We've had brief glimpses of Star Wars: Battlefront 3's in-game footage. A teaser trailer here, a dev log there, but nothing as majorly conclusive as today. Now, thanks to Game Informer and the new CGI trailer, we've got something of an idea of what to expect.
Heroes and Villains as "Power Ups"
Heroes/Villains are back as playable characters, although how they'll be unlocked has been vaguely worded. Along with vehicles and special perks, they've been described as "power-ups." How this exactly will work has not been explained, but at the very least, Darth Vader and Boba Fett are both confirmed as returning heroes.
Grounded - No Space Fights
You can dogfight with the best of them in Star Wars: Battlefront, but you won't be doing it in space. As perplexing as the decision might be, given Free Radical's cancelled Battlefront 3 project having full ground-to-space battles, DICE has instead taken a more minimal approach to the series reboot.
While it is great to see air vehicles return to ground battles, which were conspicuously absent in Battlefront 2, it is a pity it comes at the cost of no space battles. Maybe DICE could include a Carrier Assault style space battle mode as DLC?
Gear Up, Roll Out
Personal shield generators, jetpacks, rocket launchers, thermal detonators, and regular blaster rifles are all confirmed as equipment you can use in the field. Rebels will apparently be able to choose from a variety of races, unlike in previous entries.
You can also apparently go to Uplink Stations, which allow you to trigger events in the map. In the demo Game Informer was presented, the Uplink called in a bombing run, which destroyed an AT-AT.
Oh the Places You'll Go
Hoth, Jakku, Sullust, Endor, and Tatooine are all confirmed as playable levels. Jakku will be a free DLC map released on December 8th to coincide with Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Outside of the inevitable regular Conquest mode, Walker Assault is the second mode confirmed.
Walker Assault is only currently confirmed for Endor, but obviously will also be available on Hoth. What is perplexing is that during the Endor mission, the Rebel team is actually on the offensive, and the demo plays like a version of Killzone 3's Operations mode. Whether this will always be the case is unclear at this time.
A Fractured Focus
The game will at least be primarily set in the Galactic Civil War era, with most of the maps focusing on battles in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Curiously absent has been any footage of the Clone Wars era, which was actually fairly popular in the past two entries.
Rumors previously indicated the Clone Wars may serve at least as the backdrop for some early missions in the game's single-player. These rumors are put into doubt though, given that apparently the single-player component has been called Battlefront Missions, suggesting specialized instanced versions of multiplayer battles.
Series hallmarks like Galactic Conquest and Instant Action mode are also worryingly absent from press coverage at this time.
An Ambiguous Hope
All in all, as a fan of the original games, I must admit, the CGI trailer and hushed details leave it all feeling a bit lukewarm. The game is months from release, yet we still know more about the next Deus Ex, which could be over a year from release, than we do about Star Wars: Battlefront.
With the scant bit of footage we've been shown, and a handful of screenshots, we have to wonder if EA is holding its cards too close to its chest. Whenever more information trickles down, I think I speak for many Battlefront fans when I say I hope it puts some of our questions and doubts to rest.
