Let’s be real for a second. When Star Wars Battlefront 2 launched back in 2017, nobody was talking about the story. The entire internet was on fire over loot boxes and "pride and accomplishment." It was a mess. But buried under that mountain of PR disasters was a dedicated campaign that people had been begging for since the first EA reboot.
Fast forward to 2026. The servers are quieter, the drama is ancient history, and we’re left with a question: is the single player Star Wars Battlefront 2 experience actually worth your time?
Honestly, the answer depends on whether you want a deep RPG or just want to feel like you’re inside a $200 million movie.
The Iden Versio problem and the bait-and-switch
The marketing promised something we’d never really seen: a full story from the perspective of the Empire. We were supposed to be the "bad guys." Iden Versio, leader of the elite Inferno Squad, was pitched as a die-hard Imperial loyalist.
She wasn't just a faceless stormtrooper. She was a hero of the Empire.
Then the game actually came out.
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If you’ve played it, you know the twist comes fast. Like, really fast. By the fourth mission, "The Storm," Iden sees the Empire targeting her home planet of Vardos with Operation: Cinder—basically giant climate-altering satellites that wreck worlds. She defects. Just like that, you’re a Rebel. Again.
A lot of fans felt cheated. They wanted to see the internal logic of the Imperial machine, not another redemption arc we've seen a dozen times in Star Wars lore. But if you can get past that initial "wait, really?" moment, Janina Gavankar’s performance as Iden is actually one of the highlights of the modern Star Wars era. She brings a grit to the role that makes the transition feel earned, even if the writers rushed the timeline.
Why the gunplay feels different alone
Playing single player Star Wars Battlefront 2 feels nothing like the chaotic 40-player mess of Galactic Assault. It’s tighter. More deliberate.
The game uses a "Star Card" system even in the campaign. You get three slots to customize Iden’s abilities. My go-to was always the Shock Prod for her ID10 seeker droid. It’s basically a "get out of jail free" card when a group of Rebels (or Stormtroopers) pins you down.
Mission structure and the "Tour of the Galaxy"
The campaign is basically a greatest hits tour. You go from the forests of Endor to the shipyards of Fondor, and even the pillared cities of Naboo.
- The Space Combat: These are arguably the best parts of the solo experience. Flying a TIE Fighter through the wreckage of the second Death Star is peak immersion.
- The Hero Missions: Every few chapters, the game yanks you out of Iden’s boots to play as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Lando Calrissian.
- The Length: It’s short. You can breeze through the main 12 missions in about 5 to 6 hours. If you add the Resurrection DLC (which is free now), you get another 90 minutes that bridge the gap into the Sequel Trilogy.
The Hero missions are a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, who doesn't want to deflect blaster bolts as Luke on Pillio? On the other, it kills the narrative momentum. You’re trying to care about Iden’s journey, and suddenly you’re a 40-year-old Han Solo looking for a goatee-trimming kit or whatever he was doing on Takodana. It feels like a tutorial for the multiplayer heroes disguised as a story.
What about the "other" single player?
If you finish the campaign and still want more, the Instant Action and Arcade modes are where the real longevity is. This is what the 2005 original was famous for.
EA took years to get this right, but by the final update in 2020, they actually delivered. You can play massive "Supremacy" battles against bots on every single map. The AI isn't Einstein, but on "Expert" difficulty, they will absolutely wreck you if you run into the open.
They use Vanguard abilities. They roll. They even play the objectives.
If you’re someone who hates the sweatiness of online gaming—where a level 800 Boba Fett kills you from across the map every three seconds—this is the sweet spot. It’s the "sandbox" feel that makes Star Wars fun. You can just turn off your brain, pick a Clone Commando, and hold a command post on Felucia for twenty minutes.
The technical reality in 2026
Visually? The game is still a masterpiece. Frostbite is a cursed engine for developers, but man, does it render a thermal detonator beautifully. Even years later, the lighting on the rainy streets of Vardos or the sand dunes of Jakku holds up against modern PS5 and Xbox Series X titles.
But there’s jank.
The AI in the campaign can be staggeringly dumb. Sometimes they’ll just stare at a wall while you're shooting their friend two feet away. The "stealth" mechanics are also pretty basic. You have a crouch button and a silent takedown, but the levels are so linear that you usually end up in a forced shootout anyway. It’s a "shooting gallery" in the truest sense.
Is it worth a download?
If you can find it for under $10 (which it almost always is), yes.
Don't go in expecting The Last of Us or God of War levels of storytelling. It’s a popcorn flick. It’s the "B-plot" of the Star Wars universe that fills in some interesting gaps, like how the First Order actually started.
Actionable Next Steps for Players:
- Play "Resurrection" immediately after: Don't stop when the credits roll on the main story. The DLC contains the actual ending to Iden’s arc and ties directly into The Force Awakens.
- Adjust the "Soldier Zoom Sensitivity": The default settings in Battlefront 2 feel a bit "floaty" on controllers compared to Call of Duty or Apex Legends. Tighten those deadzones in the options menu for a better snap.
- Try Instant Action Missions: If the campaign felt too restrictive, go to the "Single Player" tab in the main menu and select "Instant Action." Set the bot count to high and enjoy the carnage without the lobby wait times.
The single player isn't the masterpiece we were promised in the trailers, but it's a solid, gorgeous piece of Star Wars media that deserves more than being a footnote in a loot box controversy.