The Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is a technically serviceable port of two of the most beloved Star Wars games ever made. The online is a mixed experience, and what appears to be the inclusion of modded content that was unapproved, despite the devs saying it would be removed, is rather questionable. Still, if you want to play these games offline on a console, it’s a decent option.
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
Developer: Aspyr
Price: $35
Platform: PS4, PS5 (reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS5 code for review
As a kid, I played Star Wars: Battlefront II almost nonstop. As a Prequels-obsessed child, I would load up Instant Action mode with all sorts of maps and game modes and play for hours on end while making up my own little Star Wars stories. Then as a young adult, I’d play it on Steam and mess around with mods and the like. As such, I was excited to mess around with both Battlefront games on modern consoles. In that regard, it’s an alright choice, but that’s about it.
Both games are available on the opening splash screen, with it being easy enough to swap between them at will. Both games are quite close to how you remember them, with snappy shooting and large, sprawling maps filled with Easter eggs from across the first six Star Wars films. I had a lot of fun revisiting old maps and battles, with Mos Eisley’s Hero Assault remaining an incredibly exciting and goofy option. A lot of love was put into the original game, and returning to this nearly 20-year-old title is admittedly a pleasant throwback to simpler times in both life and the Star Wars franchise itself.
Being able to play as Kit Fisto and Asajj Ventress on any console is neat, given their previous Xbox exclusivity, though the fact that Ventress seemed to include modded content without the permission of the person who developed it is shifty.
“I enjoyed it for this purpose, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed at how lackluster any additions or tune-ups in this collection seem to be.“
The online multiplayer is a mixed experience. Though I’d have periods of consistency, there were a fair number of times when things would heavily lag as opponents jittered about, making for some rather uneven matches. It’s certainly nice to be able to play with people, but the quality of online play isn’t quite up to snuff at this time.
Given that both games are available separately on Steam for a lower price than this collection, it’s hard to justify purchasing this package instead of the sufficient original versions. Multiplayer being subpar means it’s robbed of its main selling point at the moment, barring a potential forthcoming update. As such, the primary benefit of grabbing this collection is simply playing single-player modes on a console rather than a computer. I enjoyed it for this purpose, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed at how lackluster any additions or tune-ups in this collection seem to be.
The Final Word
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is a solid option if you want to relive some single-player nostalgia but outside of console availability, you can do this for less money already on PC.
MonsterVine Rating: 3 out of 5 – Average
