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Loot Boxes Are Bad, but ‘Battlefront II’ Is Good

Ben and Jason discuss the new ‘Star Wars’ game and are later joined by its writer, Walt Williams, to discuss the thrills and challenges of writing for the popular franchise’s universe

By Ben Lindbergh and Jason Concepcion
Stormtroopers march on stage during during an EA Play event Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and Jason Concepcion discuss the recent releases of several high-profile Switch ports, what their success means for the system's future, and what might have been for the PlayStation Vita (0:57). Then they review the highlights and lowlights of the multiplayer modes and single-player campaign of Star Wars: Battlefront II and lament the game's heavy-handed use of microtransactions and loot boxes (6:15). Lastly, they bring on Battlefront writer Walt Williams to talk about the special thrills and unique challenges of creating characters and stories inside the Star Wars universe (26:45).

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