One of Star Wars’ Most Compelling Stories Never Told Almost Happened 8 Years Ago

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Back in 2017, Star Wars: Battlefront II had a promising concept for a story-focused single-player campaign, but it didn’t quite deliver. While not the first game in the Battlefront series – which was known for its large-scale multiplayer battles and big maps – the game’s visuals and core gameplay were generally well-liked. However, it was heavily criticized for its aggressive use of loot boxes and in-game purchases, which even caught the attention of governments worldwide.

The game’s story mode also received a lot of criticism when it first came out. While it looked polished, the single-player campaign only lasted about six hours and had a plot that was easy to guess. It started with some interesting ideas but quickly made them too simple, wasting their potential. Even now, years later, it’s disappointing to think about how great the Battlefront II campaign could have been.

Star Wars: Battlefront II Almost Had A Great Campaign Mode

Star Wars: Battlefront II, created by DICE, shines as a multiplayer experience, though it’s a bit disappointing because the game has a great idea for a more substantial single-player story. Similar to many online shooting games, the solo campaign in Battlefront II mainly serves as a long tutorial, designed to teach players how to fight in the game’s various multiplayer modes.

Because of this, the story sometimes takes detours to better fit what players experienced during testing. This can mean side quests with heroes that don’t directly advance the main plot, or unexpected twists added to justify changes to the game’s world. It’s disappointing, because the core idea behind the story is actually quite interesting, but these changes make the plot feel rushed and unimportant.

The story of Battlefront II centers around Iden Versio, the commander of a special Imperial team. The game begins during the Battle of Endor, the same time as the events in Return of the Jedi, and its first mission culminates in the destruction of the second Death Star. Iden is an interesting character who genuinely believes the Empire’s methods are the only way to bring peace to the galaxy, even if it requires harsh measures. She’s shocked when the Death Star is destroyed and immediately leads her team to fight against the Rebels. As the daughter of a respected Admiral, Iden is devastated by the Empire’s downfall and wants to keep fighting—but she soon learns that the remaining Imperial forces plan to regain power by committing genocide across the galaxy through a plan called Operation: Cinder.

The game started with a fascinating idea: exploring who within the Empire could genuinely believe in its cause. It presented a fresh perspective by showing the Empire’s cruelty without excusing it, and introduced a soldier players could relate to as a person. This had the potential to be a truly great, lengthy story – perhaps ten hours or more – where the character’s loyalty to the Empire slowly crumbled as she recognized its flaws. However, the final game didn’t quite deliver on that promise.

8 Years Later, I Still Wish Battlefront II’s Campaign Had Been Better

Iden Versio is a unique character in Star Wars because, despite working for the Empire, she isn’t simply portrayed as evil. She’s driven by intense anger, which feels understandable given the losses the Empire has endured during the war with the Rebels. From her perspective, the Rebels are terrorists attempting to destabilize a galaxy still recovering from the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi, and she sees no reason to view them any other way.

The main character is fascinating, and her journey touches on a central idea of the series – finding redemption. It’s interesting to see her break free from the harmful control of the society she grew up in. However, this strong story is weakened when she and her love interest quickly switch sides to join the Rebels.

Early in the story, the characters discover the true extent of Operation: Cinder, and are deeply disturbed by it, leading them to side with the Rebels. This plot development feels natural considering the larger Star Wars universe, and I don’t mind that it’s the main focus of the story.

I was really let down that a promising storyline – watching someone deeply loyal to the Empire slowly change their views – was wrapped up so quickly. It had the potential to explore the appealing side of the Empire and the flaws of the Rebellion, eventually showing that the Empire’s focus on security came at too high a price. But instead, after just a few missions, the story fell into the typical good versus evil pattern of the series. Iden’s switch to the Rebellion felt rushed and too simple, reinforcing the familiar “Rebels versus Empire” conflict that’s been central to the franchise.

The story in Battlefront II had the potential to be truly compelling, offering a nuanced look at morality during wartime. It could have explored a character’s gradual disillusionment with everything she believed, rather than a sudden change of heart about the Empire. Ultimately, however, switching the focus to the Rebels feels like a way to simply let players test out the game’s multiplayer features—ships, heroes, and so on—with a much simpler storyline.

I believe the game’s story could have achieved its goals without weakening Iden’s character development. For example, Del could have initially appeared to switch sides, with Iden slowly understanding his perspective as the conflict continued. The story could also have explored Iden’s struggles against her father and more rigid colleagues, highlighting how her commitment to doing what’s right clashed with the desperate actions of the remaining Imperial forces. Another option could have been a section where Iden went undercover as a defector, letting players experience the Rebel side while still focusing on her personal journey.

I really loved the idea of playing as Iden Versio, going from an Imperial soldier to a Rebel. If they’d really dug into that story, it could have been amazing for the whole Star Wars universe. Imagine a whole campaign just focused on her journey, not jumping around to other characters! That would have made Battlefront II a game everyone would want, even if they didn’t care about the multiplayer. Sadly, it ended up being a cool concept that felt a little too predictable, you know?

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2025-11-15 01:12