By: Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County TimesThere have been other Star Wars games that let you play from the point of view of the Sith. But if you’ve ever wondered about the duties and moral conflicts of an Imperial officer, you’re in luck.
Starting tomorrow on the Epic Game Store you can download Star Wars Battlefront II: Celebration Edition, on PC for free. The game, which still runs for $39.99 on Steam, and carries the same base price on the Xbox and PlayStation storefronts (though it’s currently marked down 60 percent to $15.99 on the PlayStation store for the next week), is a three year old first person shooter. While it’s the online modes that appeal to most long term players, Battlefront II is notable for its single player story campaign.
The game, though set in the world of Star Wars, was developed by DICE, an EA owned studio with a long history of producing the Battlefield series of titles, some of the most popular games in the online shooter genre.
The Celebration Edition launched in December, 2019. It included the base game and all expansion content, including the – at the time – yet to be launched Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker content.
The first Star Wars Battlefront, which gave players access to epic battles set in the locations of the original trilogy, was fun for multiplayer gamers who wanted to play a game with a Star Wars veneer, but it was lacking in story content. Battlefront II addresses that shortcoming.
Without giving away any spoilers, the single player story bridges the gap between the end of Return of the Jedi and Episodes VI – IX. The story, which is even considered official canon, is told from the point of view of an Imperial special forces officer. The single player story won some critical acclaim, as did the improved battle mechanics in both modes, but with the Epic offer, you can make up your mind yourself without ponying up the $40 the game currently runs on most platforms. Of course if you aren’t interested in a story, you can always just jump straight into the multiplayer battles, just like any of the other DICE shooters.
The game, rated T for Teen, is available beginning Thursday, January 14 on the Epic Store at https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/star-wars-battlefront-2/home. You can check it out yourself there through next Thursday when a new free game will be added to the store. Even if you can’t or don’t want to play right away, it’s worth authorizing and adding to your Epic account.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
