As the release of the new “Star Wars: Battlefront” is approaching, we’re learning more and more about the game and what it will offer in terms of gameplay. And so far, it’s shaping up to be a very solid release, one that should definitely reignite interest in the franchise. Even though it’s being handled by a different developer, the game seems to preserve most of its original atmosphere and overall feeling, and it should be an interesting release once it’s out.
One detail that seems minor at first but could actually have some serious gameplay implications, is that players will be allowed to freely change between 1st and 3rd person modes at will, not just before a match but directly in-game as well. This should prove particularly useful for close-quarters combat, and could have an interesting impact on gameplay as well.
Splitscreen will be supported as well, at least for consoles – this is something fans have been requesting for quite some time now, and it’s good to see that DICE have responded accordingly. It’s not clear what the limitations of the splitscreen mode will be, but we can only hope that it will be implemented in a good way that gives players enough freedom and stimulates cooperation.
Blasters can now overheat, but players won’t need to reload or look for ammo. This seems to be a universal feature across all blasters, and players can see a special bar filling up on their HUD as they’re firing. They will have to cease fire for a few seconds to let their weapons cool down before they can resume, which could definitely lead to some interesting moments in tough fights. It’s a similar mechanic to reloading, in that it forces players to pause briefly, but it should allow smart players to control when they need to reload much more carefully.
There are, however, other types of weapons that won’t share the cooldown mechanic, including a rocket launcher which has limited uses but is a very powerful weapon, capable of turning the tide of a fight if used correctly. Players will be able to identify different weapons by their laser colors, such as sniper rifles which are colored green, according to what we saw in the trailer.
Navigation will be made easier with the help of a minimap in the corner of the screen, but unlike other popular shooters, it won’t show exact enemy locations. Rather, players will be able to see a rough overview of the directions they’re getting shot from, and will have to figure out where their enemies are through careful observation. This could definitely make battles more tactical and rewarding for observant players if implemented correctly.