Battlefront’s Death Star DLC: Everything we know – part II
This is part two of three part series summarizing what we know about next month’s Death Star expansion that’s coming to Battlefront. Read part one here. Read part three here.
“Look at the size of that thing.”
Battlefront will be getting it’s longest mode yet with next month’s Death Star DLC in the form Battle Station. Here’s a look at how Battle Station functions, as well as everything else we know about potential maps and modes that will be included in the pack.
Battle Station
This new mode contains three phases. Elliot from BattlefrontUpdates surmised in a video that based on time he spent playing the initial stage at gamescom, Battle Station will be 12 versus 12. The middle portion is set inside the Death Star; it’s bookended by a pair of space combat phases, one near an asteroid field and the other above the Death Star.
The Rebels must destroy a Star Destroyer in the first phase. If they fail to bring down the Imperial capital ship within ten minutes, the mode is over and the Empire wins. However, if the Rebels do take down the Star Destroyer, the mode advances to inside the Death Star.
Because the opening section of Battle Station was playable last week at gamescom, we know a fair bit about how it works. The Rebels must blow up 10 enemy ships. Once this is accomplished, a Y-Wing bombing run takes place, much like in Battlefront’s showcased mode, Walker Assault. During this bombing run, Rebel ships must attack both shield generators on top of the Star Destroyer and its tractor beam below. After those three weak points are sufficiently damaged, the Rebels can then destroy the ship’s command bridge.
The Millennium Falcon and Slave I will be pilotable during this first phase, just like they currently are in Fighter Squadron.
Once the command bridge is destroyed, the battle moves inside the Death Star. Here, the Rebels must extract R2-D2 from the bowels of the space station. R2-D2 will be fully controllable by a human player and the Imperials will be trying to “lock him in place.” New heroes Chewbacca and Bossk will be playable during this phase as well.
If the Rebels safely escort R2-D2 out of the Death Star, the battle moves back into space. This time, their objective is to blow up the Death Star. Just like in Episode IV, the Rebels must attempt trench runs in order to send a proton torpedo down an exhaust port. The game’s lead designer Dennis Brannvall has noted that “it can take awhile” to finally blow up the Death Star.
Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing is pilotable during this stage, as is Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced. Luke gets Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter as his pair of wingmen, while Vader will fly with his Imperial Aces.
We also know that the phases transition between one another via a cinematic of some sort. Brannvall has also commented on the length of the mode and he estimates that it will contain “at least a half and hour of gameplay” but he also notes that they are still working on it, so the time isn’t quite exact yet.
Maps
The opening phase of Battle Station takes place amongst asteroids and Star Destroyers. In leaked footage that has since been taken down, the asteroids appear to be part of a desert planet’s rings. This has led some to believe that this stage takes place over Geonosis. While not confirmed, I think that theory makes sense, especially because the Geonosians played a key role in the development of the Death Star.
The final stage of Battle Station takes place above the Death Star. While we have only got a glimpse of what it looks like, it should bare a resemblance to those closing moments above the Death Star in A New Hope.
We don’t know very much about the interior of the planet-sized space station. The only concept art from inside the Death Star we’ve seen has shown us a view of a hangar bay. An official press release has teased that “areas inspired by the classic trilogy” will be playable inside the station. Brannvall also mentioned that “you’re fighting in the corridors and iconic locations that you expect from the movie.”
What that actually means is anybody’s guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see locations like a detention block, trash compactor and perhaps a chasm or two.
Other modes
We don’t know much else about what other modes will be playable within the Death Star expansion pack. If BattlefrontUpdates is right and the DLC’s playlist 24 players, Supremacy, Turning Point and Walker Assault are likely ruled out (unless DICE messes with player numbers for those modes, like they did for Bespin’s Drop Zone).
Walker Assault, along with Drop Zone, is further ruled out by the fact that maps inside the Death Star can’t support modes that require air drops (be it Y-Wings or pods). Extraction and Sabotage also won’t be present this time around as they are exclusive to their respective DLC packs.
Fighter Squadron looks a likely prospect, as two maps will support ship-to-ship combat. Other modes, such as Blast, Droid Run, Cargo, Heroes vs. Villains and Hero Hunt are all probably possible to play inside the Death Star. No official word has dropped on the topic yet, though!
Personally, I hope that the Death Star manages to keep the overall number of modes down to around five, like the Outer Rim. Bespin’s long playlist can feel a bit bloated at times.
(Image sources: X-Wings. Star Destroyer. Millennium Falcon. Slave I. Hero battle is in-game.)
