Star Wars fans should check out “Star Wars Battlefront,” no matter which side of the force they’re on.

The release of the game comes just before “Star Wars: the Force Awakens,” which premieres on Dec. 17. The game and movie brings more attention and hype to the franchise. 

Battlefront provides an epic Star Wars multiplayer shooter experience. The developers, EA DICE, known for the Battlefield series, are the perfect match for creating this game.

DICE nails the Star Wars vibe. Everything from the sound, look and atmosphere create the experience of being in one of the classic films. Players truly feel like a Storm Trooper by assaulting the rebel alliance on the frozen planet of Hoth or piloting an X-Wing as TIE Fighters scream past in an chaotic aerial dogfight.

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“Star Wars Battlefront” has a myriad of games modes. There is everything from classic team deathmatch to the 40 versus 40 battles in Supremacy or Walker Assault. Fighter Squadron stands out because it is a starfighter-only battle where players can play as the iconic Millennium Falcon or Slave I.

There are solo and co-op modes are non-competitive and include a bunch of tutorials.  They can be a good distraction from the multiplayer, but ultimately are not where most of the fun will take place.

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A small disappointment is the lack of landscapes or characters from the prequel movies. Some fans will probably count this as a blessing, but the prequels do have a few good moments. I would love to see more of these aspects included in the future. Focusing on the original trilogy was the right call, but a few nods to the prequels, or even the popular television series, would have been appreciated.

Furthermore, while there are more than a dozen different maps, the game only has four different visual themes or planets to play on. There are plans for new locations and planets to be explored in the future, but currently it lacks setting variety.

Hero characters are an enjoyable addition. Upon finding a powerup in a battle, a player can become one of six classic Star Wars characters such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. These heroes have unique abilities and more health than a typical character and mix up the experience.

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If a player desires to try out heroes, they can try the game mode Heroes versus Villains, a round-based game that gives players a chance to try a hero or villain every other round. It is one of the more fun game modes, and adds variety to the Battlefront formula.

Despite a large budget, developers did not have proper voice actors for the heroes. This is not new in video games, as licensed games rarely have actors provide voices for their characters in games. That said, the voice work for the heroes is extremely poor. None of the heroes sound like themselves and make gaining access to the hero less significant.

I worry this game will not have long legs. The progression system seems weak compared to other online shooters and even though there is downloadable content planned for the future, its steep price tag of $50 will turn many fans away.

“Star Wars Battlefront” is bound to upset some fans because the expectations for this game are monumental, but overall, this game is a fantastic multiplayer experience.

4 out of 5 stars

Grant Meyer can be reached at [email protected]