It is no secret that Star Wars Battlefront includes playable iconic characters from the Star Wars franchise. However, there is the question of who gets to be Darth Vader on a team of over 20 players. Fortunately, DICE has come up with a solution to the problem.
Characters appearing in Star Wars Battlefront are designed to be game changing events. Darth Vader is a tank, while Boba Fett will be able to hop around the battlefield using a jetpack. Jamie Keen, senior producer at DICE, says that the game will take iconic moments from the films and allow players to fight it out. We had the opportunity to try the game at Tokyo Game Show recently, and were impressed at how accurate the battle of Hoth was; down to the horrible odds stacked against the defending Rebel Alliance.
Admittedly, the game available at TGS did not include the option to play as characters yet. However, Keen explained that the the option to become a named character is done similar to jumping into a vehicle. Essentially, an icon will spawn on the map and the first player to reach and activate it will be able to choose from a list of characters available for the map. The icons will spawn at the same time for both teams to preserve game balance, but either character will completely change the dynamic of the battle.
The Star Wars Battlefront open beta will be available in October, with three maps and game modes available. The first is the battle of Hoth, which Keen calls a “combined arms masterpiece”. There is little need for introduction for this particularly iconic set piece. The other two modes are substantially different, offering smaller scale infantry-focused engagements. Dropzone mode will take place on Sullust; while Survival mode has two players team up to survive waves of enemies.
Star Wars Battlefront is shaping up to be a worthy successor to the franchise name. Although, there is still some concern about the game. It is, after all, another Battlefield style game with plenty of hype. With any luck, Electronic Arts has learnt its lesson from the launch of Battlefield 4 and Battlefield Hardline.
