Introduction
Star Wars Battlefront has arrived (today if you're in the UK, the US got it earlier this week) and with just one month to go until The Force Awakens hits cinemas. It's almost as if this was all planned...
It's understandable, then, that Star Wars fever is probably at its highest since the eve of The Phantom Menace. Battlefront, EA's follow-up to two of the most beloved Star Wars games of all time, is giving us the opportunity to indulge some of our biggest fantasies from a galaxy far, far away.
We've already spent some time with Battlefront, and the most important thing you need to know is that (so far) we really like it. However, there are a few things you should probably know before diving in, so we've pulled together five important things you should do once you've booted up the game.
Perfect your flying skills in the tutorial
Battlefront is a game to be played online, with a rather stingy offline single player offering. That said, while you'll be tempted to jump into a massive Walker Assault on Hoth the minute the game finishes installing, you'd be wise to jump into the tutorial to tune up your flying skills first.
Chances are, you'll pick up the ground combat pretty quick, but piloting some of Battlefront's vehicles requires a little more familiarity with the controls. The training mode give you the opportunity to get to grips with the X-Wing, T-47 and more.
You can also use this as an opportunity to tweak the controls to your liking, meaning your first time on a speeder bike in the presence of others won't be short-lived by you instantly wrapping yourself around a tree.
Play Droid Run
Battlefront is a game about the grand spectacle of manic 40-player battles taking place on ground and in air, and you'll probably spend most of your time in Supremacy and Walker Assault modes. However, you'd be wise to try some of the smaller modes for two reasons.
One, they can be really fun - especially Droid Run. In this mode, your aim is to take control of all three GNK droids before your enemy does. It's essentially King of the Hill, except the hills shout "GONK" at you.
The second reason for trying these less epic modes is that they're a good way to boost up your ranking to make more guns and card available, and to get the precious, precious credits to spend on them.
Breathe in those beautiful landscapes
It seems almost counterintuitive that one of the game's most high-octane games is also one of the best looking; the action can be so intense in Battlefront that it's easy to ignore how damn beautiful the environments are.
From the incredible detail put into each character - we spent a good five minutes just admiring the detail on Boba Fett's armour - to the way the light glistens over the snow on Hoth, to the sheer detail in Tatooine's sprawling expanses.
Even the freakin' water on Endor, which you have absolutely no reason to ever stop and look at, looks incredible. It might be the best looking game we've played this year.
And with John Williams' score blaring in the background, this is about as real as the Star Wars universe is going to get until virtual reality happens/we actually discover alien life. So just stop every once in awhile and take some of it in.
Get a friend round for some split-screen action
Halo 5 might have ditched the split screen option, but in Battlefront it's just another part of the nostalgia trip. Some of you might not have played a split-screen co-op in years thanks to the glorious age of the internet, so now's your chance to remember how it used to be.
Battlefront is a great game for some co-op fun. Sure, you have the option to team up online, but it's a great reminder why nothing quite beats sitting down with a friend on the couch and taking on the Empire together.
Survival mode in particular is great with another person next to you, as you take down wave after wave of enemies, tactfully working together to collect resources and blast away approaching enemy ground troops and ship.
Accept fun over depth
If there's one criticism that we can give Battlefront right now, it's that it lacks the depths you might want from such a game. Battlefront is accessible but quite shallow for it. The sooner you accept that and realise that this is a game about spectacle and cinematic moments, the sooner you'll be able to enjoy those moments by the truckload.
Storm across Hoth's icy plains as Darth Vader as you force choke oncoming rebels. Tear through Endor on a speeder bike as Ewoks scuttle around in the distance.
Fly the Goddamn Millennium Falcon.
No other Star Wars game has let you replicate these moments in such an authentic way. And yes, underneath it all is quite a basic shooter that probably lacks longevity (though we'll wait and see what the DLC brings) but the best way to enjoy Battlefront is to accept its simplicity and just let the "wow" moments take place.
