Saying that Star Wars Battlefront was the title that every single Star Wars fan was eagerly awaiting to get his/her greasy hands on would be an understatement. Like with all popular franchises, it sold like mad, with many gamers emptying their wallets without even spending some time to take a look at a screenshot or two. Not surprising for an overhyped product, the end result divided public opinion, with some falling in love with it and others not being able to accept how something carrying the Star Wars name could be such a disappointment. Will the first – and, for the time being, free – DLC, Battle of Jakku, manage to turn the tide?
The original game offered four different locations: the desert world of Tatooine, the icy planet of Hoth, the forest moon of Endor, and the hellish landscapes of Sullust. Battle of Jakku adds a whole new world, which is none other than the war-ravaged version of the planet introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
While adding maps from the new film was a pretty predictable move, those perceptive enough have already figured out what the problem with Jakku is: it’s Tatooine all over again! Luckily, it’s not a ridiculous carbon copy, and, yes, it does look stunning, but why not use something different, like, for example, the stormy, water world of Kamino, or even the heavenly Naboo?
The important addition, however, is the Turning Point mode, which flips around Walker Assault by placing the Rebel Alliance on the offensive. Like with the later one, it’s an epic 20-vs-20 battle, with the goal being to capture various control points, or defend them when in control of the Galactic Empire. The thing that gives this a feeling of urgency is the constant ticking of the clock, which forces the offense to try and secure these areas as fast as possible in order to add more sand to the hourglass, and open up even more control points further in the distance.
The idea is simple, but enjoyable. The problem is, once again, its similarity to the rest of Battlefront, with Turning Point being nothing more than Drop Zone with a slightly faster pace, and a much larger scale. In other words: those thirsty for more of the same will enjoy Battle of Jakku, but the rest should probably wait for something better – then again, there is no reason not to try this out since it’s actually free.
