EA

At gamescom, Star Wars Battlefront saw the reveal of Fighter Squadron, a 20-person dog-fighting mode where iconic X-Wings and TIE Fighters do heated battle.

While skirmishes above planet surfaces aren't quite the epic space battles we were hoping for, it's a good compromise; and with two dozen ships flooding the skies with rockets and lasers in aerial battle, it's a hectic mode to get to grips with, but thankfully we had a blast getting stuck in.

Everything we know about Star Wars Battlefront

1. It's as hard and as chaotic as it looks

EA

While the controls feel tactile and it's easy to bank and turn, the battlefield is a busy swarm of ships and it can be difficult to land hits. Players know when you're locking on with missiles so will duck and dive out the way, and using laser fire requires surprising accuracy - but don't hammer on the trigger, otherwise you'll quickly overheat if you're not careful.

While players can quickly evade your attention - tapping the D-pad can give you a quick roll or arcing 180-degree turn - the computer-controlled ships that also populate the battlefield seem easier to shoot. Though they give you fewer points than taking out other players, they make you feel like you're contributing to the team. Dogfighting looks like it'll take some getting used to, but makes it all the more satisfying when you take down your human pray.

2. Busy objectives can turn the tide of battle

While most of the match sees you evading and latching on to whatever ships you can find, there are welcome moments of concentration as transport ships speed into view that must be defended or destroyed for bonus points, moments which can turn the tide of battle.

Though these give you something larger and slower to shoot, with its extended armour taking longer to destroy than other ships, it also means you're a sitting duck for the opposition as you're chipping away, and with a crowd of X-Wings and Tie Fighters converted in one location, these moments can be more joyfully hectic than before.

3. Pilot the Millennium Falcon - at your own risk

EA

Swooping close to the lava-coated planet of Sullust lets you grab glowing power-ups that can assist you in battle. One resets your cooldowns, allowing you to resume spamming those lasers, while another replenishes your armour, which has a neat risk-reward as you suddenly depart a skirmish to dive down in order to continuing fighting, at the chance you may end up accidentally smashing into the ground.

Meanwhile, another power-up turns you into a 'hero' ship from the original trilogy. While the opportunity to jump into the Millennium Falcon sounds like a dream come true, sitting in a larger, iconic ship draws the attention of the Imperial forces, and there were many amusing moments as TIE Fighters suddenly grouped together to gang up on poor Han and Chewie.

4. Star Wars Battlefront looks - and sounds - incredible

As with the on-foot demo on Hoth revealed earlier this year, Star Wars Battlefront looks incredible, whether you're surveying the entire battle from afar, with ships buzzing around like flies, or are up close, racing through the remnants of an exploding ship you just sent to hell.

What impressed us most is the sound, and how authentic a Star Wars experience it makes it become; squeezing the trigger and hearing those lasers fire for the first time is guaranteed to make you smile, and sounds even better if you jump into the cockpit view. Also, iconic music from the films seems to soar in at just the right time, giving your getaways and chases an epic feel.

Star Wars Battlefront is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC from November 17.

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