Battle Arena

Description
Battle Arena, by RepSharpshooter, is definitely in the upper echelon of mod works you'll see for this game, much like his [url=http://starwarsbattlefront.filefront.com/file/Unofficial_Star_Wars_Battlefront_II_v12_Patch;87597]Unofficial 1.2 Patch[/url].

Battle Arena is a small, symmetrical enclosure on which two teams should be able to fight a pretty even battle. The concept itself isn't new, but it's implemented so well that it's worth playing just to see. What'll stand out above most everything else is the use of non-standard SWBF2 models, including models from Squipple/Eddie, Wideboy, and of course a large number from RepSharpshooter himself. This makes for an experience that feels unique despite the simple map concept.

The map itself has definitely been designed with multiplayer in mind, as, in addition to the balanced setup, there has been a specific spectator booth set up. Choosing a spectator unit while on either team will remove one from the battle and put them in this booth. There, they can choose to use a remote camera to view the battlefield from a distance.

The biggest plus in my opinion was his addition of his custom sides. They don't necessarily feel very different, except for a higher health level, but the quality of the work put into them (you see the theme, yes?) puts them over the top. They use a custom playermodel that evokes a feel of some kind of "space marine" as well as more Earth-centric weaponry (with custom weapon sounds). Nearly everything in here is a custom model of some kind, with the exception of autoturret and grenade models.

There were only a couple minor issues I found. The only real "bug" that I found was that some of the weapons on the custom units were unable to be switched back to once they were switched away from. It's not a huge deal, but it's definitely fixable, which is why I bring it up. And if I were to say there were any other issues, the only other thing I would highlight would be the linearity of the gameplay. Like most maps that have the command posts all in a row, this map starts to feel very much the same after a couple playthroughs. Perhaps this is an unavoidable tradeoff for making the map this obviously balanced.

All in all, this is a fantastic example of the kind of polish anyone should be trying to shoot for when creating a map. Worth a download? Most definitely. Download, play, enjoy.

-Mav


[b]Video of map gameplay:[/b]