The collection currently has a “Mostly Negative” rating roughly a day after launch. Out of the 2974 user reviews on Steam, only 20 percent are positive, which is abysmal. If it racked up more, it could easily rank among the likes of Overwatch 2 (where only 17 percent of its reviews are positive, and that’s before getting into the joke reviews).

That’s far from the legacy some fans expect from classics of this caliber. Is it ironic that despite how beloved the core games developed by Pandemic Studios are, they would face this kind of backlash, especially given the legacy of more recent Battlefront titles? Sure, but something’s got to give.

I should first clarify that I reviewed Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection on PlayStation 5, giving it an eight out of 10. Both titles are quite enjoyable and hold up pretty well, from the immersion of the battles to the solid performance, even with dozens of units on-screen at once. Trying different units depending on the strategy was fun, and Galactic Conquest in Battlefront 2 fed that “one more turn” itch usually reserved for tactical role-playing and turn-based strategy games. I didn’t try the multiplayer, much less split-screen, but even with some nagging issues, I find the collection quite enjoyable for solo play and still stand by my review.

However, there are some severe issues, as highlighted by how Aspyr (which worked on this re-release) chose to handle the technical side of its multiplayer rollout. Several players pointed out on Twitter and Steam that only three servers were available at launch to join. One server accommodates 64 players, and the peak concurrent count at launch was a whopping 9,232 players. You’ve probably noticed, but the math doesn’t add up. Even if Aspyr anticipated much less demand, and this is only for Steam, very few multiplayer games would launch servers accommodating only 192 players at launch.

Aspyr reportedly added new servers over the day, but the problems had only begun. Hero Assault, where one side controls heroes and the other side villains, has an issue where no one can join the hero side. Consider that the collection is the first time the mode is officially available on more than one map, a benefit reserved for the Xbox version of Battlefront 2 when it first launched.

Stuttering, terrible ping, excessive lag, no aim assist in multiplayer, bugs like the respawn timer remaining stuck on 1 (only fixed by relaunching the game), the Xbox Series S version reportedly crashing if you try to play Conquest with two controllers are connected – the list goes on. Though some reviews have pointed out that the server situation is improving, the sheer number of issues from what should have been a straightforward re-release is baffling. That’s not counting the lack of basic functions, like turning off inverted controls while engaging in space combat.

Again, while much of this may not seem a major issue if you’re a solo player, that’s not how Aspyr sold Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection. It was also marketed for the ability to play online, and seeing it handled like this, especially for a $40 re-release of titles nearly two decades old (regardless of how beloved), is disheartening.

You also have to remember that this is a passionate community, one that’s developed some pretty stellar mods for the original games. It’s from reskinned characters to resemble Ventress and Fisto on PC since they were exclusive to Xbox. It overhauled Galactic Conquest to resemble 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront and even added new heroes, maps, units, and campaigns.

It’s also a community that had to face the cancellation of Pandemic’s Star Wars: Battlefront 3 and deal with EA’s Star Wars Battlefront titles, the first lacking content at launch (never mind the paltry single-player offerings) and the second mired by a pay-to-win approach to loot boxes that took years of post-launch support to wash the stink off of.

How this happened is unknown, but this isn’t the first issue players have had with Aspyr and the Star Wars franchise. The first trailer for Battlefront Classic Collection faced controversy for using a mod of Asajj Ventress instead of how the actual character plays in-game. The developer admitted its mistake to IGN, revealing that this was “placeholder footage” and not meant to make it into the final trailer cut.

Of course, the less said about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, the better. Announced in September 2021 for PS5 and PC, development was reportedly paused after a less-than-stellar reception from studio heads to a vertical slice. It’s still reportedly in the works, though unlikely to arrive any time soon.

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection may have faced issues in its final months of development from internal turmoil. In a recent statement, Aspyr said it experienced “critical errors” with its network infrastructure, resulting in “incredibly high ping, matchmaking errors, crashes, and servers not appearing in the browser.” It’s working to address these and improve network stability and while this may explain the lack of servers, it doesn’t quite account for other quality control concerns.

The question now is how it proceeds, and whether it has the resources to properly support the Battlefront Classic Collection over an extended period. It continues supporting the recent Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, fixing missing textures, resolving crashes and fixing the lighting in certain areas, so there’s hope. However, since the collection’s concerns are multiplayer-focused, it remains to be seen if the single-player-focused studio can handle it.

Unfortunately, the first impression is usually the most important for multiplayer titles, and by botching the launch of online play, Aspyr may have muddled its long-term prospects. Improving that takes time and effort, but since this is effectively a re-release, that too competing with other multiplayer titles, it may not get its moment of redemption. Time will, of course, tell – after all, we’ve seen the Star Wars Battlefront franchise bounce back from much worse. Nevertheless, this is one collection that banks on positive reception from fans for survival, and right now, that’s in short supply.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Fortunately, the Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is here, packing both titles into one package and adding new content, like additional heroes and maps. While the issues that plagued the original releases are still intact, they’re a testament to a more streamlined approach that caters to both single-player and multiplayer fans.

Developed by the now-defunct Pandemic Studios, Star Wars: Battlefront 1 and 2 offered first and third-person shooter action at their core. However, they also jammed in other unconventional elements, from playing as heroes like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader to different unit types, each with unique weapons and kits.

From the outset, you have three modes in each title – Campaign, Galactic Conquest and Instant Action. Star Wars: Battlefront 1 covers two eras – the Clone Wars from the prequel trilogy and the Galactic Civil War from the original trilogy. Each features maps modelled after classic conflicts like the Assault on Yavin 4 and, of course, the Battle of Endor. You have a series of objectives, ranging from capturing points to destroying shield generators, with AI soldiers and vehicles by your side.

While the first Battlefront’s narrative approach more closely mirrors the films, Battlefront 2 follows the 501st Legion, from their battles for the Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems to their integration into the Galactic Empire and battling the Rebellion. The latter’s campaign offers a more eclectic variety of missions, from quelling prison riots to a suicide mission on Kashyyyk.

"Whichever title you prefer, Instant Action offers some quick gameplay without any story hang-ups. However, Galactic Conquest is arguably where it’s at for both titles."

The authenticity of each battle, from the sound effects to the music, definitely helps in that regard, but it’s surprising how good the shooting feels. From sniping to unleashing with a chaingun, it’s all on point, and each unit’s kit adds a different dimension to the conflict. You could be a sharpshooter taking out droids from a distance, or opt for a Dark Trooper with a jetpack.

You can also roll around as a Droideka and tank massive damage with a shield or gun down multiple enemies as a Super Battle Droid (who also has rockets). The controls for the Droideka can feel a bit awkward, but otherwise, every unit feels good to control. Even the vehicles are lots of fun – there’s just something about commanding an AT-TE and slowly but surely rolling over enemy units and vehicles as they’re helpless to stop you.

Instant Action is where players can play almost any faction on any map with heroes, even creating a playlist of maps to experience sequentially. While Conquest is the standard mode across both titles, Battlefront 2 spices things up with Hero Assault for hero-only battles, Capture the Flag and Space Assault to accommodate the new space battles. Whichever title you prefer, Instant Action offers some quick gameplay without any story hang-ups.

However, Galactic Conquest is arguably where it’s at for both titles. Battlefront sees two sides, either the Republic and Rebellion or the Confederacy and the Empire, battling over various locations on a map. Each side takes turns contesting locations that provide a bonus when fully captured (which provides benefits like jamming enemy sensors and preventing them from seeing your units on the mini-map). Winning four battles in total allows for activating a Secret Bonus ability for game-changing effects, like taking a location off the board completely.

"Unfortunately, as enjoyable as both titles can be, they do have their fair share of issues, the most prominent being the AI."

It’s pretty straightforward and allows for some strong back and forth. Battlefront 2, on the other hand, is where things really take off. This time, you have a fleet that traverses an actual galactic map and takes turns venturing through different routes. Some lead to enemy-controlled locations, which you can control by contesting a ground battle, and award Credits used to recruit new unit types and unlock consumable bonuses (like allowing you to use a hero when starting the mission).

However, your opponent is also making moves with their fleet, and if you clash in a location, the resulting space battle sees both fleets attempting to annihilate the other. From disabling sensors and functions to landing inside the opponent’s hangar bay to sabotage them from the inside, it’s a pitched battle with tangible stakes.

Galactic Conquest ends when one side controls all locations, and it’s possible to build multiple fleets to wage wars on several fronts. Overall, the gameplay loop is great. There’s that feeling of “one more turn” as you look to unseat an enemy’s rule over a location or destroy their fleet to reset them. Enlisting newer units and stacking different bonuses – which the enemy can also employ – keeps battles interesting.

Unfortunately, as enjoyable as both titles can be, they do have their fair share of issues, the most prominent being the AI. While the opposing side will quickly identify when you’re wrecking shop and focus fire, sometimes a little too well, to take you down, your allies alternate between lazing around on an objective or simply running into objects.

They’re more than content to let enemies waltz by and gun you down when they’re not running into grenades and getting blown up. While not a deal-breaker, it’s annoying enough to be noticeable (and may even cost you some matches where you can’t carry hard enough).

Also, while Galactic Conquest is enjoyable, the lack of variety in objectives can make it a little repetitive since it’s mostly Conquest matches. The space battles help to break the monotony and control well enough, but some more varied objectives – especially in Battlefront 2, with what its campaigns are capable of – would have been nice.

Visually, both titles are impressive even after all these years, particularly Battlefront 2. Performance is solid throughout, with dozens of units, vehicles, projectiles, explosions and more on-screen at a time with no slowdown whatsoever. It’s to be expected given their age and the sheer power of current-gen hardware, but still impressive all the same. Sadly, I couldn’t try out multiplayer, which supports up to 64 players and could provide a nice change of pace from Galactic Conquest.

"However, above all else, the collection is a window into a period of video games that didn’t need crazy progression systems and Star Cards to provide an enjoyable experience for dozens of hours."

Despite lingering issues from their bygone era, which can bring the experiences down, the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is still a must-buy for fans. Galactic Conquest is arguably worth the price of admission alone, even if Battlefront 2 is superior on that front over the original.

However, above all else, the collection is a window into a period of video games that didn’t need crazy progression systems and Star Cards to provide an enjoyable experience for dozens of hours. The fact that it runs this well and feels this good to play is just the cherry on top. More than anything, it really makes you wonder what could have been with the cancelled Star Wars: Battlefront 3.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection will launch next month, bringing both Battlefront and Battlefront 2 to modern platforms. Both games’ single player campaigns will be included, as well as the fan-favourite turn-based strategy mode, Galactic Conquest.

Of course, the main highlight here is going to be the multiplayer mode, with the massive 64-player battles of the original Battlefront duology returning, along with bonus maps and heroes being fully restored and integrated, and Hero Assault being made playable on all ground maps for the first time.

Beyond that, you can expect support for two-player offline splitscreen, as well as Trophies and Achievements.

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection launches on March 14 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can check out the collection’s announcement trailer below.

The PS2 and Xbox era saw an abundance of games in the ‘AA’ space, as big-name publishers were willing to give middling budgets for developing games that were experimental. Many franchises that fans love today were born out of this market, while some enjoyed decent successes and others failed to remain relevant for a long time. Pandemic Studios’ Mercenaries largely fits into the latter category, and remains a title that’s rarely brought up in discussions today – which ultimately begs the question, what the hell actually happened to Mercenaries?

Over a relatively short time span of six years, Pandemic Studios had crafted a reputation for itself with its Star Wars games – the original Battlefront and The Clone Wars. Coming right off the heels of the massively successful Star Wars Battlefront, the studio sought to create a game that combined open-world elements popularized by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series along with the action-packed combat that fans of franchises like Star Wars would resonate with.

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction was a third-person action game set in the near future. Set against a nation on the brink of war, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction featured an open-world environment that players were free to explore at their own will. You can hop into the game’s variety of vehicles, and wreak havoc to the game’s environments thanks to its destruction mechanics. There were also, of course, loads of side missions that players could partake in. There’s also a morality system that judges a player’s action and shifts the relationship of the player with different factions accordingly. The game also featured light-stealth elements, which while primitive adds some variety to the game’s combat.

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction released in 2005 to great critical reception. The game’s PS2 version stands at an 84 rating on Metacritic, which is certainly not shallow by any means. Critics lauded the game’s sandbox, which allowed for unique scenarios and opportunities for gameplay. Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is by no means a perfect game, there are obvious flaws to it. While the game tries to cram so many different genres together, it lacks polish on almost every front. The shooting isn’t as satisfying as a well, military shooter and the driving wasn’t very refined. No sales figures for the game have been known, but it seems safe to assume that it would have performed well enough to warrant a sequel either way.

Mercenaries 2: World of Flames was conceived shortly after the release of the first, but took almost 3 years to develop. The game’s protracted development cycle became the hot topic back in the day, with developer Pandemic Studios constantly shifting release dates. The game would finally release in August of 2008 for PS2, PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 and was dubbed as mostly mediocre by critics on release.

Mercenaries 2: World of Flames takes place in Venezuela, and largely follows the same themes of war and violence that worked so well in the original. Of course, there were some general improvements across the board – visuals are better, destruction mechanics were more refined, and the like. However, the game lacked polish – and largely fell prey to the same issues that were the subject of criticism with the first game. Mercenaries 2: World of Flames currently stands at a rating of 72 on Metacritic, which while respectable in its own right isn’t anything extraordinary.

Again, sales figures for the game aren’t made public, but given the fact that Mercenaries was a credible IP at the time, it seems safe to assume that the game might have performed well enough on a commercial front. The sentiment is further backed by the fact that Pandemic already had plans for another entry in the franchise, titled at the time Mercenaries 3: No Limits.

Of course, none of this actually meant much since Pandemic Studios was purchased by EA alongside Bioware in 2008. Pandemic shipped The Lord of the Rings: Conquest in 2009, which was another mediocre title from the developer. EA already had an increasing number of studios under its belt, and it isn’t uncommon for big-name publishers to either strip underperforming studios down to support roles or outright shut them down due to financial concerns. Pandemic Studios was already working on two new projects, Project X and Project Y – the latter of which was the aforementioned third entry in the Mercenaries franchise when it was revealed that the studio would be closing its doors.

Most employees were laid off, and 35 reportedly joined forces with Danger Close Games. Pandemic’s members in Danger Close Games would be given an opportunity to complete the game, which ultimately morphed into Mercs Inc. Unlike previous entries in the franchise, Mercs Inc. was a multiplayer shooter set in the Mercenaries universe. Not a lot is known about the game since it was promptly cancelled after Danger Close Games closed its doors following the disastrous release of Medal of Honor: Warfighter in 2012.

While Mercenaries did have some unique ideas up its sleeve, most would agree that it failed to find a strong footing in the industry. There were open-world games and there were games with destruction mechanics – and while Mercenaries tried to incorporate many things under one umbrella, it failed to reach a satisfactory level of polish in either of these fronts.

Of course, there’s also the fact that the industry was experiencing a larger shift towards games with more mature themes and multiplayer elements. Back in 2008, fast-paced action shooters were all the rage. EA’s own competitor, Medal of Honor was struggling to find its niche in a rapidly changing landscape – and repeated failures from Danger Close Games would ultimately result in the closure of the studio.

The future of the Mercenaries franchise is looking extremely bleak at this time. There’s been little to no rumours suggesting a revival of the franchise or even a remastered release for that matter. The only ray of hope that fans can cling to is the fact that EA renewed the ownership of the Mercenaries website earlier this year, which again doesn’t mean much. The legacy of Mercenaries was a short-lived one, and it was fun while it lasted.

Microsoft has once again announced a solid lineup of games available for free for Xbox Live Gold members following from March’s impressive lineup. April will see Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360 getting access to Star Wars: Battlefront II (the original 2005 release) as well as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2.

Meanwhile, Xbox One owners get access to those two as well, thanks to backwards compatibility. In addition, The Technomancer and Outcast: Second Contact are also available for free. The Technomancer and Star Wars: Battlefront II will go live for Games with Gold on April 1, with the former remaining live till April 30, and the latter till April 15.

On April 16, Outcast: Second Contact will be made free, and will remain free for a month, till May 15. April 16 will also see Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter going live, and it will remain free till April 30. It’s a good, solid lineup- Advanced Warfighter 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront II are great games that you should try out if you haven’t done so in the past. Outcast: Second Contact and The Technomancer are not without their issues, but at the price of free, are worth checking out as well.

The next batch of free games for Xbox Live Gold has been announced. In December 2018, subscribers will receive two Xbox One titles – QUBE 2 and Never Alone – and an Xbox 360 title – Dragon Age 2. Interestingly, an original Xbox title is also available, with Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.

While QUBE 2 will be available throughout the month, Never Alone is available from December 16th to January 15th, 2019. Dragon Age 2 can be claimed from December 1st to 15th, while Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is available from December 16th to 31st. As with previous months’ offerings, the Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles will be backwards compatible on Xbox One.

The inclusion of Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction is interesting because it means other original Xbox titles could be available for free in the future as well. The real question is: What can we expect? Perhaps classics like Panzer Dragoon Orta or Jade Empire? Time will tell, so we’ll see what the new year has to hold.

Star Wars Battlefront II has been in the news a lot over the last several months thanks to the fervour over loot boxes that the Electronic Arts published game kicked off, but we’re not here to talk about Star Wars Battlefront II, we’re talking about Star Wars: Battlefront II. Confused yet?

The classic shooter of the same name as Electronic Art’s reboot was originally developed by Pandemic Studios, and came out in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows and Xbox. As in the original Xbox, not the Xbox One. My brain hurts.

The PC version was revived with new multiplayer servers last October, and Disney has now issued a small patch for the game, of which you can find the patch notes below. It doesn’t change much.

While it’s good to see Disney take some pride and accomplishment in such a legacy product, the current gen version, Battlefront II 2017 recently launched content revolving around the latest movie in the saga, The Last Jedi. Will you be checking out the original title? Let us know in the comments.

Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) Patch Notes

• Minor bug fixes and optimized performance, the most important fixes are:
• Lobby functionality has been improved.
• Steam usernames should now display correctly.
• Ping calculations are more accurate.

Their first game is called BulletTrain, a title for iPhone and iPod Touch.
No release date as to when it’ll hit the App store has been given yet.

Pandemic Studios closed near the end of last year.

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