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Blast Stormtroopers from a rampaging Tauntaun in ‘Star Wars Battlefront 2’

‘Star Wars Battlefront 2’ aims to build on its predecessor’s strengths, while incorporating a number of new fan-servicing features.

If your particular fantasy from a galaxy far, far away involves blasting Stormtroopers to bits from atop a rampaging Tauntaun, Star Wars Battlefront 2 might be the game you need.

Character classes will “feel familiar, while also fitting in with the Star Wars universe.”

While Hoth’s mountable snow lizards are easily one of the coolest additions to EA’s upcoming sequel, they barely scratch the surface of what DICE Creative Director Bernd Diemer describes as “added depth meant to give players more reasons to stick around.”

If saddling the iconic, body-warming beasts isn’t enough to bring you back to Battlefront, however, maybe the game’s deeper, more Battlefield-flavored approach to competitive multiplayer will do the trick. During our sit-down with Diemer, the developer called 2015’s franchise reboot “a good base that nailed the core gameplay”, but admitted there were a number of things they wanted to “build on and improve.”

Stay classy, Cloud City

Among those things are character classes, a multiplayer genre staple that was noticeably absent from the first game. Battlefront 2 will allow fans to pick a soldier from a specific discipline, then upgrade their chosen avatar along a dedicated career path. Bernd wouldn’t specify what classes would be available, but promised they’d “feel familiar, while also fitting in with the Star Wars universe.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

He also remained tight-lipped on characters’ progression paths, but hinted at a goal- and resource-based career that would give every player the opportunity to eventually become a “heroic trooper.” The ability to unlock and customize new weapons and gadgets will also play a key role on your multiplayer journey from grunt to galaxy-saving hero.

Additionally, each class will be appropriately represented across all Star Wars eras—original trilogy, prequels, and the new films. So those playing as a standard boots-on-the-ground baddie, for example, can assume the role of a Battle Droid, First Order Stormtrooper, or any Emperor-worshipping evil-doer in between.

It will have a full campaign that’s considered official Star Wars canon

The inclusion of different eras also extends to the game’s weapons, gadgets, map locations, and hero characters; the latter of which will see fans wielding the Force powers and lightsabers of iconic favorites like Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, Yoda, Kylo Ren, Rey, and more.

The scope of Battlefront 2‘s online component will also jump to light-speed, allowing players to engage in large-scale space conflicts. It seems EA is taking this fan-requested feature pretty seriously, too, as they’ve recruited Criterion Games—the studio responsible for last year’s Rogue One: X-Wing PSVR experience—to oversee this aspect of the title. All crafts, including favorites like the Millennium Falcon and Slave 1, will have their own upgrade paths.

Beyond Criterion’s involvement, Bernd didn’t offer many specifics on space combat, nor was he ready to divulge details on specific multiplayer maps, modes, or the game’s business model (though it seems the first game’s much-maligned season pass will be jettisoned in favor of a different approach to doling out DLC.) Based on what he did share though, it appears Battlefront 2 is focused on retaining what worked well in the previous entry, while piling on plenty of new features and content.

Uncle Vader Wants You

Of course, the game’s biggest and most-requested addition is its dedicated, single-player story mode. A full campaign that’s considered official Star Wars canon, the solo path will put players in the boots of an elite special forces soldier named Iden. In a potential-packed twist, this new female protagonist commands an Empire squad dubbed “Inferno Force.”

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Aside from her black, badass armor and assertion to “avenge the Emperor” after the second Deathstar is destroyed, Iden is portrayed as a sympathetic hero. In fact, as Lucasfilm’s Senior Director of Franchise Management Douglas Reilly described, she’s not viewed as a villain at all. “We position Iden as a hero, and we don’t describe the Empire as bad guys, but simply as being on the other side of the conflict.”

This fresh perspective on familiar events and elements will pick up where Return of the Jedi left off and take players up to the start of The Force Awakens, meaning we’ll witness Iden grow and mature over a 30-year span. The campaign will also incorporate playable hero characters, letting fans, occasionally, fight alongside the rebels as Luke, or swap back to the dark side to wield Kylo Ren’s homebrew lightsaber.

“We position Iden as a hero, and we don’t describe the Empire as bad guys…”

The majority of the story mode—which is being crafted by Motive Studios—will, however, see players unleashing Iden’s unique skills on rebel scum. According to Game Director Mark Thompson, she is “as capable of fighting on the frontlines as she is piloting a TIE fighter.”

Iden also knows her way around the Empire’s weapons, gadget’s and tech, including a companion droid that’s deployed from her back. The small bot, which looks like a miniature Imperial Probe Droid, can help solve problems and assist in combat situations. It’s also tied for first place with the rideable Tauntons for “things we’re most excited about in Battlefront 2.

Iden and her robotic buddy can also be upgraded, following a progression path similar to the multiplayer class characters. While the developers guarded gameplay specifics tighter than the Death Star plans, Motive Producer Paola Jouyaux teased that she and her team are “taking the open, authentic sandbox style DICE is known for, and taking it to single-player.” When pressed to share how substantial the story mode is compared to the online component, Jouyaux smiled and promised a “good length.”

Hungry for more

Battlefront 2‘s official reveal didn’t include any hands-on or even a directed gameplay demo, but our time talking to some of its key creators definitely left us craving a session behind the controller. With three separate studios focused on specific aspects of the game, the sequel seems poised to build on what Battlefront got right, while also delivering on some of its unfulfilled potential.

Of course, if too many cooks end up spoiling the broth, we’ll at least have competitive Tauntaun jousting to look forward to when the game lands November 17th.

Matt Cabral
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A full-time freelance writer hailing from Lizzie Borden's hometown, Matt Cabral has been covering film, television, and…
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor comes to current consoles in 2023
Cal Kestis stares at a person in a tank in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

EA has finally revealed the title and set a release year for the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. According to a new teaser trailer, the game's name is Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and it will release in 2023.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - Official Teaser
In addition to the trailer, EA shared a synopsis for the game's story in a press release, revealing that Survivor takes place five years after the events of Fallen Order. "Cal must stay one step ahead of the Empire's constant pursuit as he begins to feel the weight of being one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy," the press release says. "Accompanied by his trusty companion BD-1, Cal will meet and ally himself with an array of unique and interesting characters on his journey."
The teaser trailer doesn't feature any gameplay. However, the press release confirms that Survivor will be a single-player action-adventure title like its predecessor and that Cal will have some new abilities at his disposal. Fallen Order director Stig Asmussen returned to direct this new game, saying that "we're leveraging advanced technology to create more dynamic Jedi combat and cinematic storytelling to expand on Cal's story as he matures and survives during the dark times." He also promised to show more of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor later this year. 
This announcement comes during a jam-packed Star Wars Celebration where we've also received trailers for shows like Andor and Willow. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor appears to be the big video game announcement of the event, although EA has previously stated that Respawn Entertainment was developing a sequel to Fallen Order.
In a press release, EA confirms that Survivor will be current-gen only "to create a deeper and more expansive Star Wars experience," so don't expect it to come out for PS4 or Xbox One. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S when it releases in 2023. 

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Sniper Elite 5 turns World War II into an immersive sim
Karl aims down sights at an enemy in Sniper Elite 5.

Since 2005, Rebellion Development’s Sniper Elite series has perfected sniping gameplay with detailed bullet physics and a joyously gory killcam. While these games lend themselves to some intense sniping shootouts, they could often feel too linear and restrictive for a game about sneaking behind enemy lines and taking out Nazis as you see fit.
Sniper Elite 4 took the first step in making levels more expansive and emphasizing player freedom. Now, Sniper Elite 5 is taking those ideas one step further as a World War II sandbox that finds itself somewhere between Hitman 3 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in its structure.
I got to play Sniper Elite 5’s second level and see the more open-ended level design and deeper weapon customization in action. Although it doesn’t reinvent the series’ formula, the level I played showed that Sniper Elite 5 has refined this experience into the intense sniping immersive sim I always wanted Sniper Elite to be.
Sniper Elite 5 – Marksman Trailer | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5
The sands of Normandy
While Sniper Elite 4 took place in Italy, Sniper Elite 5 brings series protagonist Karl Fairburne to the area around Normandy, France, as he tries to take down Nazi Abelard Möller. Rebellion says the events of D-Day will play out during the game, but I played a mission that takes place much earlier.
Titled Occupied Residence, this level tasks the player with sneaking into Möller’s office in an occupied French Chateau to retrieve documents that reveal a secret Nazi plan to attack America. Occupied Resident actually didn’t require me to assassinate anybody, but it still managed to leave an impression as one of the best levels in the series thanks to strong design and some of Sniper Elite 5’s new gameplay elements.
At the start of the level, I was dropped off at a French resistance camp not far from the Chateau. Resistance members highlighted how I could get to the Chateau by busting through a heavily guarded central road, taking out a German patrol around a shallow river crossing, or crossing a nearby bridge after taking out the patrol around it.
I initially tried to use the river crossing path and sniped some of the patrol’s soldiers from a distance. I had forgotten to equip a silencer though, so I was spotted and decided to run away. While previous Sniper Elite games might have punished me for this foible, Sniper Elite 5 let me successfully escape and reassess the situation. This is where the game’s excellent level design exposed itself.

Finish the fight
As I escaped and looked for a place to hide, I noticed how interconnected this map was. Various roads, gardens, homes, and more could serve as great hiding and sniping spots. I could also change and customize my loadout at a workbench if I wanted to change my approach.
Sniping-focused missions in video games can sometimes become frustrating as they instantly punish the player if they mess up a shot or expose their position. As a series about a sniper, Sniper Elite has had this problem in the past. But because Sniper Elite 5 has such open-ended level design and lets players modify their loadout during missions, it doesn’t look like it will be an issue here.
Now knowledgeable about and confident in Sniper Elite 5’s structure and systems, I decided what to do next. I chose to take out the soldiers around the bridge and cross that way. I killed the soldiers at the southern end of the bridge, then climbed around the side of the bridge and up some vines to circumvent the Nazis on the Northern end.
I was now close to the Chateau, so I climbed over the wall surrounding it and snuck in through a window without getting spotted. From there, I snuck around the house doing stealth takedowns on anyone I encountered until I found a secret room belonging to Möller that had the documents I was looking for. I could then exfiltrate, but was caught by a soldier before I could fully make my escape. This caused a mad dash to the finish, where I managed to defeat enough soldiers to buy me enough time to exfiltrate. It was a uniquely exhilarating experience that I caused and won’t forget anytime soon.

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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga isn’t just for kids
Promotional art of Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga.

Before Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, I had fallen out of love with TT Games and WB Games' Lego titles. The Lego Star Wars, Batman, and Indiana Jones series helped make me passionate about video games as a kid as I spent endless fun (and sometimes frustrating) hours playing them with my brother.
Over time though, I aged out of the series and grew more disappointed with the basic open-world formula the series settled on after great games like Lego City Undercover. I was no longer smitten with one of the series that helped cement my love of video games. That’s why The Skywalker Saga’s bold new direction excites me.
It not only revisits the films behind some of my favorite Lego games, but builds on top of them with more expansive hub worlds, mission variety, and deeper gameplay than previous Lego action games. While The Skywalker Saga’s multiple delays and development issues concerned me, my hands-on with an early build of the game managed to engross me just like the original Lego Star Wars did 17 years ago.
A New Hope for the series
My demo took me through the first 90 minutes of A New Hope, one of the nine Star Wars films represented within The Skywalker Saga. Like every Lego game before it, this segment of the game followed the events of the film it was based on. It features full voice acting (from soundalikes, not the film cast), though I appreciated the inclusion of a “mumble mode” that makes the characters grunt and pantomime as they did in early Lego games.
LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga - Gameplay Overview
TT Games also experiments with the iconic opening of A New Hope. Many jokes are present to keep kids entertained, but it also intertwines with the end of Rogue One. The first character I played as was actually Princess Leia, who has the Death Star plans and is trying to escape Darth Vader as he boards the Tantive IV. Somehow, this Lego game made this oft-adapted and parodied plot beat feel fresh.
This mission also served as a tutorial and a demonstration of how The Skywalker Saga differs from previous Lego games. Yes, there are still combat, exploration, and puzzles, but those are deeper than before. A cover-based system has been implemented to make shootouts more involving. Meanwhile, players can now string together melee combos with different moves and counter enemies' attacks, making melee battles more enjoyable than before. Character classes and abilities also ensure fights in this game are more than simple button-mashing affairs.
Missions often give players multiple options to complete objectives, whether that’s because of a specific Lego build players can create or the abilities of their playable character. It’s no Devil May Cry, but these deeper gameplay systems made sure my eyes didn’t gloss over out of boredom within the first hour, something I can’t say for the last couple of Lego games I played.
The Skywalker Saga made a strong first impression on me and excited me to see how the rest of A New Hope would unfold. I was able to play as Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi, recruit Han and Chewbacca, and explore the Death Star before my demo ended. While this is the second time TT Games is adapting this material, it feels completely new because of the revamped approach to storytelling, level design, and gameplay design.
All grown up
During my demo, I only scratched the surface of what the game had to offer. The Skywalker Saga seems to be the most densely packed Lego game yet, as all nine mainline Star Wars films have been recreated here. Not only are there linear levels based on the main plot points and set pieces of each film, but there are large hubs on planets and areas in space that players can explore and complete side missions within.
As players complete the stories of more films and gain access to more characters, ships, and planets, the amount of options players will have at their disposal will only continue to grow. The Skywalker Saga also has a progression system to back that amount of content up ,as missions reward players with Kyber Bricks that players use to unlock and enhance abilities on skill trees.

Yes, this game has skill trees to complement the aforementioned classes -- which include Jedi, Smugglers, and Protocol Droids -- and their abilities, which is useful during and outside of combat. Systems like this bring TT Games’ Lego series more up to par with its action game peers and make it feel like the franchise has finally grown up. As The Skywalker Saga will be the first Lego game in years to appeal to those with nostalgia for the series' earliest game, it's a relief to see that it won't disappoint. 
Of course, The Skywalker Saga still will be approachable enough for kids thanks to its visuals, humor, and approachable gameplay basics, but it finally doesn’t seem like that’s coming at the sacrifice of engaging gameplay for older players. While I thought I had aged out of ever liking a Lego game again, this demo of The Skywalker Saga revealed that I could still love these games -- they just had to catch up to me first.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch on April 5, 2022.

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