Star Wars Battlefront Hits October With a Beta Access Mode

Steve Anderson : End Game
Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
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Star Wars Battlefront Hits October With a Beta Access Mode

As if the next couple months weren't going to be stuffed full of gaming options as it was! Now, word has emerged that EA will be offering up the beta version of "Star Wars: Battlefront" for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles as well as the PC sometime in October. The exact release date may be a bit sketchy, known only as "early October", but sometime in those two weeks is going to be a very big event for those looking forward to some good old fashioned Star Wars action.

It being a beta, of course, it's not going to be the whole game. But there will be plenty to try out here, including the Walker Assault 40-player mode on the Hoth map, as well as the ability to unlock both Luke Skywalker and his dad Darth Vader. The beta will also open up a Survival Mission on Tatooine where Rebel forces need to push back the Imperial advance. There will even be one brand new mode to enjoy known as Drop Zone, though EA is keeping mum as to just what exactly Drop Zone is. At least, for now; reports suggest EA will talk Drop Zone ahead of the early October release.

Now for the bad news; this is just a taste, and a non-binding one at that. Make any achievements, gain any ground, advance any characters, and the whole thing will be wiped out when the main game releases. Plus, there could be some "errors" or "defects" cropping up that could hinder the experience.

That's not exactly bad news, of course, particularly for those who can hardly wait to try the game out. Certainly if there were a Fallout 4 beta coming out I'd probably be downloading it right now. That game can't get here soon enough for me. For those eager to try this out for themselves, "Star Wars: Battlefront"'s arrive in Beta will likely be welcome. In fact, it's not a bad idea; let people see exactly what's coming out and give them an opportunity to try before buying. I remember how that worked out with "Dead Rising 2"'s release of "Case Zero," and how it certainly did a fine job of whetting the appetite ahead of release. I was more eager to try that little beauty out more than I already was at the time, and I can't see that not helping other releases.

Maybe EA's on to something, releasing the beta a little early to get interest fired up. After all, EA's releasing into a very crowded market to come, and will need to catch some extra interest ahead of time. By dropping the beta into the comparatively quiet October, it may have given itself the edge it needs. It could be that it'll put potential purchasers off with a "lesser" experience that some may think will transfer over to the full release, forgetting this is a beta release. But only time will tell how this works out, and it could be a disaster after all.


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