Although DICE can be commended for creating the most authentic Star Wars video game experience to date, Star Wars Battlefront comes up short in content. As an enormous fan of George Lucas' original trilogy of Star Wars films, I can't help but feel excitement whenever I step on the snowy dunes of Hoth or find myself exchanging laser fire with Stormtroopers on the forest moon of Endor. Star Wars Battlefront makes it feel like you've stepped directly into these iconic battles. But that feeling of nostalgia isn't enough to carry the game. After just a few hours of playing, I found myself thinking "Hoth again?" The game simply needs more locations and maps.
The brain trust at Game Informer sat down to discuss which maps they'd like to see. DICE has revealed that an additional four locations are on the way in the form of DLC, starting with the planet Jakku, which will be featured in the forthcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens film. That leaves three additional locations. Seeing that DICE focused primarily on battles and locations featured in the original trilogy, we narrowed our sights to this era for our picks. Below is a listing of the destinations we hope to see when Star Wars Battlefront's upcoming DLC drops.
Cloud City
Along with the hope of Lando Calrissian releasing as a playable hero, Cloud City would be a great map for large or small skirmishes. The odds of squeezing in an AT-AT for Walker Assault is unlikely, but the upscale architecture of this floating city would be perfect for Supremacy or any smaller matches. Much like Battlefront's Tatooine and Endor maps, Cloud City could feature NPC characters like Ugnaughts, or perhaps even Lobot tucked way behind a glass barrier. For Heroes vs. Villains, the darkened site of the carbon-freezing chamber is a no-brainer. We'd hold DICE to implementing a gameplay mechanic for carbon freezing, should a player accidentally fall into the pit.
The Death Star
One of the biggest surprises about Battlefront's launch is that the Death Star isn't a part of it in any capacity. In the films, the biggest battle involving the Death Star took place in space (something Battlefront doesn't have yet), but the interior moments with Han Solo, Luke, Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca (another character that deserves to be a hero) show the potential it has for maps. Again, getting a Walker to work in the spaces we've seen would be tough, but the Death Star is huge, and we're sure DICE could figure something out. The oily floors and variety in spaces should make the Death Star one of the game's most dynamic destinations. Just imagine how great the fights in the detention cell block would be. And for jet-pack users, we'd like to see DICE work in some kind of advantage to the chasm Luke and Leia swing across. The hanger bay with the Millennium Falcon is a great starting point for the Rebels in Supremacy.
Jabba's Palace
The interior of Jabba's Palace appears to be small, but the Return of the Jedi only gave us good looks at the throne room and Rancor pit. We'd love to see DICE flesh out the entirety of this complex for smaller fights. Boba Fett would obviously have an advantage, as he is often seen picking up dates here, but the potential for intimate choke points and Salacious Crumb laughing whenever someone dies in the throne room are two compelling reasons why DICE should include this location.
Coruscant
What happened to Coruscant after Order 66? In the 1970s, concept artist Ralph McQuarrie showed us a vision of what Coruscant might look like in the classic-trilogy era. DICE should use this art as inspiration for a new map, which could take place on the planet's surface or inside numerous complexes. And if Disney allowed DICE to visually tell a story, show us what happened to the Jedi tower and archives. This map would work for all modes. We'd like to see how DICE handles aerial dogfights among Coruscant's busy morning traffic.