TVG returns to the Dark Side of the Force in this follow-up to the best-selling Star Wars game...

Last year Activision released Pandemic’s Star Wars: Battlefront, which went on to become the best selling Star Wars title of all time. Mainly skewed towards a multiplayer audience, Battlefront allowed gamers to participate in large confrontations in some of the most recognisable locations in the Star Wars saga from Naboo to Hoth. Twelve months on and after the release of the final movie of the epic story, Revenge of the Sith, the Force is back in Star Wars: Battlefront II, which looks to the develop the original game's formula and take it to the next step. Activision have been very keen to point out that this latest instalment see improvements in three 'key' areas: the Jedi as playable characters, space based battles, and locations from Episode III, but can they alone push the franchise forward or will it just be a case of Battlefront reprised?

One area found distinctly lacking in the original title was the single-player campaign, which amounted to taking part in pitched battles through the Star Wars galaxy in chronological order to the movies; in other words, it was just a very lonely multiplayer experience. There was the Galactic Conquest campaign to play through, which involved (gasp) some strategy but all it really did was make you pray for the battle sequences. For Star Wars: Battlefront II however, Pandemic put more thought into the gameplay design of the single-player experience and created Rise of the Empire. Following the 501st division of the Republic's Clone Troopers, Rise of the Empire begins with a tutorial set on Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone Wars right through Episode III events including the execution of Order 66 (and the Jedi for that matter) to the Battle on Hoth in Empire Strikes Back. During the campaign the transition from Clone Trooper to Storm Trooper also occurs, although an explanation as to why the Storm Troopers are such bad shots isn't divulged. Galactic Conquest also makes a return in the game together with an Instant Action option that takes the form of a one-man version of the multiplayer game.

The Rise of the Empire has a more gameplay dynamic than the campaign in the previous title thanks to the more objective based missions that see players complete a series of goals before moving onto the next. Destroying shield generators, gathering items for the Chancellor's cause, or protecting objects from the enemy means that the game doesn't feel as stagnant as Battefront I, and therefore maintains player motivation at a good level. The addition of new units such as the Clone Commander (recognisable by his maroon cloak and bullet heavy chaingun) and even the appearance of the Jedi add further variety to the gameplay on offer.

Speaking of the Jedi, their addition seems to be the cause of some consternation in TVG Towers, but before we get into the detail lets take a look at these Knights of the Republic. The first Battlefront game featured the likes of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader et al though these were non-playable hero characters that helped to sustain the “Star Wars” in the game. Many fans were left slightly disheartened by this and so Pandemic have added them to the sequel as playable roles; but rather than make them a constant in the game, the Jedi's role in the game is more critical, only appearing to turn the tide of battle. Armed with a lightsaber and various Force powers they are one of the most formidable elements in the galaxy and as such can pretty much cut down any enemy in their path with relative ease, therefore their time on a planet is limited according to their effect on the battle. A high workload will lead to a longer time on the planet and therefore their effect will be greater.

To some in the Towers, the addition of the Jedi could have been greater with most of the criticism coming from their limited moves, which generally means slashes with a saber, throwing the lightsaber, or using a Force power. Perhaps it would have been neat to see some of the more intricate moves executed in the field of battle, but with cries in the office that the Jedi already sweep through opponents with ease, perhaps it's an indication that Pandemic have tried to get a balance and pleased neither camp.

Having grown up with the unbelievably brilliant X-Wing/TIE Fighter series of games in the PC, most other Star Wars space battles seem slow and less immersive. So when it was announced that Battlefront II would feature dogfights in space, I was more than sceptical. However, whilst they're definitely slower than the X-Wing series, the format of the sequences is undeniably Battlefront and therefore, they get away with it. Just. The dogfights are usually surrounded by some of the more gigantic spaceships that feature hanger bays and corridors leading to some of the more critical systems on board such as life support. Land a craft in one of the bays and destroy a couple of those systems and it'll be one step closer to being wiped out all together. What’s not explained is why players can skip the space battles all together in the Rise of the Empire game – why would anyone want to limit their experience?

One of the more unique skills in the space battles are the counterattack and defensive manoeuvres that need to be executed to dodge homing missiles and laser fire from enemies. Not only do these have a practical measure (i.e. to avoid being shot out of the sky) but they also look pretty cool, all the more so when some of classic John Williams scores are blasting out of the TV speakers.

Speaking of music, the audio in the game has been much improved this time around with a greater amount of speech and music from the six films making themselves heard. As with the locations, music from Revenge of the Sith has been added to Battlefront II so newer pieces such as Battle of the Heroes feature alongside older pieces such as Yoda’s Theme during the course of the game. Music is a massive contributor to immersion in any visual media, especially in videogames, but Williams' scores serve to firmly sit players into the action of Star Wars. Speech from the six films can also be heard during the course of the game with the 501st voiced by Jango Fett/Clone Trooper himself, Temuera Morrison, and lines from Obi-Wan, Luke Skywalker, and Yoda all present.

The third major point emphasised by Activision about Battlefront II are the various locations from Revenge of the Sith; the volcanic planet of Mustafar and a more in depth look at the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk just two of the Episode III planets. Pandemic have also delved into the saga's past and included a few new locations from the so-called classic trilogy including Princess Leia's Blockade Runner, Tantive IV (scene of Darth Vader's entrance at the beginning of A New Hope), and the most feared space station in the galaxy the International Space Station (only joking, we meant the Death Star.) All of the movie environments have been captured to a degree of detail with the white corridors of the Tantive IV contrasting beautifully with the black scheme of the Death Star.

It may look good, it may sound good, and it may have an improved single-player experience, but the core of Battlefront II's gameplay of course rests on the multiplayer. Raising the bar somewhat, Battlefront II can accommodate up to 24 players on PlayStation2, 32 on Xbox Live, and 64 on PC, with host players able to structure a lot of the game options to suit their needs including how the hero characters are used. Although the game relies on the multiplayer aspects, one of the key disappointments from the original was the distinct lack of a lobby that could be used to co-ordinate the battle ahead. In some cases friends wound up on opposing sides and were unable to swap teams until the end of the game, which proved to be a major inconvenience. When TVG attended a demonstration of the game earlier in the year, we asked representatives from LucasArts about whether the new Battlefront would feature an improved system; whilst they acknowledge that it did they suggested that a lobby system would not be in the game. Instead of including a lobby, the team at Pandemic have allowed players to swap sides mid-game, which should clear any problems and like the offline single-player game, unit classes can also be changed without dieing first.

The improvements added to Battlefront II do make the experience more rounded compared to last year although none of them really add significant improvements to what was already there. In many ways this is very much the game that the first Battlefront should have been - which would have saved fans from spending another £34.99 on another title. Is Battlefront going to be making another re-appearance in 2006, perhaps on the next-gen consoles? Who knows, but Pandemic will have to do something a bit special to ensure that Battlefront III is more than just an 'expansion pack' to the franchise.