Developer DICE have detailed how iconic “Heroes”, such as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, work in their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront.
Senior producer Jamie Keen explained that these characters are accessed by picking up specific items on the battlefield. These items will, for a limited time, let players become a Force wielder. To limit their presence on the battlefield, Heroes immediately begin to lose health, but players can increase the time they play as the character by racking up kills, thus topping up their health.
“Our goal was to give an average player around two minutes as a Hero or Villain,” Keen explained. “But if you’re good enough, you might stretch that to around five minutes.” Keen elaborated, “In theory, you could play as Luke Skywalker for a whole match, but that is extremely unlikely. That said, the gauntlet is thrown!”
Speaking regards Luke Skywalker’s play style, Keen described him as “an acrobatic character, immensely powerful, and skilled with the Force, though somewhat new to his powers.” “His jump is based on a normal biomechanical jump, but it’s augmented by the Force. You see this in the films as well, such as when he’s jumping out of the carbonite pit or when he’s training on Dagobah.”
Luke’s attacks include a “wide-sweeping, heavy attack with his Lightsaber,” which is handy for taking out a group of enemies, and his Force Push, which is better suited for long ranged combat. Additionally, the Saber Rush lets players use the Force to propel themselves forward, “delivering a lightning-fast attack.”
EA has said the upcoming Beta, in which Luke and Darth Vader will be playable, will be open to all.
Star Wars: Battlefront launches for PS4, Xbox One and Pc on November 17th.