Ranking every Star Wars Battlefront game: The best in the series

1 month ago 2

Box key art for Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection

There have been many Star Wars video games released over the years, but none of them have achieved the popularity of the Star Wars: Battlefront series. To many Star Wars fans, these games are the epitome of action and fun set in a galaxy far, far away. Fans don't just witness the iconic battles taking place, but can actively participate and change the outcome of them. Whether you fight for the Republic in the ranks of the clone army, or stand to bring order to the galaxy with the Galactic Empire, the Star Wars: Battlefront games are nothing short of exciting. Without question, they are some of the best Star Wars games ever released on home consoles and PC that fans continue to play to this day.

But if Star Wars Battlefront is a series that resonates with fans so much, what are the best games in the series that everyone should play? It's not as simple as one may think, no matter how many hours of EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 someone might play online capturing command posts. Your focus might determine your reality, but that doesn't mean it's easy deciding the best ranking for the Battlefront releases that everyone loves. Time to watch those wrist rockets and rank each of the Star Wars: Battlefront games.

The golden age of Star Wars video games

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6 Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron

A shell of another

A screenshot of gameplay from Star Wars Battlefront Elite Squadron

Source: LucasArts

While some fans of the series enjoy playing Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron on the PlayStation Portable, the sad truth is that the game is the hollow husk of another title that never came to be. But what is there for this game is the blueprint for a competent Battlefront game that is trying to do ambitious things. Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is the first entry in the series to attempt to connect ground and space combat together, allowing players to transition from one part of the battle to the other. The effects of one part of the battle could affect the other in different ways. Although it wasn't as seamless as intended, the game accomplishes this for the most part. However, this concept and many of the gameplay elements within are remnants of the canceled Star Wars Battlefront III that was planned for a 2008 release. While that game never came to be, a lot of its characteristics, and even some specific files, can be found within Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron on the PSP.

The game had an original story for its campaign, focusing on two brothers (X1 and X2) that get involved in battles through multiple eras of Star Wars. On the multiplayer side of things, custom characters and loadouts were limited, but offered a slight level of personalization for each faction and the weapons available. This was a bit deeper than the previous PSP game with a total of 8 classes to use in battle. Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron was released on the PSP and the Nintendo DS, with slight differences between both versions. The game on DS uses a different perspective and doesn't feature the same level of customization for character classes, and the campaign is missing a few missions from the PSP version.

5 Star Wars: Battlefront (2004)

The original command post

This is the game that started it all, putting players in the shoes of a trooper on the battlefront in the Star Wars galaxy. The original Star Wars: Battlefront is a simple, yet incredibly solid experience that is still fun to play to this day. A lot of the extra features and perks from later sequels are completely absent here, but that doesn't take away from the fun factor of getting onto the battlefield and engaging in big conflicts. It's as basic and pure for the series as one can get, with all the staples that would become part of every game going forward. Capturing command posts, depleting reinforcements, switching classes during the conflict, and piloting various vehicles to make an impact on the battle. This was also the first appearance of the Galactic Conquest mode, which had players struggling for control of planets and using special bonuses to dominate a galactic map. This would become very popular in later entries in the series, despite not having an online component to the game mode.

For many players in 2004, this was one of the best Star Wars games to come out for the PlayStation 2, original Xbox, and PC. The release of the original Star Wars: Battlefront was also at the same time as the Star Wars Trilogy DVD set of the first three films. This was part of an ongoing campaign to keep the momentum up for the franchise, which was seeing the Star Wars prequel films release in theaters around that time. The game was later re-released as part of the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection, which paired it together with its sequel.

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4 Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron

An original PSP skirmish

Source: LucasArts

Released in 2007 for the PlayStation Portable, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the third game in the series. While not the Battlefront III many wanted at the time, this was the first portable Battlefront game to come out. While Renegade Squadron is inspired by the games that came before it, it attempts to do unique and different things that the series had never broached before. Players can customize a trooper to use on the battlefield, adding an element of personalization for the online mode, which supports up to 16 players in a game via the PSP Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure connectivity. In favor of this, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron moves away from the class system that previous entries relied on, which received a mixed reaction from everyone.

The campaign of Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron was an original story set during the battles of the original trilogy, starting before the Battle of Yavin and ending at the Battle of Endor. Han Solo commands a squad of elite troopers within the Rebellion, which influence the events of the major battles seen in the movies. While it was an interesting concept, the story was brief and not as well received by fans. However, the Galactic Conquest mode makes a return, with a few changes that feel like upgrades from the previous games, including how planets are controlled and what abilities each faction can execute. But the biggest hurdle for everyone were the controls of the game, which were still limited by the PSP's design. Although the game was played a lot, it still received a mixed reception from most players because of its shortcomings.

3 EA's Star Wars Battlefront (2015)

A reboot that feels light

Source: Electronic Arts

The return of Star Wars: Battlefront was a big deal to Star Wars fans in 2015. However, it wasn't as smooth of a comeback as many hoped it would be, especially for Electronic Arts when they released their first Battlefront title on new consoles. EA's Star Wars Battlefront is a visually beautiful game, arguably one of the best-looking Star Wars games, but one with a very slim amount of content. The game was developed by DICE and released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It also received four DLC expansions following its initial release that added new maps and other additional content.

This Battlefront game did not have a campaign like the ones before it, but instead focused more on multiplayer modes and a collection of single-player missions that were inspired by online multiplayer. For many, this was not a great thing to see, especially when previous Battlefront titles had story campaigns that stood out. But EA's Star Wars Battlefront did include new game modes that mixed up the traditional gameplay of the series, adding new objectives and approaches to battles that were fresh. Walker Assault saw the Rebel Alliance trying to take down an Imperial walker before it reached a destination, while Cargo had both factions trying to steal resources from the other. And to spotlight many of the Star Wars characters included in the game, Heroes vs Villains and Hero Assault let players play as their favorite Star Wars characters on the battlefield.

But for a more traditional Battlefront experience, Supremacy was the standard mode that felt closer to previous games, tasking players with capturing command posts on key points of the large maps, and pushing the opposition back. This was a multi-layered approach to the Conquest style of battles, which made the matches in EA's Star Wars Battlefront feel bigger. However, the game only featured one era of the franchise, with no inclusion of Clone Wars content or anything else beyond the original trilogy. For many fans, this was a big step back after previous games included the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War factions.

2 EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017)

The battles rage onward

The sequel to EA's first Star Wars Battlefront game has a rocky history. Upon release in 2017, the reception to EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 was anything but positive, but over time, developer DICE made changes that turned people over. Eventually, a large community of players continued to support EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 long after the company stopped releasing updates and new content. As a whole, this Battlefront game has many great aspects of the series that people love. This includes the abundance of heroes to play as, multiple eras and factions, large maps based on various planets, and different game modes based to keep things dynamic and fresh. However, much of this was negated at launch because of the game's heavy emphasis on loot crates and randomized perks for class units, which was not received well by fans. It wasn't until later, when that aspect of the game was removed, that EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2 began to find its footing with Star Wars fans.

One of the biggest changes to Star Wars Battlefront 2 was the inclusion of a campaign with an original story from the point of view of someone working for The Empire. The plot revolves around Iden Versio, an Imperial pilot who is part of Inferno Squad during the battles after the Battle of Endor, and leading into the events of Episode VII: The Force Awakens. The campaign took players to multiple planets, and even involved a few surprise appearances by classic Star Wars characters, to tell its story. Some people felt the campaign was average, even though they appreciated it finally being part of the package for the sequel. Iden Versio was played by actress Janina Gavankar, who voiced the character and lent her likeness.

Online multiplayer was a huge aspect of EA's Star Wars Battlefront 2, which included modes from the previous game and added a few extra ones. Battles were lage scale skirmishes and took place in multiple eras. Matchmaking allowed players to pick from The Clone Wars, Galactic Civil War, and Resistance Era before picking a game mode. For many, this was a huge upgrade since it enabled more heroes and more units to be added to the game. Following its release, a large community of players have modded the game on PC and opened up a massive level of creativity to continuously support the game online.

1 Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

Greatest battles in the galaxy

For many Star Wars fans who play video games, the absolute peak of the Battlefront series was none other than Star Wars: Battlefront II. The game was made by Pandemic and released for the PlayStation 2, original Xbox, and PC in 2005. A version of the game was also released on the PSP around the same time, but is seen as a lighter version of the experience on consoles. Battlefront II from Pandemic is a major improvement on everything from the first game, but also continues to be a high point for the series decades after its initial release. Many players cite this game as having the best gameplay of the series, the best collection of heroes to play as, and the best versions of maps and game modes to date. When fans mention Galactic Conquest, they are often talking about the version included in Star Wars: Battlefront II, because of how fun it was to engage with.

Much of this game highlights aspects of Star Wars that were featured in Episode 3: Revenge of Sith, mainly because the game and the film were released around the same time. This allowed Star Wars: Battlefront II to include content from both the original and prequel trilogies, including newer stuff from the movie at that time. But the game receives a lot of praise for how good it feels to control and play through multiple game modes, including Conquest and Heroes vs Villains on every map. Earlier versions of the game had variations of content between platforms, with the Xbox getting more maps and heroes. However, the version included in the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection compiled all the content into one place, creating an almost definitive version of the game for its re-release.

If there's one thing that Star Wars: Battlefront II is known for, it's the campaign mode that tells the story of the 501st legion, better known as Vader's Fist. This story takes players through the battles of the Clone Wars to the middle of the Galactic Civil War, highlighting events from Order 66 and the rise of the Empire. It's one of the few Star Wars games that depicts Order 66, letting everyone play through the fall of the Jedi Temple and what happens afterward. But the Star Wars: Battlefront II campaign also gets a lot of praise for having Star Wars actor Temura Morison do the voiceover of the story, adding a deeper layer of authenticity to the experience and weight to the darker moments. As a total package, Star Wars: Battlefront II is still viewed by many as one of the best Star Wars games ever released on any platform.

Just like the simulations

The Star Wars: Battlefront games are beloved by Star Wars fans, and continue to receive praise from gamers years after they were released. They resonate not only as great Star Wars titles, but also as great shooters that people love to go back to. The series has garnered so much support over time that many still shout loudly for another new game, hoping that Star Wars: Battlefront III would eventually be developed and released. Players will continue to capture command posts, and drop in as their favorite lightsaber-wielding hero while reinforcements are being depleted. While nothing is certain, and no plans from Electronic Arts or anyone else are known, people will still continue to express their enthusiasm for these games and how much they make us want to return to a galaxy far, far away. Just don't forget to watch those wrist rockets!