Star Wars BattleFront II Preview

November 1, 2005 will bring the release of the next installment in the Star Wars video game saga, Star Wars BattleFront II for the PC, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game, which is the sequel to LucasArts' successful Star Wars: Battlefront will be released simultaneously with the DVD of the latest Star Wars movie: Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

LucasArts is the publisher of this much awaited action shooter, developed by Pandemic Studios. BattleFront II has not yet received its rating from the ESRB. The original game, Star Wars: Battlefront was rated teen.

The multiplayer Star Wars BattleFront II sports improved space combat, playable Jedi and all new environments from the film. The single player game experience is all-new, taking players through a story-based adventure saga, with open ended mission objectives. Enemies and allies are using a revamped AI system to make them smarter and more sophisticated, according to the LucasArts website. Flight control has been enhanced and players can now board enemy ships and battle to control flying command ships. The game's multiplayer sections include a dozen new locations including Utapau, Mustafar, the interior of the Death Star and a space battle over Coruscant. Like the original Battlefront, the game will feature various soldier sets from the Star Wars universe.

Online multiplayer modes will allow up to 64 simultaneous players on Windows, 32 on Xbox and 24 on PlayStation 2.

Star Wars Battlefront II will be the first handheld game in the Star Wars franchise to be published by LucasArts. The game is being developed by Savage Entertainment and will include many of the features of the other console versions including space combat, playable Jedi and content from Revenge of the Sith. However, the game will also have some unique features to take advantage of the portable format. The handheld version of Star Wars Battlefront II will offer several shorter "mini-campaigns". In addition, a player will be able to join the Rebellion or work as a mercenary. It is also possible to spend time as a sniper to attack Jawas, Ewoks and Gungans. Use the wireless capabilities of the PSP to play a portable multiplayer game with up to 4 simultaneous players in cooperative or competitive modes.

The game will be released this fall, although it is unclear whether the game will debut along with the versions for all the other platforms. The Lucas Arts website is currently accepting pre-orders. Right now orders will include a free t-shirt.

The DVD of Revenge of the Sith will include a full-length documentary on the making of the film and two features. One short focuses on the stunts from Episode III and the other covers the Anakin Skywalker prophecy. The DVD will also include a two level demo of the Xbox version of Battefront II.

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