I may be absolutely terrible at Star Wars: Battlefront, but that didn't stop me from having a whole lot of fun when I took on the game for the first time over the weekend, as part of the now-extended Beta period. Along with my friend Louise, I embarked on a mission fit for a wannabe Jedi Lord, and managed to excel when on our own in co-operative play. The success isn't something that continued when we ventured into the heavily-populated multiplayer game modes on offer available, with me in particular being blasted to the bottom of the leaderboards.
One thing that immediately impressed me was the striking visuals on display throughout gameplay. We're a little over a month away from release but somehow this manages to feel like a polished gem that's gone through a few patches already. The three planets available for limited exploration on the beta are Hoth with its snowy terrains, Sullust which harbours dangerous threats and fan favourite Tattooine - a sandy and desolate landscape.
Then we have the audio which is instantly recognisable to any fan of the franchise. It was slightly odd when the movie theme tune would kick in at random spots, but still a nostalgic kick and throwback to the series' best days.
There were moments where I found my character would lag whilst on the move - particularly frustrating when you're trying to dodge the blaster bullets of an enemy - but that's to be expected in a beta and I imagine any latency issues will be fixed before official release.
Unfortunately I've not yet been lucky enough to play as Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader during my time in-game - the player who finds the special power-up first gets that privilege - but I have been able to get into some of the vehicles available to players which offer up an exciting and addictive level of play. If these are just a scratch on the surface of what gamers can expect when the full game drops, it's going to be a chaotic and memorable experience when all is said and done.
If you've not yet played Star Wars: Battlefront you're in luck. Developers DICE have added an extra day to the beta period for further testing which means it will now come to an end on Tuesday, October 13.
Star Wars: Battlefront comes to Xbox One, PS4 and PC on November 17.
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