Star Wars: Battlefront 2 has improved much since its loot box-filled launch in 2017, but there are still plenty of areas EA and DICE would need to change to make a potential Battlefront 3 sequel a better Star Wars game. Even before Battlefront 2 released, the game's pay-to-win, loot box-based upgrades were so reviled that EA was forced to change Battlefront 2's progression system.
After making those changes, however, it would have still cost players either 4,528 hours or $2,100 to unlock all content in the game, and backlash to this fact caused EA to simply turn off all of Battlefront 2's in-game purchases at launch. With the pay-to-win issue shelved, it looked like Battlefront 2 could turn out well, but that didn't solve its most critical flaws. Battlefront 2 was a bad video game when it released, with broken progression, a lackluster story, shallow gameplay, and a limited suite of modes and gameplay features.
Two years later and Battlefront 2 is a drastically different game, though. DICE has continued to make changes to its gameplay and systems, adding lots of new content along the way, including some of the basics it was missing at release. Battlefront 2's loot boxes can't be purchased with real money and only reward cosmetic items. Free updates have added new heroes, a Battlefield-like squad system, new maps, and new modes. In 2020, Battlefront 2 is a generally more well-rounded experience, with plenty of content for players to enjoy at no extra cost. Recently, EA celebrated how far the game has come with the Battlefront 2 Celebration Edition, which gives players access to the game and almost every so-far-released hero and trooper skin (normally obtained through free crates or direct microtransaction purchases) for $39.99.
The question now is how the Battlefront series will continue to evolve from here. Last fall, EA said Battlefront 3 was not in development, suggesting the company has plans to continue adding content to Battlefront 2. But with the amount of effort DICE has put into improving the game - not to mention how lucrative Star Wars games have the potential to be - it would be foolish to assume another game won't eventually be released. If DICE and EA want Battlefront 3 to be the best Star Wars game possible, they should consider improving these key areas beyond their current states in Battlefront 2.
Battlefront 3 Needs A Streamlined Progression System
Since loot boxes can't be bought and only contain cosmetic items, they feel like an odd, vestigial system, stuck to the game despite no longer being relevant. They should be cut from Battlefront 3 entirely - and the same can be said for the game's ability-granting Star Cards. After a Battlefront 2 progression overhaul in early 2018, Star Cards no longer come from loot boxes, instead being unlocked and upgraded as players earn points for playing as a particular class.
Without the pay-to-win system that encouraged players to spend money in order to obtain random ability card drops, Star Cards don't really have a place. Unlocking Star Cards on level-ups, purchasing and upgrading them with points, and then choosing only three of them to equip isn't an intuitive system. Battlefront 3 should let players equip gear, not cards. Abilities like the Acid Launcher and Ion Turret should be turned into tangible items that players upgrade rather than arcade-y cards they level up.
Battlefront 3 Needs To Go Bigger
Battlefront 2's biggest modes, Galactic Assault and Capital Supremacy, max out at 40 players, pitting teams of 20 against each other. In a game ostensibly meant to provide Star Wars versions of the large-scale battles found in DICE's Battlefield franchise, this isn't a very large number. The latest Battlefield game, Battlefield 5, maxes out at 64 players in teams of 32. An extra 12 players per team would do much to help Battlefront 3 better capture the feeling of epic, Attack of the Clones-like, large-scale battles. Then again, Battlefield has been stuck at 64 players for nearly two decades, while battle royales support 100.
But it's not just more players that Battlefront 3 needs - it's more variety and customization, too. The appeal of Pandemic Studios' original, early 2000's Battlefront games was the potential to set up any fantastical Star Wars battle a player could imagine. A player wanted to see Star Wars' Clone Wars-era droid army fighting off clone troopers on the Empire's Death Star? It was possible. But in 2017's Battlefront 2, most modes are locked to particular eras and maps. Co-op mode, for example, can only be played in the Clone Wars and New Republic eras, which also restricts its map selection to planets associated with those time periods. These rigid rules mean lots of Star Wars goodness - and lots of Battlefront 2's painstakingly detailed maps and skins - won't ever be seen by players who prefer certain modes.
Additionally, an oft-requested feature for Battlefront 2 is map voting before online matches, which Battlefront 3 should absolutely add.
Battlefront 3 Needs A Better Campaign
In the time leading up to its launch, EA teased a Battlefront 2 single-player story that would show the aftermath of the Empire's defeat at the end of Return of the Jedi, all from the perspective of an elite Imperial squad commander. It was an intriguing promise from EA Motive - the dev studio tasked with the campaign - especially given the original DICE Battlefront's complete lack of a story campaign, but it ended up being entirely underwhelming. Rather than an interesting, substantive look at a largely unknown era of Star Wars history, the campaign felt more like a sight-seeing tour or a Disney park ride, simply visiting famous Star Wars characters and locales with flimsy connective tissue and a nonsensical plot. It couldn't even keep the promise as playing as Imperials and experiencing their side.
The gameplay segments in the campaign were meant to train players (sort of) for multiplayer, but that meant generic, uninteresting content. Even the barebones campaign of Pandemic's 2005 Battlefront 2 provided a more interesting narrative, telling the story of the rise of the Empire from the viewpoint of a clone army with prior knowledge of Order 66.
Battlefront 3 Needs More Offline and Co-op Content
As a pick-up-and-play Star Wars game, Battlefront 3 is bound to attract many more players than just the usual "hardcore gamer." For people unfamiliar with shooters, jumping into online matches against other players can be a daunting proposition, but figuring out which Battlefront 2 modes can be played alone, with friends locally, or with friends online is a bit of a mess. Last fall, DICE added a great Co-op mode to Battlefront 2, but it is only playable with others online. If players want to enjoy the game together in split-screen couch co-op, they're limited to the two-player Arcade mode (which, conversely, is not playable with an online partner). Arcade has plenty of customization options but no objective-based game modes, meaning players will be stuck with boring horde survival and team deathmatch modes. Ideally, Battlefront 3 would allow players to fight against AI opponents alone or with a friend in any game mode, making things more intuitive and accessible. (Also, it goes without saying, but Battlefront 3 should support cross-play.)
While Battlefront 2 is a perfectly serviceable Star Wars game, it lacks the scale it deserves, and certain elements of its design feel too restrictive. If EA and DICE address these problem areas, it could give players the freedom they need to construct and participate in their dream Star Wars conflicts. Hopping into a match and being immersed in Battlefront 2's beautiful graphics and stellar sound design will always be enthralling at first, but Battlefront 3 needs more depth in order to fulfill the series' potential.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 released on November 17, 2017, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.