The Never Ending Disappointment of Star Wars Battlefront

Eight months ago we finally received a new Star Wars Battlefront game. The anticipation was just about as intense as I have seen when it comes to new video games.

I can remember other big video game releases in which it seemed like everyone was beyond excited for its eventual arrival.

Unfortunately, when the game dropped the enthusiasm would inevitably follow as over time more of us began to realize how disappointing the gameplay was.

As it has been mentioned a million times Battlefront is a carbon copy of Battlefield.

The lives of the characters are expendable, there’s no real strategy to playing and luck seems to be more valuable than skill.

What’s even more maddening is I believe Battlefield games are 10x better than Battlefront!

The fact that the environment is in play as in some buildings and other materials are capable of being leveled is fantastic.

In the world of Star Wars Battlefront, you shoot a powerful rocket launcher at small crates and nothing happens besides a small little black mark.

In Battlefield you get the fantastic option of customizing your weapon’s add-ons to increase its power. In Battlefront whatcha got is what ya got…

Not to mention the fact that Battlefront was released with four maps!

To be fair, the expansion packs have been very entertaining and interesting to say the least but you know what? You had to dish out some serious dough for that! Not cool!

Just look at this graphic as this version of Battlefront is compared with the old one…

How ridiculous and offensive is that? The obnoxiousness is endless!

Maybe one of my biggest gripes with Battlefront is the fact that there are so many useless game modes.

The way I see it, if it’s not supremacy, sabotage, occasional walker assault and once in a blue moon fighter squadron, it’s not worth playing.

It’s also pretty clear that the original blueprints for Battlefront as in games one and two that were released in ’05 and ’06 were consulted for about 10 minutes…

What irks me too is the changing of the way bases are captured.

In the old days of Battlefront, the game would start and you could immediately go after your opponent’s main base. Not only was it more difficult and took longer to convert to one of your own but if you did complete the task of taking the base, you would have a serious advantage.

This game gives you one option: one base at a time…

Awful. God awful.

The creativity, the strategy and the free-flowing play all went out the window.

This version of Star Wars Battlefront has about only one advantage on the old ones and that’s graphics and sounds.

There’s no denying the stunning aesthetics of this game. The colors are vibrant, the explosions are epic and the sounds throughout the game are very impressive.

But besides that, I honestly can’t think of much more they got right.

Okay maybe the additions of new hero and villain characters such as Dengar, Nien Nunb, Greedo and Lando are awesome, I won’t deny that.

But man, DICE really dropped the ball on this one.

As the DLC continues to be released, I find myself constantly thinking “will they just change the game to the old one already?”

I know I’m slightly ranting here but I also find it mind-numbing that the old school classic look of the scoring bar was taken out completely.

It was so simple yet so effective and perfect. The system now with just bases and time is played out.

I also think some of the Hutt contracts are useless and too difficult to get.

The quest you must endure to unlock some of these items are painstakingly annoying!

I just want to unlock new guns and use them in the heat of battle, not randomly throw smoke grenades or kill an enemy as I’m standing in this specific area or something.

It takes away from the overall idea of you’re playing the video game for fun and not a contest to win.

What separated the new and the old Battlefront games in my eyes however is the fact that one had a form of a story mode or a player vs computer ability as the newer one had an extremely repetitive and boring survival mode.

The recently added game mode of skirmish is severely lacking. It seems that even when DICE goes to fix its problems they still can’t get things right.

For example, I played skirmish walker assault last night and you know what happened? I got the hero icon right away and played as Nien Nunb…I ended up surviving the entire game and going 189 and 0…

You might say that sounds fun and maybe it was at first but you know what? It was pathetically boring.

I guess what I’m trying to say is Battlefront I and II were 10/10 games for me and so many others. This new Battlefront, even with the updates is so weak and seems to stay on the same level of disappointing.

It’s way too one dimensional as it’s lacking so much material that was there over 10 years ago!

They could have simply taken the old game, upgraded the graphics and added some characters and boom! All would be good.

Another crazy mishap that Battlefront boasts is the restrictions of having original trilogy-based characters only…

Now I understand that supposedly DICE was not granted permission to use Episode VII characters but what happened to the prequel heroes and villains!?

It’s well documented that many Star Wars fans took exception to Episodes I-III (which is crazy in itself) but the characters in those movies are epic and deserve to be everywhere.

From Darth Maul and General Grievous to Plo Koon and Mace Windu, it’s painful to not see them in this game.

Just spoof up the graphics and let the awesomeness commence!

As for now, I guess we’ll just have to settle for what we’ve got: a mediocre moneymaker that has the title of “Star Wars” on it.

I’ve always been an eternal optimist but in this case it’s pretty difficult.

Here’s to better games in the future! Please!

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

 

 

Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings: #2

The 2nd character for the Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings is…Luke Skywalker!

Luke Skywalker Overall = 99

Unbeknownst to the world, a human on the deserted landscapes of the Tatooine wastelands grew a boy who would change the Galaxy forever.

From farmhand to the most powerful person alive, the legend of Luke Skywalker is as illustrious as it is unlikely.

Originally thought to be a nobody, young Luke took a leap of faith and soon discovered his true identity. He was a Jedi like his father before him.

The sheer talent that surged through Skywalker’s veins was just begging to be released, yearning for an opportunity.

At the Battle of Yavin, he received that chance…

As a young and inexperienced pilot, he faced off against the Death Star with so much on the line.

The result of failure meant the vaunted Rebellion, the very force that he looked up to so dearly would be completely exterminated.

It was kill or be killed and he was up against the biggest mechanical monstrosity that eyes had ever seen.

A gargantuan task  for anyone, the young boy obliterated the battle station and saved the day.

In doing so he took that next step. A step into the shadow of his father’s brilliance. A place he would have never known existed unless his very own father had not told him himself.

As the years followed, he continuously notched more and more unfathomable victories underneath his belt.

Establishing himself as an elite military general, completing his training as a Jedi and then eventually defeating the egomaniacal tyrant of the land in the Emperor.

Throughout his time in the spotlight, one thing Luke continued to resemble was a pillar of the finest light.

Definitively turning away from the beckoning calls of the Dark Side, silencing the infamous Emperor’s attempts to convert the Jedi to a Sith, he remained true to himself and true to everything he stood for.

Skywalker represented everything that was right about existence. A symbol of untouchable purity that could never be tainted.

To his very core, Luke Skywalker was a Jedi, he was one of the good guys, he was the very meaning of hope.

In a time of eternal darkness, Luke was a rallying call.

As the oppressive regime of the Empire continued to mangle the innocence, Luke became someone for people to believe in.

He became someone who people could follow into the depths of hell and as long as they stayed close to his side, avoid the scorching of devilish fire and brimstone.

The best of the very best are like magnets, they attract those around them.

Luke wasn’t just a magnet, he was the very essence that made the magnet, he was the truth.

Characteristics

• Pure of Heart (Strength, 100/100)- Throughout Star Wars, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone at all who had better character than Luke. Always trying to do the right thing, never cutting corners and always following things through, Luke was a living and breathing example of how things should be done. But why is this relevant? It’s important because through his inner purity and never-dying chivalry, Luke’s connection to the Force remained uncapped. The ability to reach deeper and climb level after level was always available. There was no limit to his potential and at the very root of it was his way of life. 
• Power (Strength, 100/100)- There is a reason why someone as powerful as the Emperor was so hellbent on recruiting Luke to his side. Absolutely teeming with limitless strength, Luke became a desirable target for good and bad intentions. Only one person alive had ever seen such ability, but that’s for another time…Skywalker was a man in rarefied air. Through his connection with the Force, with his unstoppable physical capabilities and his exuberant youth, Luke Skwyalker was the complete package.
• Level of Diversity (Strength, 95/100)- Luke was so skilled that anything he did, he was the best. From using the Force to piloting, Skywalker was the very pinnacle of diversification. It’s worth noting that it took Luke a while to get adjusted to using a lightsaber. In that time that he was unsure of the weapon, he crafted his marksmanship and all-around skill with a blaster. Now I know Force-users have the upper hand when it comes to reflexes and ability in situations like these but something has to be said for someone who started using a lightsaber so late in life and who then masters the weapon of the Jedi. It takes talent to be the best at something but when you get someone who is at the top in multiple categories? Now that’s just special.
• Art of the Lightsaber (Strength, 97/100)- As I just said, Luke was a complete artist with the Jedi weapon. The whirling and dazzling beam of the weapon quickly became second-nature to Luke as he adapted surprisingly quick and became deadly. It was through intense sessions and his laborious work ethic that he was able to truly master the weapon and turn himself into one of the top swordsmen the Galaxy has seen.
• Soft Spot (Weakness, 61/100)- Physically, Luke is flawless. Spiritually, it took him some time to get used to the Force but he figured it out and he now allows its waves of embrace to flow over him. But now emotionally and mentally, Luke has some issues. Whether it was the loss of Ben Kenobi that caused Luke to throw caution to the wind, the obsession of trying to bring his father back to the light that nearly cost him his life or his attempts to remake a Jedi Order that went painfully wrong as his nephew went berserk and demolished all that Luke fought so hard to build. Luke no doubt has some emotional attachments that he has had repeated trouble with. In Episode VIII, I hope he’s more careful or else…

Intangibles

• Bloodline (Strength, 100/100)- At the very heart of the most Force sensitive family, Luke Skywalker is the very essence of the Skywalker family tree. With his father being so powerful and in-tune with the Force, it’s no wonder Luke is so dynamically dominant. The way this normally works is anyone who has Skywalker DNA even if it’s the tiniest smidgen they’re strong. But to be the very heart and soul of the entire line? Well, it just doesn’t get any better!

Final Word

As I first began to pencil in characters where I believed they belonged in my idea of a Force-user power rankings structure, Luke was a no-brainer. He was placed in the top three almost immediately. Although I wasn’t sure however if he should be the top man or the number three guy. After giving it some thought, I realized that Luke is who people think of when someone says “Star Wars”. He is the very definition of a hero, the light that shines the brightest and the one who makes everything fit together. He is one of the most strongest and potent Force-users ever as well as the one who has the most defined and meaningful legacies. When I look at Luke, the characteristic that impresses me the most is his ability to handle pressure. He seems to never be rattled and always be under wraps with what he wants to do with himself. His discipline is so unique for someone who has as much ability as he does. In the end, Luke Skywalker’s work ethic and beliefs of justice as well as his family’s genes granted him a deep connection within the Force which allowed him to possess untapped power. He is undoubtedly one of the greats, that’s why he is the number two Force-user on my power rankings.

-Sith Pacify out

Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings: #4

The 4th character for the Official Sith Pacify Power Rankings is…Yoda!

Yoda Overall = 98

As the last Grand Master of the Jedi Order, the legend of Yoda is as illustrious as the Jedi itself.

Small in stature and ancient in age, the Jedi Master’s place in the Force is at the very top.

In every single category one could judge a Force-user on, Master Yoda is elite.

Besides his prowess in the Force, his emotional and spiritual representation is unparalleled.

His devotion to living beings, his understanding of life itself and his dedication to all that is righteous is what this little green creature is.

As he sat atop the Jedi Council during the final days of its existence, Yoda knew the shroud of evil had grown so strong and so powerful that its consumption of the Order was eminent.

As the plot of the Sith unraveled and it was clear who Darth Sidious was, Yoda carried out his duty and attempted to right the wrong and defeat the Sith Lord.

Of course we know he ultimately failed in the battle for the ages but does that hurt his legacy? His place among the all-time Force-users?

Not in the slightest.

Characteristics

• “The Force is my ally” (Strength, 99/100)- Leader of the vaunted Jedi and a being of more than 800 years old, Yoda has seen and been through it all. With age comes experience and this little green individual has it all. With a complete and totally mastered arsenal, Yoda is a walking reminder of how epic and dynamic the Force really is. Not only is his combat use of the Force profound but his far sight and ability to sift through the ever turning future is what makes Yoda elite. Beings like the Emperor might have more offensive weapons than Yoda but it’s his defense that separates him from the pack…
• Pillar of Defense (Strength, 99/100)- Undoubtedly the best, Yoda’s strongest side of combat was his legendary defense. He might not have the most powerful Force weaponry, but he does have the most comprehensive and complete defensive talent out of anyone in Star Wars history. Yoda’s maneuvering and searching for the upper hand in warfare was severely unnerving for his opponents. Count Dooku and even Darth Sidious learned the hard way that the small in stature Jedi’s defense is impenetrable. 
•  Maestro Extraordinaire (Strength, 95/100)- What did Yoda refer to himself as most? One of the most powerful beings in the Galaxy? The most respected individual in all of Coruscant? None of the above. Yoda was a teacher and he thought of himself as one. Even though he was the most powerful being throughout the universe, Yoda’s pride and joy was in his teaching. His love for his younglings, his intense passion for his students and his admiration for his Padawans is what defines Master Yoda. Unlike the Sith who think inward, the Jedi and Yoda more specifically, is at the absolute pinnacle of humility. 
• I Choose Hope (Strength, 97/100)- As Ben Kenobi became one of the biggest influences for Luke to follow his destiny and become a Jedi, it’s Yoda who doesn’t receive enough credit for his part. After the Galaxy fell to the control of the Empire, Yoda could have just left existence and gone into hiding as Satele Shan once did. But no, the Grand Master of the Jedi knew he would still play an invaluable part in the timeline of the Force and descended in secrecy to the jungle/forest planet of Dagobah. Of course, young Skywalker would eventually find his way there and it would be Yoda who would provide the necessary training in order to take the next step in his path to a Jedi Master.
• Overlooked (Weakness, 40/100)- With the Clone Wars raging on and more information on the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious being discovered by the day, it was Yoda who failed to register the legitimate  threat of the Sith. Of course all Jedi failed in this regard but as the Grand Master and leader of the Jedi, Yoda was most responsible. Of course it’s unfortunate for Yoda. Someone with such a pristine reputation and  level of understanding, to fall to Sidious and the Sith, that will forever plague Yoda’s legacy.

Intangibles 

• Level of Calm (Strength, 98/100)- In the height of the Clone Wars with intergalactic devastation throughout, with the wave of the Dark Side ever approaching and finally with the fall of practically all of his comrades, Yoda remained in a state of calm. As he assessed the situation, he fully knew that his emotions would do nothing but muddy the predicament. As the very best of the Order, you would expect no less and Yoda most certainly delivered. Unlike many other leading members of the Jedi who either showed a great deal of grief in the trying times of Order 66 or just in the thick of battle within the Clone Wars, Yoda remained relatively calm. Of course I’m obligated to point out that Yoda felt such immense pressure and weight on his conscience as more and more Jedi were lost every day but for the most part his attitude towards it all was what separated him from his peers as he was able to embrace diversity.

Final Word

Yoda is just one of those characters that deserves to be at the very top. Although he is fourth in my rankings, Yoda will forever be a mainstay as “one of the best”. With Yoda, there’s just so much to assess. His competence in the Force is at any individual’s peak, his level of understanding within the universe is top notch and all the intangibles that makes someone great are there as well. What’s there not to like about him? Of course he lost to Sidious in what would have been a Galaxy-saving victory but does that tarnish his reputation? Absolutely not. What’s fascinating is Yoda was extremely advanced in age at the time of their battle. What would have happened if Yoda was five or six hundred years younger!? Could the Jedi have emerged victorious? Of course we can only speculate but i’d tend to think the tides could have been swayed to the other side. The Light side.

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We NEED More Darth Maul!

When you think of awesome Star Wars characters, Darth Maul is one of the first that comes to mind.

He is by far the most unique, animal-like beings throughout the entire saga.

Whether it’s his snarl that best resembles a predator ready to leap or his voracious heaves of his lightsaber, Darth Maul is a literal beast.

So if you’re reading this you’re probably saying “Of course he is, we all know that. What’s your point?”

Well my point is this: Why is a character that is so spectacularly awesome barely in Star Wars????

The man is a revenge seeking missile hellbent on vindicating his name and glory as he believes himself to be the chosen one.

He is a civilized entity that breathes fire and spits lightning.

Darth Maul, Lord of the Sith is about as terrifying and merciless as anyone in Star Wars history.

The following clip sums up the guy’s prowess perfectly. Check it out.

Now that’s some powerful stuff…

You have to be pretty cold-hearted to walk in Darth Maul’s shoes.

But you know all of this.

So where am I trying to go with this?

The point is, Darth Maul is returning.

The Dathomirian devil will return to Star Wars Rebels at some point in Season 2.

With another episode tomorrow night, the excitement of the possibility of seeing the legendary Sith/assassin back in action is at an all time high.

It will be fascinating to see what this prolific character’s role will be as there are a million ways to go.

Will he be a secret agent working directly under Darth Sidious with the sole intent of bringing Ezra Bridger to face the Emperor?

Will he be a lone wolf dedicated to the shadows as much as the Dark Side?

Or will he be a scarred and battered soul that is working against his former Master?

With so many possibilities it makes you wonder. What the heck took so long!?

Darth Maul is a character that has so much to offer everyone.

He provides a shiny new plot to any story, he excites Star Wars fans of any age with his unorthodox style and he is undeniably a force to be reckoned with.

I think it’s a darn shame that it took this long for Maul to be reintroduced to the mainstream audiences of Star Wars.

By mainstream I simply mean television or movies rather than books or comics.

Now, yes he was in The Clone Wars but only in a handful of episodes out of well over a hundred and you know what? That doesn’t do this great character justice.

I firmly believe that Darth Maul deserves his own independent film and hey, maybe that’s the direction Disney is going here.

If that is the case then well, Disney? THE WORLD THANKS YOU!

But in all seriousness, there should be about half a dozen video games dedicated to this guy, he should have his own show that mainly focuses on Maul’s acts of the Dark and like I said, even his own movie.

Just think about it…

There’s no one like him! Darth Maul is arguably the most physically gifted character, one of the most talented lightsaber wielders and his skills as an assassin just add to his legendary status of elite!

The man survived being cut in half and a never ending fall for goodness’ sake!

Not even the powerful Mace Windu was able to survive similar a defeat…or so we think…

Anyways, I just think Darth Maul deserves so much more credit than what he’s gotten in terms of recognition.

I think he needs to be in more of the spotlight and honestly, I expect that to be the case in the future.

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

The Puzzling Prospect of Star Wars Video Games

In the past couple years when it comes to video games, Star Wars fans have suffered tremendously.

When Disney purchased Star Wars on October 30, 2012, many people thought this would be a new era for video game titles as the shelves were sparse with Star Wars material at the time.

Well, it is now more than three years later and the shelves are practically barren.

When Disney took over Lucasfilm, they were also the new owners of the video game making division of the company, LucasArts.

But on May 6, 2013 Disney dealt the final blow to LucasArts video game creating days as they announced Electronic Arts would now develop Star Wars based games.

So, where did it all go wrong?

Well honestly, there’s enough blame to go around.

In the years leading up to Disney’s major purchase, LucasArts had a number of titles that were in various stages of production.

One of these titles was Star Wars 1313.

Star Wars 1313 was a cancelled action-adventure-based project that was centered on a bounty hunter/mercenary based game.

The game was to be a new direction of Star Wars games as it had little to no emphasis on Jedi/Force action.

What sucks most about this game being cancelled is the actual gameplay.

If you just watch that trailer of the gameplay, you’d completely understand how much this hurts Star Wars fans.

I mean, this game looks epically awesome and the fact that we most likely will never see it is just…painful.

Another video game title that was cancelled before completion was an abstract game called Rebel Warrior.

This game is something very similar to what I’ve been desperately wanting from Star Wars for a very long time.

The game is based in the early days of the Empire where you play as a Wookie who bashes Imperial Stormtrooper’s heads in with all the fury a Wookie carries within.

As the creature’s homeworld of Kashyyyk is under a heavy assault and blockade, these hairy beasts wreak havoc in a much darker, intended for a more mature audience game.

Once again, sadly we’ll never see this game come to fruition.

The next game that was cancelled is by far the most crushing of the three…

The game focused around fan-favorite Darth Maul and how our favorite double-bladed lightsaber combatant traversed the Galaxy.

The game’s direction was meant to shine light on the previously unknown tales of Maul’s journeys up to the Battle of Geonosis.

Designed by RedFly Studios, this game was another unfortunate cancellation that we will never forget.

As time goes on, it seems eerily strange that a once prominent and bountiful Star Wars genre of video games is oddly missing from today’s world.

Of course there are games like Star Wars Battlefront, Star Wars Knights of the Fallen Empire and Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes but the old titles that boasted diversity, ingenuity and story mode-based adventures are gone.

They’re a thing of the past now.

It’s strangely reminiscent of Ben Kenobi telling Luke in A New Hope of the Jedi saying “For over a thousand generations the Jedi knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic…before the dark times. Before, the Empire.”

Tragically, those “dark times” are now.

Isn’t it ironic that in an age with immense and superior technology, we’re still waiting for a Star Wars game as good as those from the early 2000’s?

All we can do is hope and pray.

I wish I could influence EA somehow to just create a dozen unique and different Star Wars games.

Alas, I do not have that power.

But figuratively, I would say there has to be some optimism in this.

You have to figure that sooner than later, EA will get it together and realize the vast amount of money available in this recently untouched market and exploit it.

For now, we must wait.

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars Battlefront Announces New Material

Today the folks at EA announced new content for Star Wars Battlefront.

Surprising? No.

About time? You got that right.

The new material will be released in different time increments with the earliest portion being dropped tomorrow.

A detailed list of what’s to come was posted on the game’s Facebook account.

Tomorrow

• The Tatooine Survival map will now support the Blast, Droid Run, Drop Zone, Hero Hunt, and Heroes vs Villains multiplayer modes, and is called Raider Camp.
• New Hoth-themed outfits for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, both of which will be available to all fans when they play as these two iconic characters on Hoth – these were unlocked by our players for completing our Heroes’ Holiday community mission last month.
• We are giving players the ability to create Private Matches, which makes playing with friends even easier.
• The introduction of Daily Challenges and Community Events. These are designed to rally the Community around certain goals and objectives, giving players the chance to earn credits and unlocks even faster. We’ll have more news regarding Community Events and Daily Challenges in the days ahead.
• And of course, we are also including some overall balancing tweaks to both weapons and multiplayer modes.

February 

• A new Survival mission on Hoth, and a brand-new Hoth multiplayer map that will support our larger game modes including Walker Assault, Supremacy, Fighter Squadron and Turning Point.
•  Turning Point will be available on all maps that currently support Walker Assault and Supremacy in the February update.

March

• A new multiplayer map on Endor that will support Walker Assault, Supremacy, and Turning Point, and an additional Tatooine Survival map.

 

Now that you’ve seen all of that, it’s time to talk about it.

For starters, all of this will be free.

That’s awesome and very cool of EA.

However, we gamers are not stupid and for those who payed for EA’s “epic” Season Pass, we should be quite disappointed.

Before today, no one had any clue what was going on with the Season Pass.

It was as if EA took everyone’s money and just said “Oh well, we’re just going to keep this and not give you anything extra because well, we think we deserve it…”

But alas, our disappointment has come to an end as a bit of clarity was finally introduced.

The Season Pass too was announced which gives us all quite a bit of excitement.

Here’s what we can expect.

 

• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Outer Rim (March 2016) – Fight among the factories of Sullust and battle within Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine
• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Bespin (Summer 2016) – It’s hunt or be hunted in this action-packed experience set in the Cloud City of Bespin
• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Death Star (Fall 2016) – That’s no moon! One of the most iconic locations in the Star Wars universe makes its debut in Star Wars Battlefront.
• Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Expansion Pack 4 – Title TBA (Early 2017) – We will have more details to share about this exciting new expansion pack in the coming months.

 

All four of these maps seem like they’re going to be so much fun.

Although the game thus far has been mildly okay and predictably repetitive with only five maps, this is a direct injection of jubilation.

The guys over at EA are not stupid.

They’re very wise to release two maps rather than just one in the first expansion pack for the Season Pass in March.

Now besides the new maps, what I’m most looking forward to is the new costumes to Han and Luke.

As you can see in the cover photo, it looks pretty clean.

I think from an aesthetics standpoint, to see a blue lightsaber upon the crystal-white landscape on Hoth will look incredibly awesome.

For Han, his costume just looks like the same old Han. Badass.

Another important update that EA is adding (tomorrow) is the “overall balancing tweaks to both weapons and multiplayer modes.”

To put it lightly…this is very much needed.

Some weapons are just way too powerful and others are just extremely weak.

It’s a great piece of the game to improve on so, well done EA.

Just to put things in perspective, it was very important that we at long last recieved an update about the Season Pass and about the future of this game.

Believe me, it needed it in the most severest of ways.

As a Star Wars fan and a gamer, it’s very hard to play a game for hours upon hours when it only features five maps with very limited characters.

Basically, the game was getting ridiculously boring…

On top of that, so many people including myself purchased the Season Pass and since the game came out in November, no one had any idea what was the deal with it.

January is almost over and to STILL not have any idea what’s going on with that was a major problem so I’m glad EA fixed that.

All in all, EA seems to have done a nice job with these fixes and additions.

I’m really looking forward to playing them and seeing everything in action!

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Did All the Star Wars Video Games Go!?

From 1999 to approximately 2008, there were dozens and dozens of Star Wars video games out in circulation.

From Star Wars Battlefront to Star Wars Republic Commando, these games were filled with epic fun.

But as Lucasfilm began to slow down, so did Lucasarts.

For those who don’t know, after Disney’s purchase of Star Wars in 2012, things began to take a turn for the worst for Lucasarts.

Sadly, it was announced in May of 2013 that Electronic Arts would assume the mantle of developing and creating Star Wars video games.

This ended Lucasarts multi-decade run.

However, Lucasarts continued to develop mobile, social, tablet and online game categories.

But enough of the technical stuff, let’s get down to business.

So, why has Star Wars video games seen a major lack of production and business??

Well, I think there are multiple angles to this.

First off, I think a Star Wars game, before it’s even created has a pristine reputation of greatness and awesomeness.

In other words, people are going to buy this game and they are going to expect an excellent product.

Sadly, Star Wars video games have not done so well as of late.

The Force Unleashed games were crushed by critics, Battlefront II came out in 2005 (long 10 year gap to the Battlefront game released last month) and let’s face it, when was the last time a GOOD Star Wars game even came out!?

Look, I liked The Force Unleashed but I wasn’t crazy about it.

There was just something about it that felt un-Star Warsy…

You see my all-time favorite SW games ever are the following..

5. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

The graphics for this game were so poor that it was funny and you know what? I didn’t even care. I loved this game because it was wacky and wild. It was totally out there as in strange things would happen to you. I last played this game over 15 years ago so I’ll be honest with you and say I don’t remember a whole lot. With that being said, what I do remember is endless adventures of insane fun and laughter-filled action.

4. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

Where do I even start? This game was filled to the brim with action. There were unfair dogfights that would always end in me being so upset when my X-wing was shot down. But that’s what makes the game so much fun. It wasn’t easy, in fact I remember I was incredibly terrible at the game! Nonetheless, I deeply enjoyed it. I remember trying to take down AT-AT’s on Hoth, trying to save General Reiken from Imperial bombers and dogfighting it out on Tatooine. Awesome game, I miss it dearly.

3. Star Wars: Republic Commando

Just the other day I was playing this one. Republic Commando is not just one of the greatest Star Wars games but in my opinion, it’s up there with one of the best games EVER. The reason being, I’ve never seen any glitching throughout the game. Another reason being,  when you, as a squad leader issue commands to your team, they ALWAYS listen as they would in real life. Also, it’s so much fun seeing what the beginning of the Clone Wars on Geonosis were like. I still talk to my friends to this day on how awesome this game was and it was released all the way back in 2005!

2. Star Wars: Jedi Outcast

This game had the best multiplayer game of any Star Wars game…ever. No, I’m not talking about online action but against computers. You could even play splitscreen with a buddy as you take on 14 computer players. The lightsaber combat is one of a kind (even today), the force powers are awesomely accurate and that’s not even the best part of the game! Jedi Outcast has the greatest story mode out of any game I’ve ever played. From Kyle Katarn starting off as a non-force user to slowly but surely regaining his powerful abilities of the force, this game was awesome.

1. Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2

Hands down best Star Wars games ever. The combat was like nothing else, no other game to this day has been able to match the intense, thrilling way each battle was carried out. The maps in both of these games were insane. They were all so accurate that it’s mind boggling that they were released in 2004 and 2005. Not to mention the graphics. I feel as if this game had better graphics than many today! But the best part of these games was the game mode..yep, you guessed it, Galactic Conquest. I have never played any game in my life, back then and today where I had as much fun. You’re taking over the Galaxy as you fight from one world to the next! What could be better? For this reason alone, this is why the new Battlefront game will never come close to what these two achieved. Shame on you EA and DICE for taking out such a beloved game mode.

Now back to why Star Wars video games have seen a major lack of production and business…

I believe a major part of it today is the fact that people will buy any game out there.

There is such a strong demand for video games that companies just have to put them out there and people will throw money at them.

Think of Madden or Fifa for example…

These games are released every year with very little difference each time.

How does EA get away with this?

People don’t care, they just want the game.

It’s a shame really, I think that that is the central point to this whole Star Wars video game fiasco.

Video game developers don’t want to take on Star Wars games because they’re just too big and too intricate.

But, is there a bright side to all of this? You bet.

I think with The Force Awakens being released, we should finally start to see the dried up riverbed of Star Wars video games begin to replenish.

I’m hoping that Star Wars Battlefront will pave the way and start a long domino effect.

Lord knows we’ve all been waiting!

-Sith Pacify out

 

 

 

 

My Take on Star Wars Battlefront

Exactly at midnight on Monday night or early Tuesday morning, (however you want to look at it) I finally had my copy of Star Wars Battlefront.

By the time I got into it, I had an early idea on how the experience playing this game was going to go…

Honestly, it was breathtaking.

For starters, I have never seen a game with better graphics and better sound effects.

When you’re staring behind the scope of your E-11, firing into the chest of a stormtrooper, you can feel the energy shooting out of your weapon.

The bright, quick-hitting colors throughout the entire game is what sets this one apart.

The gameplay is very user-friendly and it’s easy to get the hang of it.

It’s fun to play, very entertaining and engaging and best of all, extremely addicting.

The game’s “team deathmatch” mode which is called Blast, is a basic team against team, first to 100 kills.

But the difference between this game and say Battlefield, the game is timed for a simple and short 10 minutes.

After playing two or three games of “Blast” in a row, I had other engagements that needed tending to and thus was preparing to turn off my system.

To my surprise, I found myself continuously going back and playing another one while I said to myself, “Just one more…”.

That’s exactly what you want in a game.

An addicting game, is a great game.

As for the ship-to-ship combat, I have a couple points to make.

If you’ve ever played Battlefield 4, you’ll most likely agree that the air combat is slim and far in between.

Basically, it’s close to impossible to fight and dominate the skies with a helicopter.

Now, in Battlefront, I’m not going to say it’s easy but it’s a lot more straightforward to fight in the sky.

It’s a real breath of fresh air in the fact that dogfights are not as hard to control as past DICE games and are a whole lot of fun.

As for the heroes and lightsaber combat, well you’re going wish you could always use a blade of energy to clash with your enemies.

The first impression I had when I saw the Emperor striding along on the battle field was shock and excitement.

I was walking through a landing platform that had massive cargo boxes all over the place when a shrouded figure dressed in black and my character practically ran into each other…

It was a short rendezvous as I quickly succumbed to the debilitating lightning surging through Ol’ Palpy’s fingers.

Look, the heroes are awesome.

It is so much fun to go around the fighting as Vader and just completely dominate your Rebel enemies.

Another game mode that is very fun too is “Heroes vs Villains”.

You’re either the Rebels or the Imperials and depending on the side, you get Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia or the Emperor, Boba Fett and Darth Vader.

Three out of however many other players are on your side get to be the heroes and the rest are foot soldiers.

It’s just an awesome time as you cut down Rebel soldiers and engage Luke in a saber match.

All in all, Star Wars Battlefront is a must-buy for any Star Wars fan and for gamers who like shooters, you’re going to really enjoy it as well.

I hope this is one of many Star Wars games as we’ve had a major drought in the past 10 years besides a few.

If you’re on the fence on whether or not you should purchase this game, I say you go for it.

Well done DICE and EA, job well done.

-Sith Pacify out