News: LucasArts readying Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron while keeping Star Wars: Battlefront 3 under wraps.
While the real Star Wars: Battlefront 3 still remains unannounced and shrouded in mystery, LucasArts has confirmed the series will be returning to handhelds with Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron for the DS and PSP.
Elite Squadron will tell the story of a pair of clone troopers created from the DNA of a Jedi Master. After Order 66 (the purging of the Jedi for non-Star Wars geeks), the clones follow different paths of The Force, with one turning to the Dark Side while the other remains on the Light Side:
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron features a deep and engrossing single player campaign that spans the entire Star Wars Saga Ч and beyond. Gamers assume the identity of X2, a clone trooper created from the DNA of a Jedi Master. Originally tasked with eliminating Jedi during Order 66, X2 decides to leave his blood-stained past behind and joins the Rebellion. X2 isn't the only Force-sensitive clone, however. X1, his clone brother, chooses a much more sinister path, leading to a confrontation that could determine the fate of both the Empire and the Rebellion.
The game will also bring multi-level battlefronts to the series for the first time. Players can fight on land, bring the battle to a dogfight in space and then land on a capital ship and bombard the enemy with hyperlasers. According to LucasArts, each level of the battle will also affect every other level.
Elite Squadron will also bring plenty of customization options to the series, such as:
The PSP provides the deepest customization options ever seen in a Star Wars Battlefront title, allowing players to personalize and build their character with more weapons and items than ever before, including the weapons characters carry into battle, the armor they wear on their backs, their species, gender, appearance and physical strengths. Players can also unlock hundreds of other items and bonuses to help even the odds. On Nintendo DS, players can experience a unique class-based gameplay experience that allows them to outfit their characters with pre-determined weapon armaments, including heavy weapons, blasters and even lightsabers.
Finally, a multiplayer mode allows for up to 16 players on the PSP (complete with in-depth stat tracking). The DS will also feature a variety of multiplayer modes (for up to four players) including Heroes and Villains mode which will include the ability to play as Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Kit Fisto, Darth Maul and other familiar faces from
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron and
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Multiplayer battles will take place across several familiar Star Wars locales including Endor, Hoth and Yavin 4.
We'll have more soon.