In this Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection review, we'd like to take a look at Aspyr media's attempt to remaster Pandemic's beloved shooters. For those who've never played the original titles, this game offers both in one serving. However, does this remaster, with online multiplayer and some new additions justify its $34.99 price tag. Let's find out as we review Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review – What Is The Classic Collection?

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is a remaster of Pandemic's original titles, Battlefront I and II, from 2004-2005. Overall, these first-and-third-person shooter games let you fight epic large-scale battles throughout the first six films of the series. Furthermore, both games let you play in iconic settings, while the sequel even lets you take the fight out into space.

The cool thing about Battlefront is that, instead of playing as Jedi, you play as the nameless soldiers of the war. Whether you're a Super Battle Droid or Stormtrooper, the game lets you play as all sorts of soldier types seen throughout the movies. Furthermore, Battlefront II even lets you play as your favorite Jedi, along with other hero characters of the series.

The game is developed and published by Aspyr Media, who previously worked on porting several other Star Wars titles in the past. The game released for PC via Steam, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. At launch, the game was released for $34.99 USD plus tax.

Now that we got the basics out of the way, its time to review The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review – Story

Overall, both titles in this collection come with a story mode. Firstly, Battlefront I's campaign contains missions that follow the overall story of the series. Furthermore, you have the opportunity to play as all four major sides of the war (CIS, Republic, Rebel, Empire). While not a groundbreaking campaign that provides anything new, it still offers some charm.

For example, in the CIS campaign, you get a chance to play as a regular battle droid with an automatic blaster rifle. In other modes, only the Super Battle Droid comes equipped with an automatic weapon. Again, not the craziest thing, but it's little details like these that make the levels more memorable.

However, Battlefront II upped the ante with an awesome campaign, which follows the 501st Clone Battalion/Imperial Legion throughout the events of the films. Furthermore, each level is accompanied by a cutscene narrated by Temuera Morrison. His voice fits well with the increasingly dark tones of the campaign.

You go from working alongside Jedi at Geonosis, to delivering their defeat across the galaxy. While it's a shame to see no campaign treatment for the droids, or even the rebel scum, the 501st campaign makes for an excellent story. Perhaps the most exciting mission takes place on Coruscant, where the Clones, now led by Anakin, take down the Jedi temple. It offers a chance to re-live one of the most emotional moments of the prequel trilogy, and a unique gameplay mission where you fight Jedis instead of any of the other forces.

Furthermore, I love being able to play as Stormtroopers against the CIS in some of the later missions. Unique interactions like these always gave me incentive to re-visit the campaign because of the variety in levels and the overall narrative.

I think Aspyr had an opportunity here to potentially add more story content, but it's not terrible that they didn't. Overall, the main selling point of this title was its online component and gameplay, rather than a narrative. That's because Battlefront puts you in control of the every day nameless soldiers ready to die for their cause.

However, we're going to see that not much content was even added elsewhere in this title soon enough.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review – Gameplay

Overall, both Battlefront titles come with the following modes outside of the story: Instant Action, Galactic Conquest, Online Multiplayer. Each mode works similarly in each game, but with some differences in each. However, we'll start first with the basics.

However, let me start off with one major complaint. The loading screen sound effect in the Classic Collection for Battlefront I sucks. Why did the original sound go away? And why, dear Lord, did we replace it with an awful new sound effect? Anyways, let's move on to the gameplay.

Battlefront lets you play as the four major armies from the original six movies. This includes the Clones (Republic), Droids (CIS), Stormtroopers (Empire), or Rebel scum. Each army includes a base soldier type that comes with an automatic weapon, secondary weapon, and grenade/missiles. This means you can play as the all-powerful Droidekas, the jetpack roaming Dark Trooper, or even Wookies.

Each class comes with their own weapons and unique uses. For example, an Engineer can fix vehicles and drop supplies. Meanwhile, Rocket soldiers of any type deal massive damage to vehicles. Snipers can drop down auto-turrets, or defend command posts from afar. Overall, there's a trooper who all prove useful in some way or another.

Additionally, both Battlefront games enable players to pilot vehicles (both ground and air). Whether you partake in Battlefront II's space battles, or pilot the AT-AT on Hoth, almost all maps offer vehicles of some kind. In fact, Battlefront II lets players take the fight out into space, where you can win in one of several ways.

You can blow up a ships defenses and major systems, or go directly inside the sabotage the vessel. Or, you can fly through the sky, taking down enemy ships and cruisers. Space battles in Battlefront II offer a ton of fun, and a break from the regular ground-based combat.

Lastly, Battlefront II allows players to control Hero characters, like Han Solo, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Count Dooku, and much more. Furthermore, Hero modes, like Hero Assault, let you play as your favorite hero characters and pits you against other. Each hero comes with special abilities, with some able to even float in the air for brief periods of time.

Overall, you can enjoy playing as these soldiers and heroes in any of the several offered modes:

In Instant Action, you create a playlist consisting of any map and mode in the game. Want to fight in the icy tunnels of Rhen Var as the Clones? Want to shoot down Rebel scum in the space above Polis Massa or Naboo? The choice is yours.

For Galactic Conquest,  the mode varies in each game. Overall, Battlefront I's Galactic Conquest lets you and your opponent take turns in capturing planets. When you earn a certain amount of wins, you can earn a take over a whole planet for free. It feels pretty simple, but offers a nice experience for those looking who want a mode with some sort of progression.

However, Battlefront II upgraded the Conquest system by adding an in-game shop full of useful items. You can use your requisitions to get more ammo, Jedi Support, or troop types. Personally, I prefer just unlocking Engineers and rocket soldiers so that teammates don't spawn as less useful classes.

In terms of actual in-game modes, both Battlefront titles offer a wide variety. Overall, modes like Conquest,  CTF, Hunt, Hero Assault, and more keep the gameplay fresh and addicting. We recommend trying out each mode at least once, as they all offer something different. However, nothing beats the classic conquest experience. Just hearing my superior shout “Hostile reinforcements have captured a command post” pumps adrenaline in my blood.

And sorry Helldivers fans, but “For The Republic” Will always sound cooler than “For Managed Democracy”.

So, now that we discussed some of the game's modes, how does it actually feel to play in 2024?

Overall, the gameplay for Battlefront Classic Collection feels fine, if not uninspired. Personally, I like how they didn't change the HUD, keeping everything relatively the same. Outside of the terrible loading screen sound, this IS Star Wars Battlefront I and II as I remember.

Everything from controls, maps, troops, and vehicles all feel like the original versions, which is a good thing. The developers didn't try to add any fancy new mechanics to change up the gameplay. However, I also feel they missed out on an opportunity to add more content. Overall, seeing all the original maps return is good, but they couldn't have added more? Just look at the Battlefront Modding community, who still to this day make some incredible maps for the game.

That's not all. In fact, why did the developers not add any new modes, or perhaps a mode-specific vehicle. Considering the game was already made, how much more work would it take just to implement some of these ideas. Personally, I felt it was a missed opportunity on their part. Now, it looks more like they just hit copy/paste and banked on nostalgia doing all the work for them.

So, if the gameplay feels exactly the same, and there's barely any new content, what's the point of buying this version?

Well, the developers added Online Multiplayer, which at launch was a complete disaster. Only three 64-player launch servers on release day made it almost impossible to join a game. While these issues can hopefully be fixed, it just lessens the value of the game even more. Therefore, until the issue gets resolved, the game's main selling point becomes its biggest weakness.

In terms of new content, the developers expanded Hero Assault. You can now play this mode on several maps you weren't able to before, which is nice. However, as one of the only new additions to content, it feels pretty small.

Overall, it seems disappointing the developers couldn't add anything, both for story or gameplay content, outside of very minor changes. We believe Aspyr missed an opportunity here to create more content, or at least a roadmap of content to come. While the game already offers a nice variety of maps and modes, it never hurts to add more. At least then people still have a choice of what mode they want to play.

Let's be honest, the main reason people should buy this game is either A) they want to play online, or B) don't own the original versions. However, both Xbox and PC users can still buy the original games, with the former being limited to just solo-play, for much cheaper. So, if you like to play alone, then just buy both games individually and save your money.

Even if you wanted to play it online, the state of multiplayer is a mess at launch. Therefore, until the online server situation is fixed, there's no extra reason to buy this game beyond a few small extra features. Furthermore, it does not include Crossplay.

Yes, you heard that right. No Cross-play, for a game that released on several consoles, which will just hurt the game's longevity even more. At some point, and possibly soon, you won't be able to find a full 64-player lobby, due to the population for the game being split among several platforms. That, along with the technical issues at launch, just hurt the game's main selling point even more.

At the very least, the game does offer local co-op, which lets you play with friends in the same room. This at least makes the game a viable option for a game-night with your pals. However, as mentioned earlier, the original versions also offer offline co-op, so you really don't need the Classic Collection if that's all you use it for.

Co-op, itself, is a blast in this game. Whether you plan on conquering a whole galaxy in Galactic Conquest, or taking turns picking maps on Instant Action, there's endless fun to be had here. Furthermore, the controls feel fine, and there hasn't been any eye-glaring glitches yet that ruin the single-player experience.

Overall, the gameplay of the Classic Collection feels fine, but lacks anything new to make it unique. Outside of online-play (With no cross-play) nothing new is offered outside of a minor change here and there. We're not sure if the online alone justifies the price for a game over 20 years old. It's a shame, because I, along with many others, were looking forward to this remaster, and really wanted it to be good. We don't think Aspry necessarily did anything to ruin the gameplay, but we wish they did a bit more to show they care for the series.

Nevertheless, for PS4/5 users, as well as Switch owners, this may be your only way of playing the original titles. In that case, if you really want to play these games, even for solo play, then it's not the worst purchase. Nevertheless, I recommend waiting for sale.

Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review – Graphics & Audio

Overall, the remaster looks fine, considering we're talking about games roughly 20 years in age. The textures look a bit better, but otherwise, it looks identical to the original experience. Maps like Bespin Cloud City and Rhen Var Citadel still look impressive to this day.

Both Battlefront games are visually charming, both in map design, character design, and overall likeness to the series. I love watching the blaster fire zoom in the air during a heated contest for a command post. The amount of players on the field, both on ground and in space, help it resemble the visuals of the films.

The HUD itself looks fine, resembling the original game but with very minor differences. Although I understand why some do not like that, I personally like how very little it changed from the original experience.

For Audio, almost everything sounds as we remember it. Outside of a new terrible loading screen sound (I'm still annoyed about that), everything sounds about the same. I played a few matches on the Classic Collection and then on my Original Xbox version, and there weren't many differences.

Overall, we're gonna go easy on both graphics and audio in this Star Wars Battlefront Classic Review, which for the most part, retain their original identity. Aspry did a good job retaining the look and feel of the originals.

Review Verdict: Is The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Worth Your Time & Money?

In terms of gameplay, The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection brings back a beloved gaming experience that offers more fun than many online games today. It takes you away from the microtransaction infested sphere of the gaming world, and takes you back to a simpler time with cheat codes instead of season passes and skins.

However, we're not really sure if a $34.99 USD price tag is low enough, given the lack of new content and the rough state of online at launch. Setting aside the typical online problems that seem to plague most releases, The Classic Collection offers value only to those on Switch, PS5, or PS4 who can't play the original copies, or buy the original versions on the marketplace.

Furthermore, Xbox and PC players can just buy the original titles for much cheaper, though the former won't be able to play online. However, for couch-coop and solo players, this isn't really an issue. Therefore, we only recommend the game to people who plan on playing the game's online mode on consoles only.

Overall, you just need to think if the price tag justifies how much you actually plan to play online. If you have a dedicated group of friends who love Battlefront, then perhaps this is a great deal for you. If you only see yourself playing a few matches, then perhaps the original versions might suit you better.

However, to counter that argument, let me remind you that the game comes with no microtransactions, season passes, or any extra add-ons. So the price you pay now is the only one, whereas most modern online games require a limb just to buy an armor skin. Regardless, the price still feels bit steep.

And personally, I could forgive the online issues at launch. I went easy on Helldivers 2, which also had a rough online launch. However, the Classic Collection just didn't offer much to persuade me past its asking price.

Aspyr could've maybe added some more content other than an expanded hero assault mode. Whether it was a brand new mode, or maybe a new map or two, something more could've been added. The gameplay and addictive elements are already there, and we feel they missed the opportunity to add more.

So, to end it all of, we think The Classic Collection is okay, if not overpriced, lacking new content, and plagued with online issues at launch. While the gameplay experience is great, we feel mixed about the other glaring issues, some of which hopefully get resolved.

We understand those on PlayStation or Switch buying this product, but Xbox and PC owners have other ways of playing the classics, even if the former can't play online. Regardless, we hope you do like the game, should you decide to purchase it. That wraps up our review of Star Wars Battlefront Collection. Nevertheless, we hope you do enjoy blasting away Rebel scum if you decide to revisit these beloved titles.

Final Score: 6/10

For more gaming news, visit ClutchPoints. Lastly, subscribe to our ClutchPoints Gaming Newsletter for more gaming info.