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Originally released back in 2004, the first Star Wars Battlefront was a monumental release for the then-active multiplayer gaming scene. The game's single-player content was, of course, quite the big deal, but multiplayer is where the real goodies were. A powerful suite of modes, features, and gameplay options combined with the Star Wars IP powerhouse resulted in something truly special and monumental. Then, in 2005, we got Star Wars Battlefront 2, which doubled down on everything good about the original and introduced even more content to the mix. It was a hoot.
Now, in 2024, we're finally getting these old classics back into rotation. Indeed, with the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection, we are set and primed to re-experience what was so special about these games back in the day, but in a fully modernized format. What modernization developments have been delivered, though? How good of a PC do you need to play this new Battlefront? Is any new content making the cut? Only one way to find out!
READ MORE: Official Gameplay Trailer for the Star Wars Battlefront Collection
What is the Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection?
The Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection is an honest-to-goodness modernization of the two original Battlefront games. That's right: both of the classic Star Wars: Battlefront titles are included as well as a bunch of extra goodies - more on those below - but the most important bit is that it's all getting modernized for contemporary gaming systems and hardware. This means there should be absolutely no issues with compatibility or stability, judging by everything we've seen so far, allowing us all to jump straight into Galactic Conquest right off the bat.
It's important to understand, we think, that there's not a huge deal of all-new content present in the re-release of the classic Battlefront games. We'll go over all the specifics in the next section, but the gist of the Classic Collection is that it's an opportunity to re-experience what was there two decades ago, in a renewed and polished-up format. So, no new campaign modes and whatnot, but you do get to avoid any and all crashes, with support for both online and offline gameplay. Sweet!
Play the new Star Wars Battlefront Collection on Steam on March 14!
All Included Games and Bonus Content
As we suggested in the previous section, there are some key novelties being thrown into the Battlefront mix here after all. Notably, the Classic Collection comes with a suite of previously console-exclusive content, most of which will be particularly handy in the remastered version of Battlefront 2, specifically. Here's the full list of all the new goodies in this re-release:
- Star Wars: Battlefront - Jabba's Place Map
- Star Wars: Battlefront 2 - Bespin: Cloud City, Rhen Var: Harbor, Rhen Var: Citadel, Yavin 4: Arena
- Star Wars: Battlefront 2 - Asajj Ventress playable hero, Kit Fisto playable hero
Hardly a game-changer by any stretch, but definitely a nice-to-have set of goodies that should give even veteran Battlefront fans something new to fiddle around with. The bigger change, in our book, is that this re-release comes with an expanded Hero Assault mode, which is now going to be playable on all ground maps. This means the Death Star, Kashyyyk, Kamino, and Naboo will host Hero Assault for the first time ever.
This is a major change that will make the ever-popular Hero Assault mode that much more varied and interesting, allowing players to step into the shoes of Mace Windu, Darth Maul, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and many other classic Star Wars characters in lieu of the more generic combatants.
PC System Requirements and Visual Upgrades
One of the good things about proper, full-featured remasters of classic games is that they easily run on even the humblest of gaming rigs. Indeed, the Classic Collection of Battlefront is poised to make an appearance on our low-spec PC game list according to the official requirements:
- OS: Windows 8 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i3-3220
- GPU: Nvidia GTX 750
- RAM: 4 GB of memory
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 50 GB of free space
This is about as humble as it gets, and the really fascinating bit - in our book - is that this will make classic Battlefront games an absolute must-have for Steam Deck owners. The anti-cheat solution remains yet to be determined, but we think this shouldn't be a huge problem in and of itself.
The Ultimate Value Add for Classic Battlefront
Much could be said about DICE's modern re-envisioning of Star Wars: Battlefront. Though rocky at first, the franchise eventually did find its way and is, even today, an extremely solid experience that rewards the players' time and effort in all the ways that matter. Arguably, though, the new Battlefront failed to reach the ridiculous heights of the old Battlefront, and that's precisely why we think the Classic Collection is such a big deal.
This is, at its core, a "simple" modernization of a true must-play classic. A new opportunity and excuse to jump headfirst into one of the best Star Wars games of all time. Honestly, even if you're not too keen on the Star Wars IP, Battlefront is such a delightful experience that we have to recommend it still. And with such humble system requirements and a modernized hardware support stack, you've got no excuses not to play it on day one!
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection is priced at $35 and is due to release on March 14, 2024. Grab your Steam key via 2Game for a bonus discount!
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