Star Wars Celebration 2017 in Orlando Florida was a whirlwind of new information and nostalgia for Star Wars fans young and old alike. There was something for everyone. Luckily, I was able to be on the show floor and have much to report from my adventures.
The biggest piece of gaming news came during Saturdays Star Wars Battlefront II Panel. The panel welcomed Mat Webster, Bernd Diemer, Paula Joyaux, and Mark Thompson, the brains behind the latest in the Battlefront series, to give us not only new information, but new images from the game, a behind the scenes featurette, and (thankfully) an official release date.
Battlefront II will take place following the events of Return of the Jedi, during the 30 year span between ROTJ and 2015's The Force Awakens. The storyline(s) revealed in Battlefront II will be canon and will "fill in the narrative blanks between episode 6 and 7." Which is something that Lucasfilm has done via various mediums since before The Force Awakens hit theaters.
Instead of playing through the eyes of iconic Star Wars characters like Princess Leia or Darth Vader, Battlefront II offers a singleplayer gameplay experience with a new character, Iden Versio. Commander of the Inferno Squad, this is the first game to follow the Empire side of the storyline in quite some time. The game will also introduce a new location, Vardos. Vardos will allow you to explore inside the city which features "...Brutalist achitecture and tree leaves that give the impression of 'bleeding' when they get wet."
The multiplayer aspect of Battlefront has been given a total overhaul, allowing any Star Wars era to be playable. Characters will range from Luke Skywalker, Yoda, and Rey to Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, and Darth Maul. It has also been confirmed that you can play as Luke or Kylo in the story mode as well, though it is unclear how this will take place as of this writing.
Speaking of multiplayer...EA confirmed one more bit of news that had fans jumping for joy...No season pass! That's right, continuning their recent trend of bucking the Season Pass, Star Wars Battlefront II DLC will be included with the game. Thank the maker!
You will be allowed to upgrade your heroes to your liking, improving them as you continue to play. Overall, the game is said to be "more physical" than the previous title and has been dubbed "...The biggest game (they've) ever worked on."
Last, but not least, of course there is a trailer! After the leaked shortened version of the trailer released last Tuesday, EA/DICE blew the doors off the convention hall with this reveal trailer:
Star Wars Battlefront II will release on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on November 17th, 2017. You can pre-order now from your favorite retailer and unlock in-game bonuses and also early game access if you are an EA or Origin Access member.