The DICE team have done a great job of making the weapons in Battlefront feel as good as those in Battlefield. But while there are several guns to collect, there's not a huge amount of variation on the shelf right now. Some have a slightly better range than others, or faster cooling, but in the scale of things the differences feel negligible.
That's good in that there aren't any ridiculously overpowered weapons that will put newbies on the backfoot, but it does give you one less reason to care about levelling up.
For better or worse, this helps make Battlefront more accessible. It's also in the spirit of the game in that you're essentially cannon fodder. Don't expect to be picking off enemies by the dozen from afar like some kind of superpowered Stormtrooper; you're going to die a lot in this game. A lot.
I mentioned earlier that there are no classes in Battlefront (just ranks) but Star Cards, which let you customise your loadout, offer a way of distinguishing your soldier - and more of an incentive to climb up the rankings ladder. You can play a Star Card as many time as you want during a game, but each time you do you'll have to wait for it to recharge.
From jump packs to explosives, to a perk that means your weapons cool down faster, Star Cards let you customise your character to your style of play in a more meaningful way than switching blaster rifles does.
Earning credits will allow you to buy new guns, Star Cards and outfits - although you probably won't bother spending your money on costumes until you've exhausted the selection of things that actually matter.
But when you're not just cannon fodder for the Empire, you're taking on the role of Boba Fett, Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine himself, each of which is more powerful than the average footsoldier. Meanwhile Rebels can play as Princess Leia, Han Solo or Luke Skywalker.
Some of these are more fun to play as than others. Deflecting laser fire with Luke's lightsaber or zapping enemies with the Emperor's Force Lightning are particularly enjoyable ways to experience Battlefront, but this isn't the films - Stormtroopers can actually aim - and heroes, while tough, can still be brought down with enough firepower.
In modes like Walker Assault you'll obtain heroes by finding a special pickup, but there are also a couple of Hero-centric modes too. Hero Hunt pits nine players against one famous character - whoever finishes off the hero becomes them. It gets repetitive quite quickly, but it's fun if you just fancy swinging a lightsaber around for a short while.
