In multiple trailers shown for Star Wars Battlefront so far, a flaming star destroyer can be seen crashing to the planet surface far in the distance. As it turn out, this is not simply a nice spectacle, but actually part of the game interface.
Explaining the crashing ship, and other distant set pieces like it that will appear on other maps, DICE general manager Patrick Bach told IGN, “We have a concept we call Battle Beyond. The cool thing with this is it’s actually part of the player feedback. So depending on which side is winning or losing, these events actually change.” So, while not directly controlled by the players, the battles in the distance will be either tipping in favor of one side or the other depending on how the actual multiplayer match is going. In the case of the crashing star destroyer, that event appeared in the distance because the rebel side was currently winning.
Bach continued, “It’s what you usually do in a UI, you make it bluntly obvious… [Instead, Battle Beyond is] slowly hinting at who’s winning, and I think it’s a brilliant concept to give you the information and emotion you need to understand or change your plans…. You don’t need a gauge blinking. It’s part of the world.”
While the only aspect of the system seen so far has been the crashing Star Destroyer, each map in the game will have appropriate indicators for how the battle is going. To see ‘Battle Beyond’ in action, check out the co-op gameplay reveal below. While we wait anxiously for the game’s November 17th release, what do you think of the ‘Battle Beyond’ system? Let us know in the comments.