Star Wars: Battlefront launched in 2015 to a pretty tepid critical reception. Though the gameplay was just as polished as anything developer DICE has ever produced and the visuals were the best interpretation of the Star Wars license to date, the game simply lacked enough content to keep players interested. A large part of this was the lack of a single-player campaign mode, but it appears that this will be changing in the sequel.
Speaking to Eurogamer, DICE producer Paul Keslin confirmed that a Battlefront sequel would introduce such a campaign when it launches next year — it looks to be the sole major shooter for Electronic Arts in 2017, as Battlefield, Plants vs. Zombies, and Titanfall all saw new releases this year.
“Myself as a Star Wars fan, I want story, I want narrative, I want something I can play that immerses me in that world but gives me something to follow and chase,” Keslin said.
In the original (rebooted) Star Wars: Battlefront, the single-player content was limited to wave-based “survival,” which was also playable cooperatively. Mowing down waves of Stormtroopers was a ton of fun, but grew monotonous after just a few rounds.
“We’re partnering up with some folks from Motive — they have their own take on how things are — but we have a very close relationship with them, and we want everything to feel like a coherent experience,” Keslin continued.
Electronic Arts has certainly seen the benefits of a dedicated single-player campaign this year. After a lackluster story mode in Battlefield Hardline, Battlefield 1 delivered a nuanced, emotional, and varied campaign. Titanfall 2, which followed a game that featured no single-player mode at all, also features one of the best campaigns we’ve played in years.
Star Wars: Battlefront is out now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Its latest DLC, based on the new film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is available now to Season Pass holders.
