I've racked up 12-15 hours in the Star Wars: Battlefront Beta this weekend and will probably put in a few more before it closes on October 12. Yes, that's a lot for a beta, but I cannot get enough of this game. I can only really give you two impressions with this game, one being from a gameplay standpoint and the other from a Star Wars fan standpoint. So take either as you wish.
Star Wars: Battlefront plays differently from DICE and EA's Battlefield franchise, strictly on movement and gunplay. The blasters don't require a reload, but they do give you the opportunity to perform a quick cooldown similar to the "active reload" system in Gears of War. The four blasters available in the beta fire at different rates with varying impacts, however, no one weapon eclipses the other. It comes down to the preference of the player, and sometimes their ability to land precise headshots. The blaster pistol requires a steady hand and can be a deadly tool in the right hands. The mobility is huge in this game. There is a sprint and a standard jump, but the jump pack card that you can add to your hand like a class perk is an excellent way to get around and into tactically advantageous positions. The wide range of movements force a new verticality to the game, particularly when playing Drop Zone on Sullust as the volcanic rock can tower feet into the air and give the enemy the high ground.
Each game mode comes with a series of map pick-ups. The smaller modes include one-use weapon items such as a thermal imploder, orbital strike or smart rocket. Larger game modes have additional map pick-ups like vehicles, varying between the Imperials and Rebels, and Hero pick-ups like Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. None of these perks are dependent on your playing ability or success in one match. If you get to the indicator, it's yours. You either must survive with a health bar (AT-ST, TIE Fighter, X-Wing, A-Wing, etc.) or live out the clock (AT-AT [don't you dare call them at ats], Heroes, etc.).
The Walker Assault on Hoth slanted well in the favour of the Imperials in the majority of the matches in which I participated. It seemed for a long time that I would never win with the Rebels, which is technically canon given that a "loss" is constituted by the shield generator being destroyed. Nevertheless, I have managed to win as the Rebels on two occasions, as my team destroyed both AT-AT walkers in the final stage of the match. In the first case, I shot one walker from the ground while a Snowspeeder toppled the other, and the second case I managed to begin wrapping the toe cable around the AT-AT, but it's health was slow low that when I crashed into it I took it with me. Not the prettiest win, but a win nonetheless. It can be done, people!
This game will need to provide a wide range of unlockable content like blasters, perks, hands, and appearances if it's going to keep players in the game. Once everything is unlocked there is little incentive to earn experience points and credits. I know I will play it regardless, but some players may fall out of it if they don't have a goal to work towards. Microtransactions would ruin this element of the game, but thankfully DICE/EA has confirmed there will be no such purchase system. I don't want to buy a cool Stormtrooper variant. I want to unlock the TIE Pilot or the AT-AT Driver.
If there is one thing I can complain about it would be the momentary drops in framerate on Xbox One. I have seen it on PS4, but my playing experience has been on Xbox and there have been some brief but noticeable inconsistencies of the framerate. This may be due to beta connectivity. There have also been texture pop-ins on Sullust, but only when spawning in particular zones. The Xbox One version was running at 720p and 30 FPS, which is now regarded as inexcusable for a modern shooter, however I did not notice any major issues with clarity. If you're not playing on a TV larger than 50-55", you will have a hard time seeing the difference between the 720p and 900p that PS4 has managed. Of course, unless you have a keen eye for video quality. I prefer the Xbox One version for the controller and it is where I play my third-party games with friends. So take your pick, or go to PC where that thing is firing on all cylinders well over 1080p.
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