Speaking during an interview with Eurogamer, DICE’s Paul Keslin spilled a few tantalizing tidbits on the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront 2, which is currently in production for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for a late 2017 launch.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 info spills
Keslin was refreshingly honest in his dissection of the original Star Wars Battlefront released in 2015, admitting that the game’s reception was somewhat of a mixed bag. As such, the developer is taking on board criticism for the science-fiction shooter’s 2017 follow-up.
"The reception was mixed," commented Keslin. "We’ve been listening to a lot of the feedback since launch and even post-launch as we’ve been adding new things. We’ve announced the next game that’s coming out – those are things we’re look to tackle in the future. We can’t always get everything in the current game, but in the future we want to hit those things and give the fans what they’re after."
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One of the chief complaints about the original game was the lack of a full-fledged campaign mode, as the whole game took place in an online multiplayer environment. Will DICE attempt to address this in Battlefront 2? It sounds likely.
"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," said Keslin. "That’s actually what inspired us with the Death Star DLC and this – how we do add a bit of narrative to the multiplayer game? We know that players want that, we’re not able to give them a full-fledged campaign post-launch for Battlefront, but how can we scratch that itch a bit? It’s been received okay – I think some people appreciate it. We’re trying to address as many things as we can."
DICE is also acutely aware that many players had gripes with Battlefront’s Season Pass, and this is something that may or may not be addressed in the sequel.
"We explore a lot of business models, and there’s a lot of thinking around that. For us – more as EA as a company – we throw out the term player first a lot. And what does it mean for games as living experiences over time. To your point – season pass is just content drops. But you’ve seen we’re starting to do things like having events more often, trying to do things that actively engage you on a daily or weekly basis. We’re giving a lot more thought in that area, and how can that evolve what we’ve done in the past. I can’t guarantee one way or another now, but it’s something we’re thinking about."
Elsewhere, the article notes that Star Wars Battlefront has already explored many of the series’ major battles from the original trilogy, and that there may not be much to select from in regards to the new films. Nonetheless, DICE has expressed interest in Star Wars Rebels as well as the new comic books, though the prequel trilogy once again doesn’t get a mention.
Still, regardless of how Star Wars Battlefront 2 shapes up, the original still has plenty of content to keep you busy, including the new X-Wing PSVR Mission. Be sure to check out our impressions.