As an avid and long serving fan of Star Wars, the Battlefront series has always stood out to me as one of the highlights in terms of Star Wars licenced video games. The first two titles in the series were expansive and immersive experiences, placing you on the ground (or in the case of Battlefront II, in space) as a lone soldier caught in the midst of a sweeping battlefield, grandiose in scale and impressive considering the limitations of the hardware at the time – both games part of the sixth generation of gaming.
When news reached my ears that DICE were picking up the salvaged remains of the new Battlefront game, my anticipation heightened and has done so once again thanks to the release of new concept art. One example depicts the familar frozen landscape of Hoth, the remains of a downed snowspeeder beset by the looming spectres of oncoming Imperial AT-AT walkers. Another shows what appears to be a conflict taking place at the forest moon of Endor, complete with rebel soldiers taking up defensive positions.
According to an interview conducted by IGN, the Design Director for Star Wars: Battlefront, Niklas Fegraeus elaborated on what to expect from the latest installment of the franchise,
“We have actually made the decision to specifically tailor certain maps to certain game modes, and what we get from that is not only incredibly varied scales, but also gameplay that will allow players to live out some of their most memorable Star Wars battle fantasies.”
Fegraeus went on to clarify that one of the most difficult changes faced was meeting the expectations of the fans, adding that they too are also passionate fans of the classic science fiction space opera.
"However, with the talent we have here at DICE, the Frostbite technology at our fingertips, and the fantastic working relationship we have with Lucas, I believe we will deliver a Star Wars experience that excites fans around the world and gives them the chance to play out battles in some of the most iconic locales in the series history.”
Promising words to hear given the somewhat mixed critical response that recent Star Wars games have received. Star Wars: Battlefront is penned for a "Holiday 2015" release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows.
