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- "For years, you've watched the greatest Star Wars battles. What if you could actually live them?"
- ―Tagline
Star Wars: Battlefront is the first in the Star Wars: Battlefront series and is a third/first-person shooter video game based around battles featured in the Star Wars movies. It was developed by Pandemic Studios and LucasArts, and released on September 20, 2004 for Xbox (playable on Xbox 360), PlayStation 2, and PC, the same day as the release of the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set. Players can play Star Wars: Battlefront either online, or offline with up to four players (on consoles).
Synopsis
The Historical Campaign in Star Wars: Battlefront is divided into two parts, the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War, following the timeline of the Star Wars films.
Clone Wars Campaign
(32 BBY – 19 BBY)
The Trade Federation has blockaded the peaceful planet of Naboo. The Trade Federation army of B1 battle droids marches to the Great Grass Plains to destroy the native Gungan Grand Army, which opposes them on Naboo. The Trade Federation army arrives in Multi-Troop Transports with Armored Assault Tanks. The Gungan Grand Army was waiting with many Gungan soldiers with some riding kaadu. Their fambaas arrived with giant portable deflector shield generators, which were activated to protect the Gungans. The massive Trade Federation army got through the shield and destroyed the portable shield generators and killed many of the Gungans.
- Rebellion on Theed (32 BBY)
The people and security forces of the capital city of Theed attack the Trade Federation's army of B1 battle droids and P-series destroyer droids to allow the Queen to recapture Naboo. But the Trade Federation kills all Royal Guards trying to defend the city.
The Wookiee Trade Guild taxes the Trade Federation, which is now part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS). In retaliation the CIS sends Darth Sidious's new apprentice Count Dooku and an army of B1 battle droids, P-series droideka, and the new B2 super battle droids to end the conflict. The CIS army destroys the Wookiee Trade Guild and its private army.
- The Battle of Geonosis (22 BBY)
LAATs on Geonosis
The Galactic Republic has just acquired a new clone army from the Kaminoans on Kamino. The clone army arrives at the Separatist base on Geonosis with Mace Windu to destroy the Separatist army made up of B1 battle droids, B2 super battle droids, W-series droideka, and Geonosians. The clone army with their AT-TEs destroy the Techno Union ships, which the CIS was using to evacuate, and the clone army killed most of the Geonosians there and destroyed the battle droid army.
- Assault on Kamino (22 BBY)
The CIS has discovered the cloning facilities on Kamino and has sent an army of B1 battle droids, B2 super battle droids, and W-series droideka to destroy them. The Republic clone army left to defend it destroys all of the attacking droids.
- Mountaintop Defenses (22 BBY)
The Republic has discovered a long-range sensor station on Rhen Var created by Count Dooku. They send an army of clone troopers with AT-TEs and a few TX-130 Saber-class fighter tanks to Rhen Var to capture the station. The army of clones destroyed all of the W-series droideka, B1 battle droids, B2 super battle droids, and Armored Assault Tanks there in conjunction with another operation led by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
- The Battle of Kashyyyk (19 BBY)
The CIS has launches a desperate attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. A clone army of the Republic is sent to Kashyyyk to destroy the army of B1 battle droids, B2 super battle droids, droidekas, OG-9 homing spider droids, and Armored Assault Tanks. They destroy the entire Separatist army there and save the Wookiees.
Galactic Civil War Campaign
- Desert Extermination (0 BBY)
The Galactic Empire sends a legion of stormtroopers with some vehicles to the Dune Sea on Tatooine to eliminate Rebels and hostile natives. The stormtrooper legion slaughters all Rebels and Tusken Raiders they find in the Dune Sea.
- Siege of Mos Eisley (0 BBY)
The stormtroopers of the Empire and Darth Vader have begun searching the town of Mos Eisley for the droids which carried the plans to the Death Star. The droids escaped, so the stormtroopers and Darth Vader eliminated all locals that were suspected of helping the droids escape.
- Sabotage at Rhen Var (0 BBY)
The Rebellion has discovered an Imperial outpost on the planet Rhen Var and sends a company of troopers to capture the station. The stormtroopers left to defend the station then kill all of the attacking Rebels.
- Raid on Yavin 4 (0 BBY)
The Empire sends down a legion of stormtroopers to verify the presence of a Rebel base on Yavin 4. They kill all of the Rebels in the Arena, thereby verifying the location of a Rebel base.
- Fall of Yavin 4 (0 ABY)
The Death Star has been destroyed and several escape pods have crashed down on Yavin 4. The surviving stormtroopers attack the Rebel base but are all killed by the Rebels defending the base.
- The Battle of Hoth (3 ABY)
The Rebel Base on Hoth has been discovered by the Empire, and stormtroopers and All Terrain Armored Transports are sent down to destroy the Rebel base and the Rebel shield generator. The Rebels with the help of Luke Skywalker destroy the AT-ATs and prevent the stormtroopers from attacking long enough so that the transports could escape.
- Liberation of Cloud City (Sometime 3-4 ABY)
The Rebellion sends a company of Rebels to attack the Imperial garrison on Bespin. The Rebels then eliminate the Imperial forces in Cloud City.
- Battle in the Clouds (Sometime 3-4 ABY)
The Rebellion then moves to eliminate all of the stormtroopers on the main mining platform on Bespin.
- The Battle of Endor (4 ABY)
The second Death Star is being constructed above the forest moon of Endor. The Rebellion sends a legion of Rebels which allied with the native Ewoks to destroy the shield bunker which projects a shield around the Death Star II. The Rebels succeed in the mission, allowing for the destruction of the battlestation.
Galactic Conquest
Galactic Conquest allows the player to choose a faction and use it to conquer the galaxy. As a result, it is considered non-canon.
- Rebels - Birth of the Rebellion
- Empire - Dark Side Rising
- Republic - Attack of the Clones
- CIS - Revenge of the Sith
- Rebels/Empire - The Galactic Civil War
- Rebels/Empire - A Galaxy Divided
- Republic/CIS - The Clone Wars
- Republic/CIS - Balance of the Force
Sequels
Star Wars: Battlefront II was released on November 1, 2005 on the PS2, Xbox, PSP, and PC platforms.[3]
On the 10th of May 2007, LucasArts announced a PSP exclusive addition to the Star Wars: Battlefront series, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron,[4] which was released October 9, 2007.[5] A further game exclusive to mobile platforms, Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron was released in 2009.[6]
A new version of Star Wars: Battlefront, by DICE Studios, was announced at E3 2013, and was released on the 17th of November, 2015.[7] The revived version also received a sequel in 2017.
Gameplay
Character overview
Star Wars: Battlefront lets players control a soldier in a first- or third-person perspective. There are also vehicles players can jump into, both ground and airborne.[1]
The game features four main factions from both the prequel and the classic trilogies. They are the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems (Separatists) of the prequel era, and the Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire of the classic trilogy. However, factions can only play their historical adversary; Rebels cannot fight Separatists, for example. Within each unit, five different classes of characters become available.[1]
Four of the classes are fairly similar for each faction: a basic infantry soldier, a heavy weapons trooper with a rocket launcher, a pilot, and a sniper. The fifth class is different for each faction. The Imperials have the dark trooper, with a jump pack which enables short but high jumps, plus a blast cannon, a pistol and grenades. The Republic has the jet trooper, with a jetpack, which enables long but low jumps, an enhanced pistol, grenades and an EMP launcher. The Separatists have the droideka, which is very powerful, fast, and equipped with a personal shield, but can't use vehicles. The Rebels have the Wookiee Smuggler, with extra health, time bombs, a bowcaster, and a grenade launcher. Players choose their class at the spawn screen.[1]
Jedi heroes are featured in the game: the Rebel Alliance gets Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader wields his lightsaber for the Empire, Mace Windu fights along with the Republic, and Count Dooku is with the Separatists. Jedi characters appear but are not playable; they may only be the player's allies in battle, under certain circumstances. The heroes will occasionally fight alongside the player in the campaign battles, in which case the other team won't have a hero. Heroes can be enabled in Instant Action mode, allowing both teams to have a Jedi hero. Once his team's reinforcement count drops below a certain number, the hero automatically dies.[1]
There are also non-playable characters (NPCs): Tusken Raiders roam the Dune Sea of Tatooine and attack any sides, Jawas patrol the streets of Mos Eisley, Ewoks inhabit the jungle of the forest moon of Endor, Gungans battle on the Naboo Plain, Royal guards patrol Theed, Wookiees defend Kashyyyk and Geonosians aid the Separatists on Geonosis. Additionally, there are droids which can provide ammo or health refills. Players can also take over turrets.[1]
Game style
Every match sees the players fighting the enemy faction. They win by forcing the enemy reinforcement count to zero or capturing all five Command Posts spread throughout the map.[1]
The multiplayer matches can be online or offline on any of the available maps. The single-player skirmish missions are known as Instant Action.[1]
Players may play battles by themselves with NPCs or play an online multiplayer via Internet, LAN or direct connection. Multiplayer consists of up to 16 online players vs. players on consoles or up to 40 on PC. The servers on PC are dedicated or standard and can be protected with a password.
Maps
- Bespin: Platforms
- Bespin: Cloud City
- Endor: Bunker
- Geonosis: Spire
- Hoth: Echo Base
- Kamino: Tipoca City
- Kashyyyk: Docks
- Kashyyyk: Islands
- Naboo: Plains
- Naboo: Theed
- Rhen Var: Harbor
- Rhen Var Citadel
- Tatooine: Dune Sea
- Tatooine: Mos Eisley
- Yavin 4: Arena
- Yavin 4: Temple
In addition the map Tatooine: Jabba's Palace came with the 1.2 update.
A clone sharpshooter on Geonosis
Playable vehicles and ships
These vehicles have many capabilities from the movies; a Republic Gunship can carry/hold up to five people, and Rebel Snowspeeders can launch a tow cable out of the rear of the vehicle to trip AT-ATs. In addition, blaster turrets and emplaced guns are available on various maps including unique turrets in maps such as Yavin temple and Hoth.
Unit types
- Basic Infantryman: Clone trooper, Super Battle Droid, B1 battle droid (Campaign only), Rebel Soldier, Stormtrooper. They carry blasters and explosives.
- Sniper: Clone Sharpshooter, Assassin Droid, Rebel Marksman, Scout trooper. They carry sniper rifles and Recon Droids.
- Pilot: Clone Pilot, Droid Pilot, Rebel pilot, Imperial Pilot. They carry special launchers and ammunition dispensers.
- Heavy: ARC Trooper, Assault Droid, Rebel vanguard, Shock trooper. They carry rocket launchers and mines.
- Special: Jet Trooper, Droideka, Wookiee Smuggler, Dark Trooper. They carry special weapons. The Jet Troopers and Dark Troopers feature jet packs, while the destroyer droids can transform into their wheeled form for increased mobility.
Left to right: A Stormtrooper, a Shocktrooper, a Dark Trooper (Phase Zero), a Scout trooper, a Snowtrooper, an AT-AT pilot, a TIE pilot, and an AT-ST pilot
Mod tools
In late 2004, LucasArts and Pandemic Studios released the Star Wars: Battlefront BFBuilder, an unsupported modding tool that allows players to create new battlefields for Star Wars: Battlefront.[8] It shipped with many of the source files used to make Star Wars: Battlefront, such as maps, sides, and sound configuration files; however, it did not ship with some of the files needed to make specific modifications to the main game itself (i.e. menu configuration files or font files). Two demonstration maps were also included. Sound effects and music used to make the game were not included because of copyright issues,[9] although it is possible to import original music and sound effects into the game.
Map editing in BFBuilder is handled by a program called ZeroEdit, which is used to mold the landscapes, place objects, command posts and vehicle spawn points. Additional scripting is done through LUA files for maps, and ODF (Object Definition Files) files for objects.[10]
User-created levels and mods then go through a process called munging, which compiles assets and maps into formats readable by the game, which are then compiled into container files for in-game use. Although BFBuilder is subtly different from the Battlefront II mod tools, assets can be imported from either one into the other.
Development
On January 13, 2004, LucasArts announced Star Wars: Battlefront as a multiplayer action game.[11]
Development began in November 2002 at Pandemic Studios, according to Executive Producer Greg Borrud. It was conceived as "the ultimate fan's dream." Lead Artists Dean Betton and Matt Palmer directed the art team in creating a vast array of unusual worlds and characters that have appeared in the Star Wars universe.[12]
The developers used software called SoftImage:XSI.[13] The character models were initially modeled as static objects using a 3D modeling package in a process known as "boning and skinning." The process entails first creating a digital "skeleton." Lead programmer John Northan notes that the single-player experience is controlled by Artificial Intelligence where the AI for each entity is calculated at several different layers, ranging from the controller AI to a strategic AI. He also explained that the various soldier divisions have unique personalities. Sound Supervisor Nick Peck wrote that the process for creating sounds was to identify what was needed, create the sounds, and then integrate it into the game via programming software. He and his team researched original Star Wars sound effects, then tweaked them and integrated them into the game. Since Battlefront is an action game, Peck and his team traveled to Skywalker Ranch and spent two days creating 1200 new foley (sound) effects, a very detailed process.[12]
There is a playable Xbox demo on the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set, released on September 21, 2004. The demo gameplay is limited to a Battle of Endor level, and is slightly different to that of the actual game.[14] A PS2 demo was also released with Sony's PlayStation magazine. It also only featured the Battle of Endor.[15] A glitch in this demo was that the Rebel Wookiee Smuggler class gave orders in Basic, rather than growls.
Continuity
Cut content
There is cut vehicle content that has been left in the game. This includes:
- Imperial officer and Bothan Spy
- Flash Speeder (Appears as in Clone Wars Campaign and Trailer)
- AT-PT
- AT-XT
- Sentinel-class landing craft
- Multi-Troop Transport
- N-1 starfighter
- K-wing
- Along with more models from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
- There was also going to be a unit called a tactical droid. The model was that of an IG-Series droid. The model was released within the Mod Tools for Star Wars: Battlefront.
- A Clone Commander unit was cut from the game. It would have been armed with a grenade launcher, a pistol, and health/ammo packs.
- Rumor has it among SWBF modding forums that originally the Clone Commander, Tactical Droid, Imperial Officer, and Bothan Spy were going to be sixth units, like in Battlefront II. For unexplained reasons, these sixth units were cut from the game and partially released in the mod tools.
- The Geonosis Map originally had a different layout.
- Jedi heroes were originally going to be equipped with things like Force powers and powerful jumps.
- Generic Jedi units were to support the Republic on Geonosis. Strangely, one of the Jedi's skins looks like Darth Maul.
- A cinematic clip was going to play at the end of each battle.
Some reasons behind this may be issues of balance and/or memory. Most likely, LucasArts did not want Episode III content revealed so early (one example is the Kashyyyk: Docks map (Kachirho), which, at the time, could not be identified).
The Clone Commander, Imperial Officer and Bothan Spy would later become playable in Star Wars: Battlefront II.
The trailer for Star Wars: Battlefront showed that players could fly Droid Starfighters and Jedi Starfighters on Kamino. This was most likely cut because gameplay was too similar to Bespin: Platforms.
Inconsistencies with Star Wars continuity
Lucasfilm Ltd.'s Keeper of the Holocron continuity database, Leland Chee, has stated that though technology, characters and locations in the game are C-canon, the story itself is S-canon, which means that only parts of it that appeared in other C-canon sources are canon. The story of the sequel, however, is C-canon.[16]
There are many major canonical inconsistencies in the Star Wars: Battlefront series. However, many of these are simply game mechanics.
- Assault droids (the CIS's heavy-weapons unit) are depicted with blue markings on their bodies while the pilot droids have no markings. This was corrected in Star Wars: Battlefront II.
- In the Clone Wars campaign, ARC troopers (the Republic's heavy-weapons unit) are playable on Geonosis, and Jet Troopers are the new units (instead of ARC troopers) in The Battle of Kamino.[1] Previous sources indicated that ARC troopers did not participate in the Battle of Geonosis.[17] Also, in the Star Wars: Battlefront II version of the Battle of Geonosis, both Jet Troopers and ARC Troopers are playable.
- The first Rhen Var mission of the campaign takes place after the Battle of Kamino, and the mission briefing says that they are establishing a base, not defending or retaking one, and does not imply any previous battle happening.
- In the game, Imperial dark troopers are not droids, but soldiers with power armor, and they give orders and cry out when they are hit as stormtroopers do. Also, dark troopers are seen in a battle prior to their development. These inconsistencies were retconned by The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, which retconned them to be the Phase Zero dark troopers, part clone trooper, part cyborg.
- In the second campaign mission, the Trade Federation wins instead of the Royal Guards.[18]
- In the Galactic Civil War campaign, Darth Vader is present during the siege of Mos Eisley,[1] but in the movie he was on the Death Star while that was happening.[19] Star Wars novels state that Vader would never return to Tatooine for emotional reasons.[20]
- During the Battle of Hoth in campaign mode, the Rebels win[1] instead of the Empire.[21]
- Wookiees and Imperial Darktroopers fight on Endor[1] even though Chewbacca was the only Wookiee on Endor,[source?] and the Darktrooper project was destroyed three years before.[22]
Trooper variations
The following are troops that change their stormtrooper or Rebel skin on certain maps:
Galactic Empire:
- Scout trooper-Hoth, Rhen Var - Snowtrooper
- Stormtrooper-Hoth, Rhen Var - Snowtrooper
- Shock trooper-Hoth, Rhen Var - Snowtrooper
- Imperial Pilot-Hoth, Rhen Var - AT-AT Pilot
- Imperial Pilot-Naboo, Endor, Tatooine, Yavin - AT-ST Pilot
- Imperial Pilot-Tatooine, Bespin, Kashyyyk - TIE Fighter Pilot
Rebel Alliance:
- Rebel Soldier - Hoth, Rhen Var - Hoth uniform
- Rebel Soldier - Endor, Yavin IV, Naboo - Forest Uniform
- Rebel Soldier - Bespin - Gray Uniform
- Rebel Vanguard - Hoth, Rhen Var - Hoth uniform
- Rebel Marksmen - Hoth, Rhen Var - Hoth uniform
- Rebel Pilot - Hoth, Rhen Var - Hoth uniform
- Wookiee - Hoth, Rhen Var - Snow covered fur
Reception
On the review website Metacritic.com, the Playstation 2 port has a score of 82[23] while the Xbox version is scored at 80.[24]
GameSpy reviewed the game at 4 out of 5. Reviewer Will Tuttle, using the PlayStation 2 version, called the multiplayer a ton of fun, but criticized the game's AI and controls.[25]
The Xbox version was reviewed at 94% on Xbox Addict.com. The staffer had a problem with the weapons, citing their inaccuracy, and also criticized the lag on Xbox Live. The staffer praised the game's visuals and audio.[26]
The game was nominated for "Best Game Based on a Movie" at the 2004 Spike TV Video Game Awards,[27], although it lost to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.[28]
Credits
| Cast | Uncredited cast | Crew | Uncredited crew | Special thanks |
Cast
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Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
Droid models
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Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
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Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Bibilography
All Isn't Quiet on the Battlefront on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- "Star News" — Star Wars Insider 75
- Snapshots from the Battlefront on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars Battlefront: Updates Direct from the Front on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars Battlefront Goes Gold on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Go Behind the Scenes with Battlefront Designer Diaries on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Shooting Ewoks, and other Star Wars Fantasies on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- "Star Wars Battlefront: See the Movies, Live the Battles" — Star Wars Insider 78
- Star Wars Battlefront Mobile Announced on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
