new skins for him, Dooku, and clone troopers, voice lines for all heroes, and a rework of emotes.Capital Supremacy mode was released, along with the Infiltrator class and a major gameplay overhaul. On April 24, a new Kashyyyk map for Capital Supremacy was added, alongside some challenges and a new skin for Leia Organa, in celebration for Star Wars Day. On May 22, a new Kamino map for Capital Supremacy was added.Naboo map for Capital Supremacy was added, alongside new skins for Anakin Skywalker and clone troopers, the Droideka as a new variation of the Enforcer class for the Separatists, and the TX-130 assault tank as a new variation of the Armor class for the Republic.

An update released on August 28, 2019, added new skins for battle droids, the maps from Capital Supremacy to the Heroes vs. Villains mode, and new Star Cards to replace the Health on Kill ones, with Health on Kill now becoming a passive ability for all heroes. On September 25, a new Felucia map for Capital Supremacy was added, along with Clone Commandos as a new variation of the Enforcer class for the Republic, a new skin for Luke Skywalker, and two game modes: an offline mode called Instant Action, and a PvE game mode called Co-Op, both of which included all Capital Supremacy maps released thus far.Extraction mode were removed (the latter being merged with Strike). On October 23, the Ewok Hunt and Co-Op modes received major overhauls, and a Felucia map for Heroes vs. Villains was added, alongside new skins for the Jet Trooper, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo.

On December 5, 2019, a Celebration Edition of the game was released, including all cosmetic options released thus far; it can be bought both separately or as an upgrade to the original version. Along with the Celebration Edition came an update, originally meant for late November, which added new skins for the Infiltrator and Enforcer classes and a gameplay overhaul. On December 17, an update was released that added content based on the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, including a new Ajan Kloss map, Co-Op to the sequel trilogy era, new skins for Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren, and new Reinforcement classes for the sequel trilogy era (the Ovissian Gunner as the Enforcer and the Caphex Spy as the Infiltrator for the Resistance, and the Sith Trooper as the Infiltrator and the Jet Trooper as the Aerial for the First Order). On February 3, 2020, an update originally meant for late January added BB-8 and BB-9E as new heroes for the Resistance and First Order, respectively, Capital Supremacy and Instant Action to the sequel trilogy era, and several gameplay changes.

On February 26, 2020, a major update added content based on the original Star Wars trilogy, including the Co-Op mode, four new weapons (three of them returning from 2015"s Star Wars: Battlefront), and the Infiltrator class, along with new skins for this era"s pre-existing Reinforcement classes. It also added a new Geonosis map to Heroes vs. Villains, and the maps from the prequel era Capital Supremacy to Co-Op, along with several changes to the gameplay.Scarif map and new skins for both Rebel soldiers and Imperial stormtroopers. It also added a new offline game mode called Instant Action Missions (which was merged with the original Instant Action), Capital Supremacy to the original trilogy era, and new skins for Rey, Kylo Ren, Emperor Palpatine, and Darth Maul, and made Palpatine and Chewbacca available as heroes for the sequel trilogy era, and Yoda and Darth Maul for the original trilogy era.

On May 10, 2016, the development of Star Wars Battlefront II was announced, led by DICE, with Motive Studios being responsible for the single player campaign and Criterion Games responsible for the starfighters gameplay and mechanics.Star Wars Battlefront features content from the sequel trilogy of films.Star Wars Celebration that the worldwide release of the game would be November 17, 2017.Battlefront II beta test period started on October 4, 2017, for players who pre-ordered the game. It was expanded to an open beta on October 6, and ran until October 11.EA Access and Origin Access subscribers on November 9, 2017.

A tie-in novel, Christie Golden, it serves as a direct prelude to the game and follows the exploits of the Galactic Empire"s titular squad as it seeks to eliminate what was left of Saw Gerrera"s rebel cell after the events of the 2016 film downloadable content for the game, featuring the planets D"Qar and Crait and the playable hero characters Finn and Captain Phasma. This content is a direct tie-in to December"s

For "s review, Nick Plessas praised the multiplayer combat, balancing, and variety, but criticized the game"s sustained focus on loot crates.Star Wars Battlefront II offers a full campaign and more than enough multiplayer material, but the entire experience is brought down by microtransactions."IGN"s Tom Marks also gave the game 6.5/10, saying "Star Wars Battlefront 2 has great feeling blasters, but its progression system makes firing them an unsatisfying grind."

The game was nominated for "Best Shooter", "Best Graphics" and "Best Multiplayer" in IGN"s Best of 2017 Awards,Giant Bomb"s 2017 Game of the Year Awards.Game Informer"s Reader"s Choice Best of 2017 Awards, fewer readers voted for the game for "Best Co-Op Multiplayer".Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of

In 2019, two years after the game"s release, IGN published a new review of the game, after 2 years worth of updates. In the new review, David Jagneaux gave the game 8.8/10 (compared to the original review"s 6.5/10), saying "After over two years of updates and changes, EA and DICE have redeemed this gorgeous shooter and turned it into one of the best multiplayer adaptations of the Star Wars universe to date." Jagneaux noted that the significant improvements were to the multiplayer portion of the game and that the single-player story remained "overly safe, short, and disappointing".

On November 12, 2017, a Reddit user complained that although they spent US$80 to purchase the Deluxe Edition of the game, Darth Vader remained inaccessible for play and the use of this character required a large amount of in-game credits. Players estimated that it would take 40 hours of "grinding" to accumulate enough credits to unlock a single hero.Guinness World Records.

On the day before release, EA disabled microtransactions entirely, citing players" concerns that they gave buyers unfair advantages. They stated their intent to reintroduce them at a later date after unspecified changes had been made.share price which dropped by 2.5% on the launch day of the game. Analysts in Wall Street also lowered their expectations of the game"s financial prospects.CNBC noted how video games are still the cheapest entertainment medium per hour of use, and even with the added microtransactions, playing Battlefront II was still notably cheaper than paying to see the theatrical release of a film.

On November 15, two days before its release, the Belgian gambling regulator announced that it was investigating the game, alongside Overwatch, to determine whether loot boxes constituted unlicensed gambling. In response to the investigation, EA claimed that Battlefront II"s loot boxes do not constitute gambling.Battlefront II was not in violation as EA had temporarily removed micro-transactions from the game.Minister of Justice of Belgium Koen Geens expressed that if they prove loot boxes violate gambling laws he would start working on banning loot boxes in any future video games sold in the entire European Union.

Reacting to the conclusion of the Belgian gambling regulator"s investigation, the head of the Dutch Gambling commission announced the start of their own investigation of Battlefront II and the issue in general, and asked parents "to keep an eye at the games their children play".Chris Lee, a member of the Hawaii House of Representatives, called Star Wars: Battlefront II "an online casino designed to trap little kids" and announced his intention to ban such practices in the state of Hawaii.Battlefront II to smoking cigarettes, saying: "We didn"t allow Joe Camel to encourage your kids to smoke cigarettes, and we shouldn"t allow Star Wars to encourage your kids to gamble."National Council on Problem Gambling are monitoring the situation following the uproar on the game, as loot boxes do not fall under the Remote Gambling Act.Parliament of the United Kingdom investigated the concerns around loot boxes and whether they constitute gambling, and were later told by EA that lootboxes are "quite ethical and fun" and that they are the equivalent of Kinder Eggs.

My point is that VR should be the end of video-games as we know it, and I’d rather have immersive uncut games that last the same maximum duration as a movie ie. 90/120minutes with a way more artistically, precisely and interactively crafted game, than 10 hours of the same graphics, levels, gameplay, characters etc…

Throughout the Star Wars Battlefront 2 campaign, there are going to be a number of Hidden Items scattered around each and every mission for you to collect. In this Battlefront 2 Hidden Items collectibles guide, we"ll be walking you through the location of every collectible item in every level of the Battlefront 2 campaign, as well as the rewards you can get for finding all of them.

For anything else relating to Star Wars Battlefront 2, including how to dominate in the campaign as Iden Versio, including the best weapons and Star Card loadouts you could possibly want to use, head on over to our Star Wars Battlefront 2 guides walkthrough hub.

Just below, we"ll be outlining the location of every Battlefront 2 Hidden Item in chronological order. We"ll be splitting up the groups of collectibles in order of the missions in which you can find them, so all you"ll need to do is consult the relevant section for the campaign mission that you want to cover.

To keep track of the Hidden Items you"ve obtained so far, head over to the Career tab of the main Star Wars Battlefront 2 menu, where you"ll then be able to scroll down to the Milestones page, and find out which Hidden Items you"ve currently obtained in which mission. Once you"ve rounded up all the Hidden Item collectibles in a certain mission, you can then redeem them for Credits, which can then be used to purchase things like loot crates, or unlock new Heroes or Villains.

In this opening mission, you"ll first be taking on the role of Iden Verio"s personal droid, attempting to free her from the rebel prison. When you first come to a big, wide open area, with at least ten rebel guards scattered around the vicinity, look for an area in the middle of the map, which is underneath an upper walkway. Head to the back of the area (the furthest away from the massive window looking out into space), and you"ll find the X/Square prompt to interact with an object and recover the first collectible.

At the start of the mission, drop down to the lower area on the left, and continue heading straight until you"re underneath the ruins of an AT-AT. Now look on the ground to find a crate containing a Hidden Item.

For the first of the two collectible in The Dauntless mission, you"ll need to have boarded the Rebel cruiser. Once you"re successfully on board, and have defeated the Rebel troopers, head into the area just off from the main hangar, and turn around, to see one smaller crate next to two larger crates. Jump on the small crate, then onto the taller crates, and then loot to the ceiling to see the Hidden Item perched on a ledge.

These might be all the total Hidden Items that we"ve managed to uncover so far in the single player campaign of Star Wars Battlefront 2, but make sure to check back on this guide in the future, when we"ve updated our complete guide to reveal more Hidden Item locations.

The lead up to Star Wars Battlefront II was full of excitement. The original game, itself a reboot of the beloved LucasArts series, proved that EA-owned developer DICE was capable of fusing the world of Star Wars with a competitive shooter. But it was also a relatively light experience that players burned out on quickly. The sequel promised not only a bigger, more complex multiplayer mode, but also the much-requested addition of a story campaign. However, when the game finally came out, the conversation wasn’t about how it played or whether it was a significant improvement over the original.

Instead, Battlefront II was embroiled in controversy, thanks to what many saw as an overly aggressive use of loot boxes and microtransactions, tied to a progression system that incentivized spending real money. The response was so severe that EA pulled all in-game purchases before the game even launched, and recently introduced a patch that revamped how progression works.

According to Patrick Söderlund, a long-time EA executive whojust yesterday was made the company’s chief design officer, the last six months post-release have been an important learning experience for the company. And it’s been an experience that will help shape how EA operates moving forward. “I’d be lying to you if I said that what’s happened with Battlefront and what’s happened with everything surrounding loot boxes and these things haven’t had an effect on EA as a company and an effect on us as management,” he explains. “We can shy away from it and pretend like it didn’t happen, or we can act responsibly and realize that we made some mistakes, and try to rectify those mistakes and learn from them.”

Battlefront IIisn’t the only high-profile game to experience this kind of backlash, of course. Other blockbuster titles like Destiny 2 and Middle-earth: Shadow of War were subject to similar, if less vitriolic, controversies for their inclusion of loot boxes and various microtransactions. (Last month Shadow of War removed microtransactions, whileDestiny 2 continues to deal with a disgruntled community six months from launch.) As the business model and player expectations have changed for large-scale games, many developers have struggled to figure out how to balance creating a massive, ongoing experience with earning ongoing revenue to support that.

Some games get around this by offering mostly cosmetic upgrades, like Blizzard’s consistently popular shooter Overwatch, or the hottest game of the moment, Fortnite: Battle Royale. But things get murkier when real-money upgrades impact the way the game actually plays, especially for multiplayer experiences, as was the initial structure of Battlefront II. Many players saw the game’s loot boxes — where you could spend real money for a randomized item that could directly impact multiplayer competition — as a way of encouraging spending cash on in-game success.

Söderlund says he’s hopeful that Battlefront II can still be saved; early in the year, the company announced that the game missed its sales targets, which EA blamed on the loot box controversy. But a bigger question might be how the experience will impact future EA games. The most pressing concern is Anthem, the next release from EA studio BioWare, which is set to release next year. Similar to Destiny, the game is set in a shared online sci-fi world, where players can team up to complete missions together. As a persistent online game, Anthem will likely have some kind of in-game purchases, and Söderlund says that, following Battlefront II, EA is looking at this area with more scrutiny than ever.

“We have taken significant steps as a company to review and understand the mechanics around monetization, loot boxes, and other things in our games before they go to market,” he says. “For games that come next, for Battlefield or for Anthem, [players have] made it very clear that we can’t afford to make similar mistakes. And we won’t.” Microtransactions will be added back to Battlefront II starting next week, but will only include cosmetic items.

Of course, Battlefront is just one of many games to come out of a massive publisher like EA, and aside from it, the company has seen a lot of success of late. EA Sports titles like FIFA and Madden continue to do very well thanks in part to microtransactions, and the company’s new EA Originals indie publishing label is off to a great start. The recently released A Way Out, a co-operative crime caper, has sold more than 1 million copies in its first three weeks. (As Söderlund points out, this means that more than 2 million people have played it, since co-op is a requirement and players can share the full game with friends.) And because EA doesn’t actually make a profit on Originals games — once development costs are covered, all sales go back to the developer — this means that creator Hazelight Studios is primed for a windfall. “It’s something that we should be doing,” Söderlund says of supporting smaller game studios.

This more philanthropic side of EA can seem at odds with the public perception of the company. Earlier this decade, the publisher was voted the “worst company in America” by Consumerist readers two years in a row, thanks to things like Mass Effect 3’s controversial ending, and the decision to make the hotly anticipated SimCity 5 an always-online experience. EA tried to perform some corporate soul-searching to address these complaints, including installing Andrew Wilson as its new CEO in 2013. Yesterday, Wilson shuffled the company’s executive team, which he said would “sharpen focus on the creative core of EA.”

Yet for every beloved game the company releases, another controversy always seems to arrive. Battlefront II’s loot boxes are just the latest example. Söderlund started his career as a developer at Battlefield studio DICE before it was acquired by EA, and when speaking to him it’s very clear he’s passionate about the games the company makes, Battlefront II included. And he sees the process of changing that public perception as something of a personal mission.

Before we deliver a proper verdict for Star Wars: Battlefront II, we want to take a moment to talk about the game"s troubling, multilayered economy. The online multiplayer shooter is now officially available for paying EA Access subscribers, which offers a 10-hour trial of the game ahead of its November 16 launch on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

Fans are already biting into that game-economy burrito, and it sure seems like a seven-layer thing, made up of loot boxes, battle points, credits, crystals, crafting parts, and star cards (which themselves come in two types and four tiers). The whole thing already looks confusing and messy, and fans have pointed out major issues with how the economy debuted in the game"s paid EA Access launch this weekend.

EA has since responded to fans" most heated complaints, both in ridiculous and seemingly sensible ways. But even EA"s best response belies a glaring truth: nothing short of a full rewrite will undo the damage of real money to Battlefront II"s gameplay mechanics.

How do you get Star Cards? The most direct way is to use a particular character or class until you complete a milestone. Kill 50 enemies using grenades, for example, and you"ll receive a "thermal detonator crate." This path requires being particularly good with a certain character or maneuver, however, and if you find any requirement difficult, or just plain annoying, Battlefront II offers the alternate, roundabout path of loot boxes (which the game calls "crates").

You"ll find the following inside of BFII"s loot boxes: Star Cards, those Star Cards" higher "tier" upgrades, credits, "crafting parts," weapons, outfits, emotes, and victory poses.

By the way: instead of waiting for your dream Star Card"s base version or "tier" upgrade to appear, you can spend the aforementioned crafting parts—which are either awarded via select milestones or given out in loot boxes—to make and upgrade exactly what you want. This partially addresses a major loot box issue of making players rely on random chance to get major in-game options.

However, crafting parts are slow to earn, both in loot boxes and via milestones, and they can"t be used to unlock other parts of the game. To unlock new weapons for each class, you must either complete specific milestones or hope the weapons appear in loot crates. For specific, high-level heroes, like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, you can only get them by spending credits, not with crystals or crafting parts. Again, you can either earn credits slowly in the course of normal play, or buy so many loot crates with cash that more credits appear in place of duplicate Star Cards.

You"ll receive roughly 4.5 cards per loot box, by the way, and not all of these will be Star Cards, since they"re sometimes full of credits, crafting parts, outfits, and other cosmetics. If you pre-order the game or buy a "starter" card pack, you can expect some card packs at the outset, but this is still quite the grind to get all three slots unlocked, let alone pack them with valuable, higher-tier cards.

The performance divide between "only one low-tier Star Card" and "three souped-up Star Cards" can be substantial. Star Cards let you do things like speed up health recovery, reduce damage taken, increase damage output, and upgrade special abilities. Plus, each card can be enhanced by jumping up to a new "tier" (represented by blue, green, and purple colors, à la World Of WarCraft item ranks). You can either luck into higher tiers via loot box earni