Dave got to spend nearly a half-dozen hours playing the first two-thirds of Battlefront 2’s campaign. Here’s his top 5 favorite things about the game thus far!

You know we’re big fans of Star Wars here at Laser Time. Heck, Laser Time Episode 1 some seven years ago was all about Star Wars’ saddest spinoffs! So you know we’ve got an eye and ear for when Star Wars extended universe content properly cuts the mustard (and you can check out the episode below for proof)!

So believe when I say Star Wars Battlefront II is the most engaging Star Wars game campaign outside of Knights of the Old Republic. After spending the better part of a day playing as much of Battlefront II’s story mode as I could, I’ve picked out my five favorite things from the first eight missions in SWBF2. While the multiplayer may be marred with a bit of microtranaction-al controversy, I’ve had nothing but fun with the campaign. Check out my thoughts on that, with some gif-tastic action below!

5 – PILOTING A TIE FIGHTER

Even though you pilot an X-wing and the got-dang Millennium Falcon in the first two-thirds of Battlefront II’s campaign, my favorite flight-based mission was the TIE Fighter mission set within the wreckage of a large ship. While later stages feature more scenic views (an X-Wing flight through an aggressively alien planet) and madcap action (as Han Solo attempts an escape with the MF), the TIE mission has a wondrous mixture of both as you take in the serene beauty of the destruction before engaging in one of the more entertaining flight missions.

4 – IDEN VERSIO’S STORY

Betrayal, suspense, redemption… a Star Wars game innovates not these things. Yet somehow, Iden Versio’s story is able to still grab your attention due to the more personal story (penned by Vidjagame Apocalypse guest Walt Williams and Laser Time guest Mitch Dyer) and the amazing motion capture that no Star Wars story has been able to put forth before. Even though it has to share screen time with a few other notable Star Wars heroes, I was honestly the most intrigued by Versio’s road to redemption than checking in on old favorites. However, there was one exception…

3 – CONTROLLING LEIA

You’ll control quite a few cameo characters throughout Battlefront II’s campaign; in my 8-level playthrough I got to swing a lightsaber as Luke Skywalker and wield a blaster as Han Solo, but my favorite section of the campaign was leading Leia through an intense firefight on Naboo. Luke’s mission is the first non-Versio level you’ll encounter and it’s a little underwhelming to be honest, with a large portion of the combat dedicated to slaying bugs, while Han Solo’s level opens with a bit of a slog as you seek out intel sources within a bar, but Leia’s campaign level strikes another perfect balance. Naboo is a beautiful planet sure to bring back nostalgic memories, while the checkpoint-defense structure syncs wonderfully with Leia’s combat skills that include an area-of-effect shield. Add in a great level crecendo where you’re retreating up the Naboo palace steps while being chased by an AT-AT

2 – THE PATROL

As mentioned before, Walt Williams is the lead writer on Battlefront II, and if that name rings a bell as a gamer, it’s because he was also the maestro of Spec Ops: The Line’s insane campaign. Like Spec Ops, Battlefront II wrings a lot of great story beats out of some brief non-action sequences. Returning to Versio’s home planet, you observe the oppressive rule by the Empire as they round up and brutally interrogate peaceful citizens as a storm brews in the skies. It’s at this point that the story really hits a fevered pitch, and the quieter moments are the catalyst here.

1 – THE COMBAT

Of course, all of these cool story elements and crazy cameos would be all for naught if Battlefront II wasn’t fun, but boy howdy did I dig the *feel* of Battlefront II. Whether in first- or third-person perspective, the combat as Iden Versio gives you plenty of cool tools as you’d expect from a high-ranking Empire officer, but never making you feel like you’re some sort of Sith or Jedi deity. Between brutal stealth takedowns, droid-assisted strikes, and some cool skills to buffer the great weaponry (I particularly enjoyed a charging concussive blaster that played like a powered-up shotgun), I never felt overpowered during the campaign, but thanks to the great difficulty balance, it never felt like a cakewalk either.

Have you tried out Battlefront II’s campaign yet? What are your thoughts on the story? Let us know in the comments below! In the meantime, check out some of our multiplayer fun in the video below!