By Dean Moses
Game: Star Wars Hunters
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Rating: T for Teens
Cost: Free-to-play
Star Wars fans hold onto your helmets because a new free-to-play iteration is promised to hold hours of online fun with friends. Similar to games like Overwatch, Star Wars: Hunters is an arena-based multiplayer game set in a galaxy far, far away and features many of alien species, characters, and planets from the science fiction franchise.
Game Play
Star Wars: Hunters allows players to choose a character ranging in abilities, many must be unlocked, and set on various game-style missions (death match, capture command points, and others). Each of these match types occur in an arena of your choosing, like the planet Vespaara with its twilight appearance, the forests of Ewok Village, Mos Espa Podrace, Dune Sea Outpost, Death Star Crossfire, and the Vandor Railyard. There are some battles fought with lightsabers or blasters, while others may select a Wookiee whose brute strength can knock down any contender. There are 13 playable characters to pick from upon booting up the game, including a Jedi, droid, and bounty hunter. Each has their own abilities, like healing, firepower, and strength (are they a tank, support, or damage character). The combination of weapons and skills allows players to customize their experience.
Game Modes
There are four game types to choose from like Squad Battle, Dynamic Control, Power Control, Trophy Chase. Also, after a few matches, the Ranked playlist is unlocked allowing you to compete with other squads for bragging rights. After unlocking this mode and the roster of characters, the drive to continue playing reduces significantly. Then there are those who want to just purchase those quick upgrades, making the competitive playing field a landmine of frustration.
Conclusion
When playing with friends Star Wars: Hunters can provide hours of fun, but on your own facing off with other online gamers it becomes repetitive and tedious. While the game is free-to-play there are a lot of in-game purchases to help level up your characters or choose special features.
