What is the most brutal front line in Star Wars history — the sands of Geonosis ? The rough icewinds of Hoth ? Theteddy bear - infuse terrorof Endor ’s forests ? The dark nights of Umbara ? The solvent we ’re face for was delivered 20 twelvemonth ago in one of the all - timeclassic Star Wars game : this bridge .
This week Lucasfilm and Aspyr confirm that the 2004 - 2005 shooters Battlefront and Battlefront II — not to be confused withBattlefront(2015 ) andBattlefront II ( 2017 ) , the reboot of the franchise by Battlefield developer DICE — will be released across personal computer and console as part of a newfangled solicitation . It will combine both games into a software with 64 - participant online multiplayer , re - integrated platform exclusive DLC characters and map , and expansions to its Hellenic heroes vs. villain mode , Hero Assault , to work across multiple maps in both game . Like many of the developer ’s preceding ports , it ’s a mode to bring some classic Star Wars gambling account to both a younger consultation and keep translation of them alive and kicking on modern-day platform . But for me in particular , and many other Battlefront diehard , it ’s a return to the biggest meat grinder the galaxy far , far aside had to offer .
I ’m talking about Bespin : Platforms , one of two maps inspired by the gaseous world in the original Battlefront . While a muckle of maps in both games were designed to highlight Battlefront ’s core appear of mass scale — huge , open areas where legions of reason troopers and vehicles ( speeder , tanks , starfighters ) could all smash up into each other as face compete for control of various command points — both Bespin maps were defined by their use of more urban sprawl to funnel sides at each other . Platforms in finical was the most simple saying of this theme : a series of symmetrical , complect tibanna gas mining platform , connected by a central platform spoking off two foresightful , narrow bridges . sure enough , you could skip in a starfighter and vanish around Bespin ’s notable cloud , but for the most part , this mapping was a war of attrition .
Image: Lucasfilm
Each bridge on either side of the primal weapons platform had little cover , save for a few tiny columns along each side that could barely hide one or two soldiers from the inevitable barrage of blaster fire that would be coming from either destruction of the bridge — themselves on raise lips to give everything from shielded droidekas to consecrated snipers sizable view of the killing field . If you were on foot and want to take over your opponents ’ command points , you had to get over these bridges , so AI bots and players alike would sprint to get funnel up and down these metaphorical charnel firm , make ground in by inch as victory was in the end decide less by strategical single-valued function control , and more by have on down the number of reenforcement tickets each side had , until there were literally no more body leave to fling at this Straight Line of Hell .
It ’s perhaps the most any Star Wars secret plan has been able to fulfil the odd Star Wars fantasy of “ naturalistic ” sci - fi warfare — Solo’sbattle of Mimban sequencedecades before that even survive . barbarous in a elbow room that was oddly charming for a licensed picture plot with trivial in the way of in writing vehemence , Bespin : Platforms was Star Wars run afoul distilled to its purest form — grand yet dim-witted , uproariously empty-headed yet still somehow epically memorable . There ’s a reason masses still recall about it as a quasi - form of video gaming PTSD , bring up to the fore again this week with the declaration of the Battlefront assemblage , despite the fact that it ’s not exactly an iconic location from the movie , just a space inspired by one that inadvertently became a legend in its own regard . To those that cognize the repugnance and delights of try on to advertize your resister back down those bridge at any toll , Bespin became as lively a front line in the Clone War and the Galactic Civil War as any of the infamous battles of the Star Wars saga .
When Battlefront Classic Collection releases in March , I ca n’t wait to find myself there again , crawling in by inch through blaster flaming , grenade blasts , and the inevitable body of my ally and enemies . Just , y’know , this time I ’ll endeavor to recollect towatch those carpus rocketsnow that I ’m slightly more experient .
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