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In this game you can play one of four armies: the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, the Galactic Republic, or the Confederacy of Independent Systems (C.I.S.). Each army offers five different basic troops to utilize: a heavy weapons trooper, sniper, pilot, solider, and one specialized unit. The game also offers the chance to play with some of the big toys of the Star Wars universe including the Trade Federation AAT (Armored Assault Tank), the All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE walker) of the Republic, the X-wing Starfighter, and the Mighty All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT walker). It is with these tools that you must set out in your campaign for galactic conquest. There are three different types of game play: an Historical Campaign that follows the Story of Episodes I-VI, a Campaign Galactic Conquest in which you most conquer a set of planets to win the game, and Instant Action where you can choose the planets and forces you wish to play with and set up a series of scenarios to play. There are also three ways in which to play the game: first a Single Player campaign, next two Offline Multiplayer Modes a Split Screen Mode and a System Link Mode that supports up to ten players, third there is Xbox Live! that supports up to twenty-four players.

The game play is a lot of fun, especially multiplayer. There is a certain satisfaction to seeing a friend go flying though the air as the AT-AT's heavy laser impacts on them, or dropping to the ground as you score the crucial headshot. The basic objective of the game is to destroy the enemy. There are two ways to win a scenario: first, each side has a set number of reinforcements and the first to drop to zero loses; the second way is when each side has a number Command Posts they control - if any one side can take all the enemies command posts they achieve victory.

The user interface (UI) is fairly simple to master and makes playing infantry fun, however beginners might have some trouble learning to control some vehicles and starfighters. Once you have learned the basic controls of the game, it becomes a lot of fun to try different tactics whether it be piloting vehicles or sneaking around with troops to take objectives. One of the more innovative features in the game is a listing of all players and bots and their statistics including stats like nemesis (who killed you the most), Favorite Class (what you played the most), and Headshots (do you have to ask) after completing each map. It also includes a section with awards that are given for a variety of achievements. For example, Camper is who staked out one location the most during a game; or, Traitor who killed the most teammates during the game. These facts add a bit of levity and interest between games.

The Historical campaigns are fairly scripted leading you though the stories of the Star Wars movies. I have heard complaints from friends that this scripting and inability to choose your side has been a drawback for them. I, however, found this to be an enjoyable series of missions and maps and the cut-scenes from the movies made for an enjoyable story. The experience of these missions both in the single player mode and the split screen mode were similar, nevertheless I found I enjoyed playing the split screen version of the historical campaign a bit more. The ability to have a friend there to help you take certain objectives and wreak havoc on the enemy was a definite advantage. It is, however, in this mode that some of the weakness of the AI become apparent. When you see the game's NPCs on both sides just standing waiting to be gunned down, you lose some of the immersion. It's particularly disappointing when you see a major character like Darth Vader just standing on a street corner not moving until an enemy approaches. While AI does seem to have some issues, most enemies react accurately and are quite adept at getting the job done.

The Galactic Conquest Campaigns have a fairly simple principal - you must take all the planets and hold them. To do this, you must first conquer the two maps on each planet. For each planet you control you gain some advantage. For example, by winning the two missions on Tatooine and capturing the planet you gain the advantage of having a Jedi (or Sith) fight for you. This campaign leads in with a choice of what campaign you want to play and after that you're given a choice of sides. From there a short tutorial explains what the campaign is about. After exiting the tutorial you are allowed to choose the planet you wish to take first. I had a lot of fun playing these. There's a certain amount of fun to taking a planet and crushing it beneath your heel.

The final type of gameplay is the Instant Action. This allows you to choose the planet, map and which armies you wish to use. It was fun to set up a series of maps and have a friend take one side of the battle and I take the other and go head to head. This is also the mode I found myself playing most often if I wanted a quick game or just to play with friends.

I enjoy Battlefront. I feel that LucasArts and Pandemic have done a good job bringing the Star Wars universe to a game that goes where many other Star Wars games have not. Despite the issues with the AI, the overall game is a lot of fun and going head to head against friends is a true pleasure. While I can see lots of little things I might have added to spice up the scenarios, I must admit the variety of maps make for some difficult terrain types - from the large open spaces of Naboo with little cover to the warrens of Streets of Mos Eisley - each offers a different way to play the game. I can with a whole heart recommend this game if you're a fan of the Star Wars universe. It is a true pleasure to mount up in and take to the Icy plains of Hoth in an AT-AT and Crush the Rebels. I eagerly wait to see what comes next.