With the big new Star Wars Battlefront update today on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Season Pass owners can access the new Rogue One: Scarif DLC, while PlayStation VR owners can now download and play the new Rogue One: VR Mission.
Requiring PSVR, the VR Mission is available for free through the PlayStation Store (North America, Europe), and it’s a 1.8GB download. “Related to the upcoming film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, players will find themselves dog-fighting through the far reaches of space,” the description adds. “Put on your helmet and immerse yourself in 360° space combat from the cockpit of an X-wing. Join your squadron in a jump through hyperspace to rescue a ship in distress, as you carry out an important mission for the Rebellion.”
Keeping in mind that Rogue One: Scarif will be released for non-Season Pass owners on December 20, here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s Battlefront update:
New Content for DLC Owners
- New levels: Four new maps set on Scarif and in space above the planet.
- New game mode: Infiltration – A three-phased mode in which Rebels must first breach the shield surrounding Scarif by escorting a U-wing to the Shield Gate. Once they’ve landed, their objective is to create a diversion by blowing up an Imperial cargo ship. Immediately afterwards, the Rebels must complete their mission by stealing Imperial secrets and escaping.
New Weapons
- A180: A unique blaster pistol which can be modified to become other blaster types. Once equipped, your Star Card hand will be replaced with three different modes you can activate: Sniper Mode, Rifle Mode, Ion Mode
- DT-29: A blaster pistol which uses ammunition instead of the overheat system.
New Star Cards
- Sonic Imploder: A hybrid grenade that deals damage to the enemies as well as blinds targets that are looking towards the explosion.
New Heroes
Jyn Erso
- Rifle Extension – Transforms the blaster pistol in to a blaster rifle. You can switch mode between pistol and rifle modes at any time without a cooldown.
- Sonic Imploder – The grenade deals high damage, blinds enemies and reduce armor for targets.
- Truncheon Surge – Jyn performs a short forward melee strike using her baton. The ability starts with 3 charges, but can hold up to 9.
- Passive: For each kill with her blasters or grenade, Jyn will gain charges for Truncheon Surge. The amount she gains is equal to the level of her trait.
Director Krennic
- Armor Breaker – Krennic will fire a powerful blaster bolt that deals high damage and does armor reduction.
- C2-B5 – A unique version of an astromech droid is deployed. It is AI controlled and has the following abilities: Scan Ping, Squad Shield, Dioxis Defense
Wrath of the Empire – Boosts team members in a small radius around Krennic. On top of a temporary armor increase, it has the following effects:
- For regular soldiers it will increase the total health to 200, but it will automatically deplete until the players health reaches 50 Health regeneration will not activate until the player drops to 50 health.
- For heroes and Krennic they will receive a 10% temporary health boost.
Passive ability: An armor boost effect is applied to all nearby players, including Krennic. The armor boost effect is dependent on the number of nearby players. Heroes count for two players:
- Level 1: 1 Player
- Level 2: 4 Players
- Level 3: 8 Players
Death Troopers: 2 players are able to spawn in as a Death Trooper whenever Krennic is on the battlefield. They are equipped with the following gear:
- Weapon: DLT-19
- Ability 1: Thermal Imploder
- Ability 2: Cooling cell
- Ability 3: Smart Rocket
New Vehicle
- U-wing: A vehicle only available in space above Scarif as part of the new Infiltration game mode. It can utilize the following abilities: Speed Boost, Shield, Jammer
New Power-Ups
- U-wing: Fire a turret mounted on the side of the U-wing as it circles above the map. You can protect yourself with the following abilities: Shield, Jammer
- TIE Striker: An Imperial only power-up available only on Scarif. When activated, an AI controlled TIE Striker will make a strafing run on nearby Rebel players.
Hutt Contracts
- New Hutt contracts: Four new Hutt Contracts have been added to the game.
General
- PlayStation: Added the Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-wing VR Mission.
- Drivers: The required AMD drivers for Battlefront are now 15.7 and above.
- Armor: A new armor system has been introduced. Increased armor decreases damage taken, where reduced armor increases damage taken.
- AI ships: Reduced the damage the AI vehicles deal. This change affects the AI support pick-ups from Y-wings, B-wings, TIE Defenders, & TIE bombers.
- Skirmish: Fixed an issue in which the Multiplayer Star Card hand wasn’t available.
- Game modes: Updated various spawn locations.
- Traits: Added a new way in which Traits are level up. It is point based now with different action granting more points. Playing the objective will grant more points than kills will do.
- Traits: Resolved a bug in which the traits will not reset whenever a player is defeated at level 3.
- Speeder Bikes: Resolved an issue which allowed speeder bikes to instantly kill heroes.
- General: Various minor UI issues.
- General: Updated the localization.
Game Modes
- Death Star DLC: Added Cargo and Droid run to the death star interior levels
- Walker Assault: Resolved a bug in which players could spawn multiple heroes by waiting in the hero selection screen.
- Walker Assault: Removed TIE Interceptors during the last uplinks on Twilight on Hoth.
- Extraction: The shipment will now destroy any medical droid placed in its path.
- Extraction & Sabotage: Resolved issues that could cause the player to get stuck in the hero selection screen.
- Sabotage: Increased the spawn time for AT-STs .
- Sabotage: Increased capture areas and moved them slightly.
- Heroes vs. Villains: Is now best of 3 and all maps are played twice enabling players to play on both teams.
- Battle Station: Space power-ups now properly respawn during the first phase.
- Game Modes: Updated various spawn locations.
Weapons and Star Cards
- Bryar Pistol: Lowered secondary fire damage from 300 to 120.
- Bryar Pistol: Increased cooling power from 0.1 to 0.07.
- Bryar Pistol: Increased rate of fire from 240 to 280.
- DLT-19X: Raised minimum damage from 65 to 67.
- Stinger Pistol: Increased base impact damage from 5 to 7.
- Stinger Pistol: Increased the active time for both basic and black card by 1 second.
- Stinger Pistol: Removed the penalty of un-equipping the card before firing. It will no longer go into cooldown when performing this action.
- Disruption: Added a 1.5 second delay from when the Star Card is activated to when the effect is triggered.
- Disruption: Users who activated a Disruption card can’t run during the deploy time.
- Disruption: When activating the Disruption card, sparks will emit from the player in order to notify enemy players in close proximity.
- Bacta effect: The bacta effect now applies to heroes. This applies to both Bacta Bomb and Medical Droid. When applied to heroes it adds an additional 10%, with 10% being the maximum amount.
- Spawn Screen: Added more clarity for certain weapons with unique effects by adding a short description to certain weapons in the spawn screen.
Astromech & Viper Droid: Added a lock-on multiplier that have the following effects:
- If a target is more than 25m away from the droid, it will not take 1 second to lock-on, but rather 2 seconds.
- Pulled in the effective range of the projectiles.
- Lowered the minimum damage slightly.
Heroes
- General: Stun effects are not applied with each attack anymore. Players have a 1.5 seconds window where they can’t be consecutively stunned by the same attack.
- General: Several attacks are now doing more damage to droids: Lightsaber, Force Push, Saber throw, and Saber Rush.
- Luke Skywalker: Health increase from 1050 to 1100.
- Luke Skywalker: Force Push damage increase from 100 to 130.
- Han Solo: The Shoulder Charge’s hit box has been increased.
- Leia Organa: You can now cancel the Trooper Bane ability.
- Leia Organa: Health Token healing amount decreased from 50 to 40.
- Leia Organa: Health increase from 1000 to 1050.
- Nien Nunb: No longer takes damage from his own Proximity Bombs.
- Chewbacca: Increased damage of main projectile from 40 to 45.
- Chewbacca: Increased explosion damage of main projectile from 25 to 30.
- Chewbacca: Roar active time increased from 10 to 12 seconds.
- Chewbacca: Mobility speed increased very slightly.
- Chewbacca: Health increase to 1500.
- Palpatine: Health Token healing amount decrease from 50 to 40.
- Palpatine: Very slight Lightning damage decrease.
- Boba Fett: Wrist Rocket increased inner blast radius from 2.5 to 3.5m and the outer from 4 to 4.5m.
- Boba Fett: Wrist Rocket homing range increased from 25 to 35m.
- Greedo: Precision Shot will now briefly stun Luke.
- Greedo: No longer takes damage from his own Dioxis Grenade.
- Dengar: Hurricane Strike damage input fixed, it no longer hits multiple times on one enemy.
- Dengar: Increased base damage of Hurricane Strike from 100 to 130
- Bossk: Predatory Instincts will no longer randomly turn off.
- Vader: Can attack and block while Force Choking enemies.
Traits: Added Traits to all Base Game Heroes
Luke Skywalker: Sprint speed boost.
- Level 1: 20%
- Level 2: 40%
- Level 3: 80%
Han Solo: Damage fall off distance and general damage increases.
- Level 0: 22m and 30 min. damage
- Level 1: 30m and 40 min. damage
- Level 2: 45m, 50 min. damage and 75 close damage
- Level 3: 70m, 60 min. damage and 80 close damage
Leia Organa: Increases armor for all nearby Rebels and Leia.
- Level 1: Rebels 20%, Leia 40%
- Level 2: Rebels 40%, Leia 60%
- Level 3: Rebels 60%, Leia 80%
Emperor Palpatine: Recharge Lightning every 3 seconds.
- Level 1: 9%
- Level 2: 18%
- Level 3: 25%
Darth Vader: Armor increase based on the number of enemies surrounding him. Heroes count as 2 enemies.
- Level 1: 20% for 1-2 enemies
- Level 2: 50% for 3-4 enemies
- Level 3: 80% for 5+ enemies
Boba Fett: Passive scan distance and Jetpack recharge every 3rd second.
- Level 0: Scan 5m, Jetpack 0%
- Level 1: Scan 10m, Jetpack 6%
- Level 2: Scan 15m, Jetpack 12%
- Level 3: Scan 30m, Jetpack 18%
Stats and Progression
- Diorama: Jyn Erso, Director Krennic, TIE Striker and U-wing have been added to the Diorama.
- Ranks: Increased from 90 to 100.
- Appearances: The new Shoretrooper Captain unlock has been added as a rank 100 unlock.
- Scoring: Resolved an issue in which match bonus wasn’t correctly rewarded on Death Star maps and modes.
- Hutt Contracts & Challenges: Improved the system and resolved issues in which Hutt Contracts would not track progress but still grant rewards.
As EA revealed last week, the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront will be much bigger.
[Source: EA Star Wars]
Shooter Showdown 2016
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Shooter Showdown 2016 - Which Should You Play?
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Battleborn
Unfortunately overshadowed by Overwatch’s release, Battleborn is in no way a bad multiplayer/MOBA hybrid. And given how it’s cheaper now, and there’s no shortage of post-launch support, giving this a try might not be a bad idea. Just remember that it doesn’t play nearly the same as Overwatch as some people might make you believe.
Get This If You:
- Want an alternative to Overwatch
- Like a shooter/MOBA on consoles that has LOTS of characters to choose from
- Want something different than your standard shooter
Don’t Play This If:
- You’re addicted to Overwatch and you’ll compare Battleborn to this
- Don’t like learning a ton of characters and their ultimates
- Not a fan of MOBA-ish shooters
Read our review!
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Battlefield 1
With Battlefield 1, DICE went back in time to World War I to give the game a modern edge. Sound weird? Yes, it is. While it has a decent single-player campaign, it’s in the multiplayer where it really shines. Prepare for all-out warfare with 32 vs. 32 matches with vehicles, planes, tanks and of course, infantry. There’s even a new mode called Operations that could very well be the franchise’s new go-to game mode.
Get This If You:
- Like pretty graphics and audio work (seriously, they’re damn impressive!)
- Love multiplayer matches with vehicles and lots of people in each match
- Have been a fan of the franchise
Don’t Play This If:
- You want something that you can just pick up and play (it has a bit of a learning curve)
- Can’t play multiplayer matches that are longer than your standard team deathmatch rounds
- Hate vehicles and want scorestreaks and other boosts for getting a lot of kills
Read our review!
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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Infinity Ward’s latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise is once again going to the future, and seems to be borrowing quite a few things from Treyarch’s Black Ops 3 in terms of multiplayer game design. Once again, players will be able to equip a gun, their preferred scorestreak setup, the Combat Rig of their choice and just go to town. It’s easily the most accessible shooter in the list because let’s face it, who hasn’t played a Call of Duty game, right?
Get This If You:
- Love Call of Duty’s kind of multiplayer
- Want super deep progression and unlock system in multiplayer
- Liked Black Ops 3’s multiplayer but want something fresh, but not too different
Don’t Play This If:
- You can’t stand Call of Duty’s kills-first multiplayer mantra
- Prefer your multiplayer experience to be more objective-focused
- Didn’t like Black Ops 3 or don’t want double jumps, and futuristic stuff
Read our review!
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Destiny
One of the biggest IPs in gaming to launch this generation, Destiny might possibly be the biggest MMORPG on consoles of all time. It’s certainly one of the most famous, and it’s hard to deny that it’s a fun experience — especially with friends.
Get This If You:
- Like RPGs and shooters rolled into one with a layering of AAA production values
- Find loots and crafting a fun experience
- Want something to play with your buddies that’s more cooperative than competitive
Don’t Play This If:
- You’re not a fan of grinding for crafting materials or doing tasks repeatedly to level up (or your weapons and items)
- Leaning on competitive multiplayer when it comes to shooters
- Can’t consistently party up to play
Read our review of the base game and the latest expansion!
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DOOM
Who’d have thought that DOOM would be this good? While it does have a multiplayer mode, the latest entry in the franchise has an excellent single-player campaign, with serviceable multiplayer. If you’d rather play a meaty FPS single-player than multiplayer, then this might be the game for you.
Get This If You:
- Like to play a solid single-player FPS campaign
- Not a fan of your typical military FPS
- Don’t see yourself playing too much online multiplayer
Don’t Play This If:
- Would rather have an online shooter with the usual progressions, ranking, etc.
- Squeamish or don’t like blood and guts
- Buy shooters mostly for online multiplayer
Read our review!
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Overwatch
While not really a “shooter” in the strictest sense of the word, Overwatch is Blizzard’s first foray into the crowded genre. Needless to say, it’s a huge success and its influence will surely be felt in other games. If you want your multiplayer super polished, with a regular release of free content (all maps, characters and modes!), and want characters you can master like in MOBAs, then give it a shot.
Get This If You:
- Want “Heroes” in your multiplayer games
- Like the feel of multiplayer shooters but not actual shooters like Call of Duty, Battlefield. etc.
- Want a game that’s supported for years to come
Don’t Play This If:
- You’re more a fan of military first-person shooters than anything else
- Want constant unlocks, progression, and the like
- Can’t be assed to work with a team
Read our review!
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Rainbow Six Siege
While Rainbow Six Siege has been released last year, it still manages to crack our list due to just how well supported it is. What other shooter do you know that has managed to hike up its player base more than at launch? If you want more tactics, a slower pace in your shooters, then give this a try.
Get This If You:
- You want a slower, more tactical approach to military shooters
- Want an established player base that’s not as toxic as most shooter communities
- A change of pace and want something more grounded in realism
Don’t Play This If:
- Want arcade-ey, twitch shooters
- You’re not the patient type (seriously)
- You prefer playing the latest multiplayer shooters
Read our review!
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Titanfall 2
While PlayStation gamers weren’t able to experience the first game in the franchise due to EA’s exclusivity deal with Microsoft, the sequel will be available to PC, Xbox and PlayStation gamers. Prepare for a mix of super fast infantry (Pilots) gameplay coupled with mechs (Titan) for something new to the FPS formula.
Get This If You:
- Hate Season Passes (all of Titanfall 2’s post-launch maps, modes and weapons will be free for everyone)
- Want fast-paced shooters but want a break (or an alternative) to Call of Duty
- Want to play as big mechs of death that can put the hurt on other mechs or infantry
Don’t Play This If:
- Want a slower, more “boots to the ground” FPS experience
- Prefer to camp (nothing wrong with that), since the game encourages you to move
- Don’t like double jumps, sliding and the sort in your shooters
Read our review!
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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
What’s there left to say about Uncharted 4? Easily one of the best gaming experiences available on the PS4, and it has a very competent multiplayer, too! If you’ve finished the single-player stuff, then there’s a surprisingly rather meaty multiplayer experience waiting for you.
Get This If You:
- Like epic, single-player adventure games that are really well done (like, really)
- Third-person multiplayer that focuses more on objectives
- Different kinds of game modes and not just TDM
Don’t Play This If:
- Prefer first-person shooters to third-person ones
- Expect to get lots of double and triple kills (not as easy as in other shooters)
- You want a super robust and super deep multiplayer (compared to full-fledged, multiplayer experiences)
Read our review!
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Warframe
Possibly one of the best free-to-play games available on PS4, which is still getting heavy support presently is Warframe. If you don’t want to spend a dime on any shooter at all, then this is right for you. You can download it, check it out all guilt-free.
Get This If You:
- Are on a budget
- Want a F2P game with an active player base
- Prefer your F2P games be supported for a long time
Don’t Play This If:
- Don’t like F2P games
- Hate micro-transactions
- You prefer Planetside 2, World of Tanks, etc. more (but seriously, they're free, so go try them all out)
Read our review!
