EA has released new information concerning their big Battle of Geonosis update, coming November 28, free to all players. The update gives us new maps, new vehicles, new Clone Troopers, and most importantly – Obi-Wan Kenobi!
Check out the new trailer for the update above, and read about it below!
With Obi-Wan Kenobi being present throughout the Star Wars saga, we’ve had no shortage of inspiration to draw from. But it was his skills with a lightsaber and his combat prowess, especially in defence, that we decided to focus upon.
It was important for us that when playing as Obi-Wan, not only would players feel like they are playing as the legendary Jedi Master, but it was also imperative that we capture the person that was often the leader on the battlefront and inspiration to the clones he commanded.
We wanted to capture the essence of Obi-Wan running head first towards a battalion of Droids, using his lightsaber to deflect blaster fire with perfect accuracy , which we see him doing in The Clone Wars™ animated series.
We also wanted to ensure that we captured his expertise as a Force user and we worked to ensure this was reflected within his ability set. We took inspiration from numerous sources, one of which was a battle against Anakin Skywalker. With both Jedi locked in a stalemate, one hand raised against the others. The use of the singular hand would play a key part in the animation on display with one of his abilities.
About Star Wars Battlefront 2:
Star Wars Battlefront focuses on the fast frenetic battles that you love in the star wars saga. Fight dozens of troopers alongside memorable heroes like Darth Vader each with unique skills and attributes. Chances are you’ve already played the first one and Battlefront 2 promises to deliver where it fell short. You want a story mode? You want clone troopers? You want deeper gameplay? The team at DICE seems to be trying to please the fans with this one (unless you wanted those fun 32v32 battles from the originals).
EA has released a nice new video showcasing General Grievous’ upcoming insertion into Star Wars Battlefront II, as well as changes going on with some of the Hero Star Cards. Check out the new video above!
Hunt for Jedi as General Grievous in Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II’s latest Clone Wars update, available now! Combat with four lightsabers, drop to an unsettling crawl, and overwhelm your opponents as the feared Separatist Supreme Commander.
How Grievous works in Battlefront 2…
In Star Wars Battlefront II, General Grievous is designed to instigate fear and feel like an overwhelming opponent. His body frame is among the largest compared to any other character in the game, and he engages in combat with two – sometimes four – lightsabers.
For base attack sequences, General Grievous swings two lightsabers. While on defense, he can also use the same to deflect enemy sabers and blaster shots.
But the skilled fighter was also known for his signature moves featuring no less than four Jedi weapons, which were all conquered from their previous owners (we’ve modeled his lightsabers after their appearances in Star Wars™: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith™). In Star Wars Battlefront II, we’ve transferred a couple of those moves to his Abilities.
First, we have Thrust Surge. This one was referenced from an encounter between Grievous and Obi-Wan in the Clone Warsseries. The attack thrusts Grievous forward with all four lightsabers in a stabbing motion, dealing damage and throwing the target to the ground.
The second is Unrelenting Advance. As seen in another battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith, Grievous forms a spinning lightsaber wall in front of him, with sparks igniting from the floor, as he advances like a horrifying machine. Going into Unrelenting Advance, General Grievous blocks all frontal attacks while dealing damage to anyone foolishly standing in his way.
Speaking to his strategist side, General Grievous’ Claw Rush Ability lets him flee the scene in the blink of an eye. Once activated, he goes down on all six limbs and rushes forward, damaging and pushing opponents out of his path. An unsettling sight for enemies to behold – and highly efficient when in urgent need of an escape route.
About Star Wars Battlefront 2:
Star Wars Battlefront focuses on the fast frenetic battles that you love in the star wars saga. Fight dozens of troopers alongside memorable heroes like Darth Vader each with unique skills and attributes. Chances are you’ve already played the first one and Battlefront 2 promises to deliver where it fell short. You want a story mode? You want clone troopers? You want deeper gameplay? The team at DICE seems to be trying to please the fans with this one (unless you wanted those fun 32v32 battles from the originals).
In this episode of The Outer Rim News Podcast, we review Star Wars: The Last Jedi Blu-ray and its many glorious extras. We quickly talk about the Star Wars Battlefront II update, which features a new leveling system, and we talk review the Endor Smuggler’s Bounty box, courtesy of our friends at Funko! All that and more! Join us this week for the Outer Rim News Podcast!
If you like our show, please show your support by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or GooglePlay and tell all your friends about the podcast.
This podcast is not endorsed or supported by Disney or Lucasfilm. It is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Star Wars names, and sounds are all copyright and registered trademarks of Disney and their respective copyright holders.
ABOUT THE OUTER RIM NEWS PODCAST:
The Outer Rim News Podcast is Outer Rim News’ weekly podcast about all things Star Wars. Join us each week as Austin Gordy and Ashley Wilbanks take an hour or so and share their thoughts about everyone’s favorite far away galaxy. From Star Wars comics to Star Wars movies, everything is on the table for discussion. Get your weekly fix here every Friday.
The first Star Wars Battlefront II patch of 2018 is out! The new update includes a new Blast map on the planet Crait and we see the introduction of Iden Versio’s TIE fighter to the roster of hero ships available in Starfighter Assault. The update also includes some fixes and balancing tweaks that were submitted by fan feedback and bug reports.
Check out the entire list of updates included below:
Blast on Crait
EA is expanding the ways you can play on Crait by bringing this map to the Blast Game Mode! Battle in the mines among the machinery and crystals leftover from the previous occupants.
Iden Versio’s TIE/In fighter
Now available as a new Hero Starfighter in multiplayer matches! Iden Versio leads by example from her personal TIE/ln fighter. Custom-built for Inferno Squad, this modified TIE has seen heroic service in the name of the Emperor.
Iden Versio’s TIE/In fighter Abilities:
Afterburner – Gives the starfighter a temporary speed boost and breaks enemy missile lock. The AFTERBURNER can be cancelled after a short time
Laser Barrage – Charges up a rapid fire barrage which deals high damage
Dual Proton Torpedoes – Fires two proton torpedoes which track the locked target and deal high damage
Inferno Leader – For the duration of INFERNO LEADER, all enemies within a radius are revealed to allied players. These enemies receive increased damage from all sources
TIE/In fighter Star Cards:
Engine Heat Dissipator – Decreases the AFTERBURNER cooldown
Hope Cannot Save Them – Achieve 25 LASER BARRAGE kills with Iden Versio’s TIE/LN Fighter
Avenge Our Emperor – Use Iden Versio’s TIE/LN Fighter INFERNO LEADER ability 25 times
Heroes:
Finn
Reduced base damage of his EL-16 from 65 to 45
Reduced the time before heat cooldown kicks in from 3.5 to 1.5 seconds
Reduced damage of each Deadeye shot from 40 to 30
Phasma
Reduced the heat generated per shot of her F-11D
Lando
Fixed a bug where Maximized Efficiency was not properly granting cooldown reduction
Boba Fett
Reduced the damage per rocket of Rocket Barrage from 90 to 78
Reduced the inner damage radius for each rocket of Rocket Barrage from 2 to 1.5 meters
Reduced the outer damage radius for each rocket of Rocket Barrage from 4 to 3 meters
Classes & Special Units
Wookiee Warrior
Reduced Bowcaster center projectile damage multiplier from 1.3 to 1
Lowered Bowcaster fall off distance at the start from 20 to 10 meters & at the end from 30 to 25 meters
Reshuffled Bowcaster explosion damage and projectile damage to make falloff have higher effect
Increased Bowcaster heat per shot
Specialist
Reduce size of scope glint
Added scope glint to the following long range weapons: EL-16HFE, A-280, Pulse Rifle, and Captain Phasma’s F-11D
Reduced heat per shot for the following long range weapons: Valken-38X, E-5S, DLT-20A, DLT-19x, A280, and DLT-19D
Increased the bursts per minute of all Infiltration variants from 100 to 130
Heavy
Reduced the AOE of Supercharged and Explosive sentry
Increased heat per shot for Supercharged Sentry from 0.015 to 0.017
Officer
Reduced explosion damage when turret is destroyed by blaster fire from 150 to 25
Added ability icons denoting that a player has been boosted by Recharge Command
Turrets now have an icon that show when the turret is engaging an enemy
Weapons:
CR2
Lowered start damage from 17 to 16
Lowered end damage from 9 to 8
Reduced damage falloff end distance from 40 to 30 meters
Barrage
Reduced inner blast radius from 3.5 to 2 meters
Increased outer blast radius from 5 to 6 meters
Increased explosion damage from 55 to 100
Blurrg-1120
Reduced falloff start distance from 20 to 15 meters
Reduced start damage of Explosive Shot from 29 to 26
Reduced end damage of Explosive Shot from 10 to 8
Reduced inner blast radius of Explosive Shot from 0.8 to 0.7 meters
Reduced outer blast radius of Explosive Shot from 2 to 1.8 meters
Reduced accuracy of the final shots when Burst Mod is equipped
Trip Mine
Increased the number of mines that can be deployed at the same time from 1 to 2
Raised the time until the mines disappeared after death from 5 to 15 seconds
Galactic Assault:
Kamino
Updated spawns to help the Droids attack
Phase 2 capture areas are now only the platforms
Tatooine
Removed the A-Wing
Reduced AT-ST Battlepoint cost from 2500 to 1500
Reduced explosive objective timer
Naboo
Updated spawns to help the Droids attack
Reduced health of the MTT
Reduced explosive objective timer
Death Star II
Reduced explosive objective timer
Endor
Reduced explosive objective timer
Hoth
Reduced health of the AT-ATs
Reduced explosive objective timer
Kashyyyk
Reduced health of the MTTs
Reduced explosive objective timer
Crait
Updated spawns to help the First Order attack
Reduced health of the Phase 3 objectives from 5000 to 4000
Increased the cost of the Ski Speeder from 0 to 200
Reduced health of the AT-M6s
Jakku
Made 2 AT-ST’s available in Phase 1
Updated spawns to better orient players
Updated combat area for Phase 4
Reduced explosive objective timer
Yavin
Lowered Battlepoint cost for AT-STs from 2500 to 2000
Lowered Battlepoint cost for Deathtroopers from 3000 to 2000
Lowered Battlepoint cost for Imperial Rocket Trooper from 2000 to 1750
Reduced explosive objective timer
Takodana
Added AT-ST to Phase 1
Updated Phase 2 objective locations
Reduced explosive objective timer
Starkiller Base
Tweaked Resistance spawns in Phase 1
Updated First Order combat area in Phase 1
Reduced explosive objective timer
Strike:
Tweaked Bomb Timer duration
Minor balancing tweaks
General:
Added a night variant to Tatooine Maps
Increased the frequency of alternative lighting variants across all maps
Updated visual appearances of the First Order on Crait
Fixed a bug where the LAAT overheat sound would affect everyone in the match
Milestone completion call out’s in-match
Armor class Battlepoint multiplier reduced
Fixed a bug where both the Officer’s Recharge Command and Finn’s Big Deal abilities were not affecting Heroes or Special Units properly
Fixed an issue where each sector on the minimap would not light up properly the first time an enemy fired
Reduced fade in time for a minimap sector from 0.3 to 0.1 seconds
Stability improvements
Misc. bug fixing
About Star Wars Battlefront 2:
Star Wars Battlefront focuses on the fast frenetic battles that you love in the star wars saga. Fight dozens of troopers alongside memorable heroes like Darth Vader each with unique skills and attributes. Chances are you’ve already played the first one and Battlefront 2 promises to deliver where it fell short. You want a story mode? You want clone troopers? You want deeper gameplay? The team at DICE seems to be trying to please the fans with this one (unless you wanted those fun 32v32 battles from the originals).
Jump into the boots of an elite special forces soldier, equally lethal on the ground and space, in an emotionally gripping new Star Wars campaign that spans over 30 years and bridges events between the films’ Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The Ultimate Star Wars Battleground! A Star Wars multiplayer universe unmatched in variety and breadth where up to 40 players fight as iconic heroes, authentic-to-era troopers and in a massive array of vehicles on land and in the air – as battle rages through the galaxy.
In this episode of The Outer Rim News Podcast, we talk about what we hope to see and experience with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we give our thoughts on Battlefront II, we also review the book Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, and more! Join us for the Outer Rim News Podcast!
If you like our show, please show your support by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or GooglePlay and tell all your friends about the podcast.
This podcast is not endorsed or supported by Disney or Lucasfilm. It is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Star Wars names, and sounds are all copyright and registered trademarks of Disney and their respective copyright holders.
ABOUT THE OUTER RIM NEWS PODCAST:
The Outer Rim News Podcast is Outer Rim News’ weekly podcast about all things Star Wars. Join us each week as Austin Gordy and Ashley Wilbanks take an hour or so and share their thoughts about everyone’s favorite far away galaxy. From Star Wars comics to Star Wars movies, everything is on the table for discussion. Get your weekly fix here every Friday.
It is finally here! The granddaddy of all video games of 2017, Star Wars Battlefront II. Star Wars fans and general gamers have been waiting all year, and EA has given us a little appetizer in the form of the beta release, before the main course in November.
So what has EA learned from the release of the first game two years ago? Will it pack more of a punch, giving gamers more a of a complete game than the previous release? Let’s dive in and find out!
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Beta Pros and Cons
Pros
Graphics
Like its predecessor, Star Wars Battlefront 2 delivers a knockout blow in the graphics department. Characters and environments look absolutely stunning. Whether you are running through the streets of Theed or flying above Fondor, you will feel like you are right there in the worlds that Lucasfilm has created.
I have been playing the beta on a regular Playstation 4 console, so I am going to guess that the graphics will blow your socks off on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. Seriously, there is no complaining on a standard Playstation 4. The gameplay looks almost as good as the cinematic cut screens, and that is saying a lot!
Audio
If you love the sounds of Star Wars vehicles and just general sounds of blasters, lightsabers and droids, then this game is going to overpower your senses. EA has added true-to-life (is that even possible in a make believe world) TIE-Fighter flight sounds, X-Wing blasters, Clone trooper blasters, and even the great “Roger-Roger” from Battle Droids. It is a totally immersive experience. Add some John Williams inspired music, and you have a cherry on top of that ice cream sundae of a game!
Starfighter Battles
Starfighter battles in Star Wars Battlefront seemed a bit clunky and sort of thrown in as an afterthought. The team at EA has taken that experience, hidden it in a lock box, inside of a closet, in a house that has since been blown to smithereens. Battlefront 2 has totally redesigned the Starfighter gameplay in a great way! Yes there are some similarities to the original (and one thing that I wish they left in), but it feels totally different and more polished.
The steering controls are less tight than before, which takes a little getting used to. Familiar vehicles from the first game are given new abilities. Not only do other players pose a threat to you in space, but your environment does as well. Imperial battle stations will fire on Rebel ships, making it tougher on the Rebel Alliance players, but adding a sort of realism to the experience.
Heroes and Ships in Assaults
When EA first described the method for gaining access to a hero or special ship in combat, I questioned their thought process immediately. After playing the beta, my fears have subsided. To gain access to a hero character (Darth Maul, Rey, Han Solo, and Boba Fett are the only ones available in the beta) you have to achieve a certain score, then use those points to respawn as that character.
Every time you die in ground assaults, you can choose from one of four types of troops, or if you have enough points during that round, one of any number of ships, specialized troops, or heroes. It really makes you want to gain as many points so you can play as Darth Maul or Rey, which can be gained with 5000 points.
Star Wars Battlefront II Space Battle
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Beta Cons
Lootcrates
One thing I am not a fan of in games are lootcrates. These random drops purchased from a vendor as you make your way through the game seem almost unfair. I have felt inadequate in the game many times due to players who have spent hours upon hours racking up money to purchase lootcrates and gearing up their players.
It would be different is was buying lootcrates for one character or vehicle, but in this game you need to beef up four different types of troops, Heroes, and four different types of ships. Each troop/hero/ship has various things to increase such as three abilities, emotes and weapons. This game introduces a crafting system for the weapons. Each weapon has three different abilities as well, which you will have get crafting money (through lootcrates) to upgrade them.
Starfighter Battles
Yes, I know I said this was a positive thing, but some changes made from the first game have me frustrated. The biggest is being able to lock on to ships and shoot them. This is probably just me, but I would rather be able to lock on. The A-Wing does have a special ability that allows this, but I haven’t seen it on other ships. Plus it is a special ability that only lasts a few seconds. While this may not bother some, it is a major disappointment for me.
The Interface
The game interface needs a little work as well. Everything has a warbly holographic look to it, making it almost impossible to read anything from a distance (like me sitting on my couch looking at a 46″ TV – hey, it could just be that I am 41 and losing it as well). I know they are shooting for a Star Wars ships system interface, but something really needs to be either redesigned or just take out the holographic look before the game launches in November. Concentrate on reading something to long, and you will have to put the controller down and reach for the Advil.
Enemy Locations
One of the final issues I have is with finding enemies in ground assault maps. When playing as a clone trooper, it is tough to see B1 Battle Droids against the background of the city of Theed. They blend in really well. It almost seems like a competitive advantage for the Separatists. I don’t know that this can be fixed without compromising the integrity of the look and feel of real Star Wars though. In a game this good, it is just a minor issue anyway.
Overall
Major improvements are found across the board in at least the beta. The games comes with a single player campaign mode, which is not available in the beta. The only thing you can do in the beta is participate in a ground assault (Theed), Starfighter Assault (Above Fondor), and arcade mode (which I haven’t played).
I get the feeling that the beta was released for load testing on the network, and for minor improvements. The game certainly feels polished, aside from the horrible user interface outside of gameplay. I only experienced issues once, and that was with the starfighter assault. It might have been my Internet connection, but everything kept stuttering, making it impossible to play.
I get the feeling that EA has a major hit on their hands with this one. If you haven’t played it yet, you have until October 9th to play the beta. Or you can just wait until the full release in November.
In this episode of The Outer Rim News Podcast, we talk about the Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer reveal date that Mark Hamill revealed, then denied. Then we talk about the new Star Wars Battlefront 2 trailer and what we are hoping to see from the game, as well as a new 20 minutes behind the scenes of Disney movies show, that will replace FirstLook. Plus information on how you can win a Funko Red Stormtrooper POP! from us! All that, and more! Join us for the Outer Rim News Podcast!
If you like our show, please show your support by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or GooglePlay and tell all your friends about the podcast.
Read more at http://outerrimnews.libsyn.com/outer-rim-news-september-28-2017#I4YOjFAjP1x6iQ1u.99
This podcast is not endorsed or supported by Disney or Lucasfilm. It is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Star Wars names, and sounds are all copyright and registered trademarks of Disney and their respective copyright holders.
ABOUT THE OUTER RIM NEWS PODCAST:
The Outer Rim News Podcast is Outer Rim News’ weekly podcast about all things Star Wars. Join us each week as Austin Gordy and Ashley Wilbanks take an hour or so and share their thoughts about everyone’s favorite far away galaxy. From Star Wars comics to Star Wars movies, everything is on the table for discussion. Get your weekly fix here every Friday.
Electronic Arts has revealed Star Wars Battlefront II Map Locations! These are the areas that you will be playing in when Battlefront II hits your console! It looks as if we will be revisiting Jakku, Hoth and Endor for this installment. We will have more information for you when the game hits in November.
Check out the list below…
Naboo
Kamino
Kashyyyk
Endor
Death Star II
Hoth
Mos Eisley
Yavin IV
Jakku
Takodana
Starkiller Base
About Star Wars Battlefront 2:
Star Wars Battlefront focuses on the fast frenetic battles that you love in the star wars saga. Fight dozens of troopers alongside memorable heroes like Darth Vader each with unique skills and attributes. Chances are you’ve already played the first one and Battlefront 2 promises to deliver where it fell short. You want a story mode? You want clone troopers? You want deeper gameplay? The team at DICE seems to be trying to please the fans with this one (unless you wanted those fun 32v32 battles from the originals).
We have been given a treat fellow Star Wars enthusiasts. Electronic Arts and LucasFilm have released a new video feature showcasing the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront II’s much-anticipated story mode.
Star Wars Battlefront II will focus on an elite company of Stormtroopers known as Inferno Squad. This elite band of troopers are led by Iden Versio who has been described as a loyal member of the Empire, an elite Tie Fighter pilot who comes from an Imperial family.
During the featurette, Lucasfilm Creative Executive Steve Blank and EA Motive Game Director Mark Thompson also discuss how they created the Inferno Squad’s story and they also tease some more features that will be featuring in the game.
If you cannot wait until the end of year release of Battlefront II to follow the adventures of Inferno Squad well, fear not, a brand new novel, written by Star Wars: Dark Disciple author Christie Goldie, will be released on July 25th. The novel will be set before the events of the game and will see Inferno Squad attempting to track down members of Saw Gerrera’s rebel cell who escaped the annihilation of Jedha.
About Star Wars Battlefront II:
Welcome to Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II, with a new story mode taking players on an epic journey from the battle of Endor to the rise of the First Order. The prequels, original trilogy, and new era meet in a vast multiplayer adventure coming November 17 to PlayStation 4®, Xbox One, and Origin on PC. If you’re a member of Origin Access or EA Access, you’ll be able to start playing on November 9.
Star Wars Battlefront released back in 2010 was a great game. Not incredible and not poor but enjoyable. It did a lot of things right, mainly by completely immersing you in the action. You truly felt like you were there on Hoth, Endor, etc.., with the sounds of the various weapons and vehicles spot on. I really did feel like I was fighting alongside my fellow Rebels against the Galactic Empire, and in turn, I truly felt like a Stormtrooper wiping out the Rebel scum who had invaded the Death Star. Battlefront was missing a fair few elements though, which stopped it moving into the incredible Star Wars game category (such as KOTOR and Republic Comando) and this will bring us nicely to the point of this article, my Star Wars Battlefront 2 top 5 wishlist!
