A trio of new Star Wars Battlefront heroes have been revealed over at the PlayStation Blog, along with some insight into how they were created and what special abilities they'll bring to the fight.
First up is Princess Leia Organa, she of the interstellar hairdo, who was "trickier" to incorporate into the game than other heroes because she doesn't have a "specific, favorite weapon" to bring to the party. "It’s clear that Leia is a leader, so in Star Wars Battlefront she’s very much about support play, buffing team members, and holding positions," Lead Hero Designer Jamie Keen explained. "Furthermore, players spawning close to her will spawn as Alderaan Honor Guards." She will have a unique offensive ability called Trooper Bane, however, that reflects her rather unusual talent for single-shotting Stormtroopers in the original trilogy.
Next on the list is Han "The Man" Solo, which to be clear is not actually a canon nickname. He's a lone-wolf gunslinger type, "similar to a Rebel trooper but with a greatly boosted arsenal," with a focus on "offensive output, damage, and mobility." He has three special combat abilities, including the very Solo-sounding Lucky Shot and also Shoulder Charge, a move he displayed in the original Star Wars, which lets him run toward, through, and/or away from fights as the situation dictates.
Finally, there is Emperor Palpatine, the Imperial Big Nasty. He predictably brings some serious Force powers to bear, including Force Lightning and the more powerful area-effect ability Chain Lightning, and is also the Empire's support character: Using the Imperial Resources ability, he can distribute power-ups to fellow Imperials and boost the health of other villains.
Han, Leia, and the Palpz were originally revealed through a spot of data mining that came to light yesterday, but it's nice to have it made official, isn't it? Star Wars Battlefront will be out on November 17.
