Star Wars Battlefront II emerges from Celebration, casts you as the villain

Revealed at Star Wars Celebration this past weekend, EA’s newest Battlefront will have combat across all era of the franchise. And it also looks like you’ll be playing as the bad guy in the campaign.

Battlefront done right?

If you remember, the ‘original’ Battlefront that was released in 2015 wasn’t super-well received. Most of the game came off with high marks, no doubt. But fans had issues with very specific areas of the game. For starters, there was no single player campaign of any kind. As much of a pain as that was, it also didn’t offer any space battles to speak of. That’s kind of a big deal when it comes to Star Wars.

Well, it’s two years later and it look like both issues might be things of the past. We get a glimpse of starfighter battlin’ in this first look at the new game, which looks terrific. In addition, we also got a healthy look at the campaign here. And as a bit of a surprise, you’ll be playing as the Empire.

“In Star Wars Battlefront II, we all wanted to really capture the essence of being heroic and how in Star Wars, anyone can become a hero,” says Matt Webster, Executive Producer at Criterion. “Whether that’s playing as an iconic character like Rey or Luke, as a front-line trooper or fighter pilot in epic multiplayer battles, or playing through a new Star Wars story that bridges the gap between Star Wars™: Return of the Jedi™ and Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™, you will become a hero in Star Wars Battlefront II.”

The trailer picks up the action at the battle of Endor, during the close of Return of the Jedi.

It’s there that we learn that the main character will be an Imperial soldier, Iden Versio. She’s the leader of Inferno Squad. What’s Inferno Squad? Well, thanks to the magic of retconning, they’re a crack team of Imperial special forces soldiers. And it seems that they were active in the heyday of the Empire, including on the moon of Endor.

And it’s through Versio’s eyes, that gamers will get to experience more than just the story of Battlefront II. We’ll also see a more detailed account of how the Star Wars universe changed between the original trilogy, and the new one.

Featuring new characters created by Motive in close partnership with the story group at Lucasfilm, the Star WarsBattlefront II single player campaign will deliver a new exciting story to the Star Wars universe. Taking place in the 30 years between the destruction of Death Star II and through the rise of the First Order, the single player story introduces Iden Versio, the leader of Inferno Squad, an elite special forces unit of the Galactic Empire, who are equally lethal on the ground and in space.

In addition to Iden, players will also encounter and play as other iconic Star Wars heroes and villains like Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren during the campaign.

“EA has assembled an incredible set of developers to create a Star Wars gaming experience unlike anything fans have ever experienced,” said Douglas Reilly, Senior Director, Digital & Franchise Management. “Star Wars Battlefront II will offer everything players loved about the last installment, and adds new modes that we know the fans want, including an entirely new story developed in partnership with Lucasfilm.”

“We wanted to create a campaign that told a story we haven’t seen before in Star Wars”, says Mark Thompson, Game Director at Motive Studios. “It was important for us to tell a new authentic story, one that gives players a brand-new perspective. By putting players in the boots of an elite member of the Imperial forces, we can show them what the battle was like from the other side.”

Single Player, but not just

So yes, developer Criterion will be producing the single player campaign for Battlefront II. There won’t be any shortage of online multiplayer because of it though. In fact, it seems as though B2 will almost be like two games in one. That’s because DICE will be once again forging the multiplay for the title.

And, lest you think that there’ll be any limits to this one, well there won’t be. Gamers will be able to wage war across all eras of Star Wars, and yes, space-based combat.

With modes supporting up to 40 players, Star Wars Battlefront II takes fans through a wide range of iconic locations from all three eras: prequel, classic and new trilogy, including new in-game locations such as Yavin 4’s jungle canopies, the spaceport town of Mos Eisley, and Starkiller Base.

Players can choose from an array of land and air vehicles and master their own hero’s journey, with customizable character progression across heroes, villains, troopers and starfighters.

As one of the most requested fan modes, galactic-scale space combat is also brought to life in Star Wars Battlefront II. Criterion, with a deep history of creating some of gaming’s fastest and intuitive vehicles, has built space combat from the ground up with refined handling, weapons, and customization options. Players can drop into the cockpit of the galaxy’s most iconic ships, weave between asteroid fields and fly through imperial dockyards in high stakes dogfights.

Fans who pre-order Star Wars Battlefront II can join the excitement of the theatrical release of Star Wars™: The Last Jedi™, with content inspired by the upcoming film including exclusive* Kylo Ren and Rey themed looks†. Players can also equip both characters with epic ability upgrades in multiplayer. Additionally, when taking the fight to space, players can upgrade to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi Millennium Falcon and a new First Order ship.

Pre-order goodies

As you also might imagine, there will be a nice little set of pre-order bonuses to be had. Fans can upgrade their copies to the Star Wars Battlefront II: Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition. What do you get in that one? Well you’ll get all the pre-order stuff that will be offered in The Last Jedi Heroes Pack. Basically, that includes an assortment of skins. There’s more though.

Every trooper class will receive upgrades, delivering superior firepower, deadly weapon modifications and epic combat abilities. Deluxe Edition owners will also get a head start on the battlefront, being able to jump into the game up to three days early…

Not too shabby huh? Oh, and I assume that you’re wondering when that magical date might be. You know, when you can dive into Battlefront yet again? Well it’s right smack dab in the middle of the Holiday release season. Landing at retail just a few weeks before The Last Jedi hits, Battlefront II will arrive on November 17th. Expect it on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.