I couldn't be happier to see the revival of Star Wars Battlefront 2 taking off years after release, finally providing a reason to revisit one of my favorite and most memorable shooters. Unfortunately, the resurgence in popularity has also resulted in countless hackers wreaking havoc on public servers, making it night unplayable for PC players. Despite its ongoing issues, revisiting Battlefront 2 years later has reminded me of one mechanic carried from the start of the franchise that has already solved my biggest concern with the multiplayer shooter genre at large.

Following its less-than-favorable launch, Battlefront 2 has come a long way since its inception, becoming by far one of the best multiplayer Star Wars games on the market. Although there's still no official word on whether we'll ever get a return to the franchise with the highly requested sequel, that doesn't mean the influence of the series has to end. With how expansive the matches of Battlefront can be, with massive numbers of players on top of larger-than-life heroes and villains scattered between them, Battlefront needed a creative solution to provide a satisfying gameplay experience for all players.

Battlefront's AI-Controlled Players Are Great For Players Of All Skill Levels

Offering Even More Scale And Satisfaction In Combat

One of the more unique aspects of the Battlefront series is how it tackles AI-controlled characters, filling up teams in large-scale matches with a plethora of generic soldiers. While this kind of inclusion would normally kill any concept of accomplishment in competitive gameplay, AI character mechanics pair perfectly with the more casual and cinematic style of a series like Battlefront​​​​​​. Combined with excellent fan-made mods that expand how the AI reacts and functions during matches, Battlefront 2 offers an incredibly satisfying gameplay experience that feels almost exactly like a scene right out of the films.

The main problem with these attempts at boosting player engagement comes from the deceptive aspect of their implementation.

Following the rise of professional gaming and Twitch streams, the shooter genre has become more competitive than ever, with a greater number of players wanting to rise to the top of the leaderboards by any means necessary. While many developers try to tackle this problem with skill-based matchmaking or separating casual and competitive modes, it often fails to satisfy either playerbase fully. This is exactly where Battlefront 2's AI enemies come in, rewarding both lower-skilled players with the opportunity to score plenty of kills, while making the gameplay even more satisfying for skillful players on a massive killstreak.

Plenty Of Games Have Experimented With AI To Varying Levels Of Success

Bots Have Been A Controversial Topic In Recent Years

Several games over the years have implemented mechanics similar to Battlefront's AI-controlled characters, such as Titanfall 2 or Insurgency: Sandstorm, to great success, but not every inclusion has been met with the same praise. Although the problem isn't new, there's been a rise in shooters like Marvel Rivals or Fragpunk that force players to face off against entire teams of bots after losing too many games. While these kinds of decisions are made to boost player morale, they often have the exact opposite effect of demoralizing players even more, given how painfully obvious the AI opponents are to recognize.

The main problem with these attempts at boosting player engagement comes from the deceptive aspect of their implementation, attempting to trick players into thinking they've managed to beat another player through their own skill, rather than a program practically designed to lose from the start. Fortnite is another great example of a game that had good intentions to start but quickly spiraled out of control to the point where many matches can consist of a vast majority of AI enemies.

While a growing aspect of Fortnite's major appeal is its incredible accessibility for players of all skill levels, the decision feels even more confusing when Fortnite already offers AI enemies to defeat scattered across the world that fulfill the same purpose. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like this issue will be fixed anytime soon, despite players begging Epic to remove bots or at least add options to toggle the setting and amount in the future.

More Multiplayer Games Should Start Experimenting With Digital Enemies

Filling The Ranks Without Replacing Actual Players

While there is an understandably negative stigma around facing off against bots rather than real players in competitive shooters, large-scale arcade shooters similar to Battlefront 2 could benefit from emulating the same AI-based mechanics. This doesn't mean that every shooter with high player counts needs the feature, but it could drastically reduce the resources that go into balancing large-scale multiplayer games while still appealing to players with varying skill levels. Rather than attempting to replace players or hide their identity, AI-controlled enemies should complement the gameplay while being transparent about their inclusion.

With more games appealing to the competitive market rather than casual players, a return to AI-focused enemy direction could be a great way to target wider audiences at large. Given that both franchises are developed by DICE and published by EA, it's honestly surprising the Battlefield series hasn't experimented leaned more into AI enemies yet, especially given Battlefront​​​​'s long absence. Unfortunately, the scale required to implement a satisfying blend of AI-enemies and players is rare to see outside AAA titles, but that doesn't mean plenty of shooter franchises can't learn a thing or two from Battlefront 2's lasting gameplay formula.