We’ve been waiting 10 years for this
The last Star Wars: Battlefront- a game where players found themselves fighting in the frontlines in the two major wars of the Star Wars films- was released in 2005. Ever since Battlefront II, fans have lived through an emotional roller coaster of disappointments and excitement as they prayed for any signs of life in the much-anticipated third game.
Then a miracle happened at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. EA revealed that they were working on Star Wars: Battlefront III. Fast forward to EA’s press conference at E3 2015, and loyal fans were rewarded for their 10 years of patience with 5 minutes of gameplay.
Thus, here are 5 interesting points to note from those 5 glorious minutes.
1. Players can switch between First and Third person viewpoints
You can switch from this...
...to this
The company behind Battlefront 3’s development, EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE), is best known for their work on the Battlefield series. As a result, fans were initially worried that their favorite third person shooter was going to be warped and twisted into yet another Call of Duty clone except with Star Wars skins.
This concern was put to rest when the person playing through the E3 demo was able to switch between first person and third person perspectives. Fans are now able to pick and choose their preference in the two camera styles.
I personally find this a welcome feature since mechanics like jetpacks are best appreciated from a third person point of view, but close-range, fast-paced firefights in cramped trenches are better served from a first person perspective.
Speaking of jet packs...
2. Traditional classes will not exist the same way it has in previous games
The jetpacks in this game capitalize on the need for movement in games that take place on such a large scale
According to Craig McLeod, Battlefront III’s producer, on Battlefront’s official twitter account:
@System9509 Star Wars Battlefront doesn’t really have a class system in the traditional sense of say something like Battlefield
— EAStarWars (@EAStarWars) June 15, 2015
Previous Battlefront games had players select what classes they wanted to play based on what roles on the battlefield they wanted to fulfill- in this sense Battlefront 2 had a similar class system to the Battlefield series. Each class was pre-built, had its own perks and abilities, and few customization options. As a result, if players only wanted to use a jetpack, then they would have to select a class that was over-specialized into a specific niche.
While the system was far from perfect, one must wonder what system of weapons and abilities DICE has created for players in the absence of the prequel’s traditional classes. The gameplay suggests that there may be a way to customize some of your classes since the first time the jetpack was introduced in the video, the player was a human female, but later in the video it is shown on a Rodian.
Although, another hint at what may have replaced the battlefield-esque class system can also be found gameplay video.
3. Heroes, weapons and vehicles are deployed based upon a power up system
Who leaves a fully loaded rocket launcher in the middle of a battlefield?
As Craig McLeod has also said:
@1f01ba6667db4cc Heroes are unlocked by finding Power ups that are scattered randomly across maps in select game modes.
— EAStarWars (@EAStarWars) June 16, 2015
@System9509 We have different types of pickups around the maps that include Heroes and Villains, vehicles, weapons and gadgets.
— EAStarWars (@EAStarWars) June 15, 2015
Previous Battlefront games had the best player of each team upgraded to hero units. Players could then accept or reject their promotion into a lightsaber wielding demigod. If they chose to reject it, then the second best player on the team would have the option of accepting this promotion. In regards to weapons and vehicles, players used weapons that were practically glued to their classes, and empty vehicles were strewn about the map for players to hop in and pilot.
Previous Battlefront games had the best player of each team upgraded to hero units. Players could then accept or reject their promotion into a lightsaber wielding demigod. If they chose to reject it, then the second best player on the team would have the option of accepting this promotion. In regards to weapons and vehicles, players used weapons that were practically glued to their classes, and empty vehicles were strewn about the map for players to hop in and pilot.
Having these three systems tied to pick-ups on the battlefield cuts down on how over-specialized some of the classes used to be. However, this creates the question of whether the spawn points for these power-ups will be randomized or fixed. If it’s randomized then players will need to have a way of knowing where each power up is and be allowed to plan accordingly. On the other hand, if power-ups were always in fixed locations, then we could see the rise of firefights breaking out over key upgrades that will immediately swing a battle into the winner’s side while the loser is trapped in an eternal uphill struggle.
More information will hopefully be released soon to help clear up how this predicament will be handled. However, one thing that can help alleviate this is being able to play online with your friends.
You can do that in this game right?
4. Split-Screen Coop and Online Coop
Fighting the Empire only gets better with friends
Split-screen co-op and online co-op have been confirmed to be in! There are scarce few games that will allow you to throw a controller into your best bud’s hands and allow you two to play on the same console.
Luckily for everyone, Battlefront III is one of the few games that will support that exact kind of buddy time. Split-screen and online co-op have been confirmed by both the producer, Craig McLeod, and by the presenter at the E3 presentation. As a long time fan of this series, I’m ecstatic over the return of this feature.
But wait, what kind of game modes will you be able to play with your friends?
5. Missions
E3 2015: Star Wars Battlefront: Co-Op Missions Gameplay Reveal
I have a soft spot for horde modes. It’s why I love Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer and why I’m going to love this multiplayer too.
As shown in the above video, DICE has created a series of missions that you can play through either on your own or with a friend. Each mission appears to feature a horde style wave mechanic with rewards given to the players upon completion of each wave.
This game mode looks fantastic and the part of me that fell in love with Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer wants to enjoy every part of these missions. But this makes me wonder whether split-screen players will be allowed to enter online multiplayer games. My hope is that the answer is yes and that players will buy this game en masse so we can see another surge of split-screen oriented games in our future. If not, then at least we still have these survival missions which still look like an amazing adventure to play through with friends.
The Verdict?
This game looks incredible. Gameplay appears as a solid improvement over its predecessors and, depending on how the class system works, seems like it will be the best game in the entire series. DICE looks like it is set to deliver a product that has been crafted with the utmost love and respect for the source material. Expect this game to be released on November 17, 2015.
