‘Star Wars Battlefront’ Dev Explains Decision To Nix Space Battles, Character Customisation Detailed

While there’s little doubt that EA and DICE have garnered a lot of attention following last month’s impressive reveal of “Star Wars Battlefront,” there’s been one recurring question on fan’s lips; why are there no space battles? The developer has finally come forth with a clear answer.

For a game that bears the “Star Wars” title, and the “Battlefront” lineage, gamers would be forgiven for expecting to be able to take on Star Destroyers and Cruisers in the black of space. However, as developer DICE has stated, this won’t be possible.

Citing the June 2015 issue of Official PlayStation Magazine UK, PlayStation Universe quotes DICE General Manager Patrick Bach, who cites gameplay considerations, rather than technical ones, for the decision to nix space battles. Bach says the team simply felt that it was best to keep players in one location, in the same environment, rather than have a group fighting infantry, and another flying off to space to fight.

Elsewhere, DICE Community Manager, Mathew Everett has been speaking on Reddit about the game’s character customisation options. Everett states that gamers will have a fair amount of cosmetic options available, including loadouts and character models. The team wants to ensure fans have some flexibility, while staying within the confines of the “Star Wars Battlefront” universe.

“Yes, you will be able to customise your characters in a number of ways, from selecting various character models and loadouts to choose your emotes that best suit your playing style. We’re going for an authentic, immersive ‘Star Wars’ experience that makes you feel like you’re a part of this galaxy, that said, we won’t be letting players create purple Stormtroopers or change Darth Vader’s suit to orange.”

As noted by DualShockers, Everett went on to add that the game’s Hero system, which allows gamers to take control of icons such as Darth Vader and Bobba Fett, works across multiple games modes and types. Fans also learned that while “Star Wars Battlefront” will run at 60fps most of the time, during split-screen co-op, the framerate is capped at 30fps. Gameplay Director Gustav Halling also promised that gamers will have a variety of missions to choose from, including bot target practise, as well as objective-based goals.

“Star Wars Battlefront” was originally announced during EA’s 2013 E3 press conference. The game is set for release on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on Nov. 17. A free DLC pack, entitled “Battle for Jakku” will be released shortly afterward, tying in with the December release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”