SDCC 2015: Hands-On with Star Wars Battlefront!

Note: This article contains thoughts and experiences from both myself and Eric Francisco. The builds we played were in the Alpha stage and were played on both PS3 and PC. 

One of our personal highlights of this year’s SDCC was definitely Star Wars Battlefront. The title was available to play at NerdHQ and a couple of Geekscapists were able to get some extended hands-on time with the game.

Lots of things come to mind when the ‘Battlefront’ name is mentioned. One of the things that come to mind are the set pieces found in the past two iterations. They’re structured like an interactive Michael Bay movie, with huge, thrilling set pieces that are easy to follow through. Star Wars is the most recognizable blockbuster of all time, and let us tell you, ‘Battlefront’ does not disappoint. 

‘Survival Mode’

The first mode we played was a co-op mission in which two players must survive an onslaught of Stormtrooper waves while completing sub-mission objectives. Players can choose whether or not to play the game in first or third person. One of us, I won’t say who *cough* Eric *cough* felt that the differences between first and third person were minimal at best. To switch, players must hold down the D-pad on the controller, but it only seemed to work half the time. 

Regardless, the controls were easy to grasp, which is a good thing seeming that the last iteration of ‘Battlefront’ was over a decade ago (sorry if I just made you feel old). The gameplay feels natural to anyone easily familiar with shooters. Even if you’re not, it’s still got a pick-up-and-play accessibility, which is the ideal for a broad product as Star Wars is.

The gameplay feels solid, even though it’s in the alpha stage. We usually found ourselves playing in third person, as that’s what we got used to in the in past installments of the franchise. However, playing in first person seemed to be a little more challenging at times.

Upon starting the match, we were prompted to choose our primary weapons. Each weapon seemed to balanced according to the map and player behavior. For example, a Heavy Blaster is the equivalent to that of a shotgun, which will deal a ton of damage, but have a poor firing rate. Players who decided to use their jetpack to get right in the middle of a Stormtrooper squad should go for this. This level of thinking pre-match is reminiscent of the past Battlefront iterations in which we all had our favorite classes according to each map.

This particular map had cliffs and ramps up to higher passageways. Jetpacks were a must. The jetpacks in this game are different from traditional jetpacks that you’ll find in a game like Halo. Instead, think of this pack as a booster pack. It’ll propel you into the air in any direction you want to go, and it’s awesome. Players who pick up the jetpack’s use quickly will be able to get a decent advantage over unsuspecting players.

20 vs 20 ‘Walker Assault’

Unfortunately, Eric couldn’t join me for this 20 v 20 match as he had much better things to do. It’s okay. I didn’t let it bother me.

When I first heard about the AT-AT’s having a pre-destined path to walk along, I admit, I was a little upset. All it took was one match as the Rebels to realize how great of an idea it was. Walker’s are now not as invincible as they once were, but they are a terrible foe to come across. During 20v20 matches, the Rebel Alliance must find a way  to activate and protect satellites so that information can be sent to passing Y-Wings to essentially drop Ion bombs onto the walkers. Once this is done, the walkers will be temporarily disabled and vulnerable to any and all fire. It’s also a great time to get into a Snowspeeder and tie its legs up.

Fans who have witnessed the past E3 trailers have seen just how much action goes on in these multiplayer matches, and let me tell you, the E3 trailer is a pretty good representation of what you’ll be playing. While I did play on the keyboard and mouse, I found that the quicker players around me grasped the concept of being able to use abilities, such as the jetpack, personal shield, and ion shots, the better they faired on the battlefield. This was partially due to the terrain of the map, which seemed to be a character of its own. Players would routinely find cover in the oddest places, like behind an abandoned box, or even behind a small rock. Regardless, this made the experience even better. This meant that players must apply quick-thinking if they are to survive the trip to where the action is happening.

Another major addition is the concept of using power-ups. These power-ups allow players, who get to the location and pick it up first, to use extra artillery. The power-ups I found ranged from a large team shield, to smart rockets perfect for AT-ST’s, and an airstrike.

Perhaps the only downside experienced was the lack of air vehicles around the map. It seemed as if there was a slight learning curve to piloting and no one wanted to take the time to figure it out. Regardless, the few X-Wing’s and Snowspeeder’s that made it into the air were briefly celebrated before the team watched them crash into the ground.

Overall, what little we saw of the game was more than enough to get really excited for the game. Star Wars: Battlefront is in every way playing out the battles you only dreamed of while playing with toys. It’s current-gen make-up not only make it look pleasing, but the technology lying underneath the hood makes Star Wars truly realized.

Star Wars: Battlefront is set to release November 17, 2015.